Empathy in Support Work

AJP Dreams and EDG

​Alexander Warren of AJP Dreams has been working with support from EDG to research and develop empathy training for support workers. Alexander got funding from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation to carry out this work. You can check out his application video here.

The project took 18 months to complete. We spent 9 months interviewing support workers, people with learning difficulties who receive support and service managers about what helps to grow empathy among support workers for the people they work with. We also found out a lot about what gets in the way of empathy happening.

Our research - please see https://www.empathyinsupportwork.co.uk/our-research.

In-person...

Using our direct research with support workers and considering the research of others, we have developed two packages to support and enhance a culture of empathy in your organisation.

​The Empathy Training Package:

We create an empathic and non-judgemental atmosphere in our training which involves:

- Role play
- Art
- Personal reflection
- Interactive exercises

​With the aim of increasing understanding of:

- Empathy and what it is
- Overcoming barriers to empathy
- How to engage in self-care
- The importance of listening
- The link between empathy and supporting service users to live their dreams

​We offer this as two half days, or as a condensed version in one half day.

​​Peer Support for Empathy: Bonding, Reflecting, Recharging

One of our main findings was that support workers would really value regular opportunities to get together, talk openly and to support each other with best practice, especially in relation to empathy. Everyone who suggested this felt it was a good idea to have this facilitated by people outside of their organisation. AJP Dreams and EDG have many years of experience in facilitating workshops around connection and peer support. We have combined our knowledge and experience of what works best with the insights from the people who contributed to our research to create this package.

Our peer support package involves 2-3 hour meetings every 6-8 weeks where we facilitate opportunities to:

- Bond and foster a sense of community among workers
- Reflect on knowledge and share best practice around empathy
- Learn more about self-care as a support for empathic practice, including practical tips and techniques

We will work with your organisation to consider how best to structure the meetings around the needs of staff. A combined Empathy Training and Peer Support package is also available.

Our in-person trainings, now also include access to our online resources.

Online Training Package...

Improve your practise as a support worker using empathy!

Our course will support you to learn more about what empathy is and how to implement it in your working day. This will have a positive effect on you and the people you work with.
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​Empathy can be learned and improved and, used in the right way, it can make your job easier. Empathy is important in support work because it's a vital element of supporting people to live their dreams. It's also key to creating a nurturing relationship with the people you work with. It can help you ensure you're giving the right kind of support for the individual.

On our course, you'll learn how to sustain empathy and avoid fatigue by exploring the following steps:

- What is empathy and how do we do it?
- What is good listening and how do we do more of it?
- Make the link between empathy and living your dreams
- Your self-care: empathy as a resource, not a burden
- Setting appropriate boundaries

​Each module involves a mixture of theoretical and experiential learning. Some modules include resources you can download and keep.

We offer the course in the following formats:

as a self-study course: you have access to all pre-recorded materials and can work through them at your own pace on your own, or with a buddy if you have one. Cost: £130 You can buy online straight away in USD or if you'd prefer to pay in £ please email us*.

a self-study course with live online input from Alexander and Gillian (2 half day workshops) Cost: £350 plus £100 per participant for online course access, max participants 12 (includes lifetime access to all pre-recorded material)

a self-study course with live in-person input from Alexander and Gillian (a full day workshop) Cost: £350 plus £100 per participant for online course access, max participants 12 (includes lifetime access to all pre-recorded material)

We may consider a discount for large bookings from organisations.

*Unfortunately it's not possible to pay for instant access in £ because thinkific, the site that hosts the course, only accepts payments in USD. The charge is equivalent of around £130 although exchange rates fluctuate from day to day.

If you are a person with a disability or carer who directly employs PAs, please get in touch with us for our discounted rates. We want this course to be accessible to you as well as organisations.

​You can sign up for the self-study course right now by clicking the button below

Or you can email us for information about how to book live group sessions for your organisation.

​Access the course - please see https://edg-s-school-3c31.thinkific.com/courses/empathy-in-support-work.