Workshops

On Tuesday delegates will have the option to attend 3 workshops lasting 1 hour each

These are a great opportunity to hear from a range of subject specialists

Scroll down to see all our workshop options

Choose your workshops and book tickets here

How CPOMS has revolutionised the way student services record, keep, and monitor all their safeguarding and pastoral needs.

Presented by Samantha Mortimer  CPOMS

Over the past 18 months the recording of safeguarding issues, the monitoring and record keeping for students has been of paramount concern for all. This workshop is your opportunity to meet and ask questions about the services CPOMS has provided over the last 10 years to over 14,700 customers worldwide to become the market leader in this field. 

We are delighted to have CPOMS as our main Conference Sponsor.  CPOMS have also generously funded 5 free Conference places and 5 Hardship Fund prizes.

This Workshop is run by a commercial company.

Safer admissions of students with convictions

Presented by Chris Proctor, Nacro

There are more than 11 million people in the UK (around 20% of the working population) who have a criminal record. The majority of these individuals have committed relatively minor offences, but many educational establishments have concerns about potential risks that might be involved when considering an applicant with a criminal record. For courses that lead to regulated professions, many report facing difficulties with securing work placements required for successful completion of the course.


This workshop will help you develop the legal knowledge and skills you need to strike the right balance between safeguarding and enabling people with criminal records to have equal access to education opportunities. A toolkit of practical resources to help you develop fair and inclusive admissions policies and procedures can also be provided on request.

AoC and AoC Sport - Supporting the Student Experience

Presented by Dean Hardman and Sam Strickson, AoC Sport

AoC Sport is the lead organisation for sport and physical activity in 16+ education. This workshop will showcase the programmes and activities available for members to access, including the AoC Sport Leadership Academy, as well as some of the emerging arts/creative projects being delivered nationally.

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A focus on high needs learners, and the support they require

Presented by Clare Howard, Natspec

The number of high needs learners in colleges is increasing each year - over 60,000 learners with Education, Health and Care Plans attend college, but only 38,000 of them receive funding under the High Needs Funding system. How can your college effectively support these learners? What training is needed for staff and how can you ensure you access the resources you need?  This workshop from Natspec, the national organisation for SEND in FE, will guide you through some suggestions.

Embedding a strategic approach to Enrichment and Student Voice

Presented by Lisa Humphries and Lloyd Perry, NAMSS Executive Members

This workshop is designed to give an overview of the strategies that can be used to approach a highly success Enrichment and Student Voice model that links with the EIF drive for Personal Development through Inspection.

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Effective practise in Running a College Wide CRM

Presented by Nick Robinson, Grofar

Grofar’s award winning software supports colleges in the following three key areas

CRM – a bespoke CRM for FE colleges that provides a single source of employer information, applicant management and opportunity pipeline forecasts along with a huge functionality specification.

T LEVEL/ WEX Platform – evidence all placement completion data in one easy to use platform. Students can enter their hours, experiences and images on their phones or any connected device.  Staff can see placement status and easily access data for control and reporting purposes

Careers Platform - Leading platform for careers guidance, skills development, and Gatsby Benchmark tracking.  

This Workshop is run by a commercial company.

How to measure the impact of enrichment activity?

Presented by Chris Rowe and Fern Maxwell , Navigate

The Navigate platform is used by over 50 colleges to assess, track and evidence the impact of enrichment, tutorial, work placement and employer engagement activity.

This workshop will share real-life examples of how Navigate has effectively been used by a number of colleges to:
* Use psychometric assessment to identify learners personal, social and employability skills starting points
* Use this data to plan cohort-level enrichment and tutorial activities and learner-level student support interventions
* Ensure that learners record the activities they participate in a rich, online 'living CV'
* Measure and evidence the impact of these activities on learner personal, social and employability skills

The workshop will include inputs from NAMSS members that have first-hand experience of using the platform.

This Workshop is run by a commercial company.

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GAMBLING AND GAMING: Staying Ahead of the Game and Educating Young People to Prevent Harm

Presented by Kev Clelland, Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust

Around 55,000 11-16-year-olds in Britain are classed as being ‘problem’ gamblers, with a further 85,000 regarded as being at risk. Kev Clelland will give an overview of the scale of the issue, its impact on children and young people and some of ways the problem is being addressed, including details about the Young People’s Gambling Harm Prevention Programme, a partnership between YGAM and GamCare, the programme aims to deliver education, training and support to young people across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The workshop will help you

  • understand why children/young people might game and/or gamble
  • recognise the signs of gaming and gambling harms
  • know where to go for help and support
  • have increased confidence when talking to young people about gaming and/or gambling
  • understand the increased convergence between gaming and gambling

YGAM is a registered charity with a social purpose to inform, educate and safeguard children, young people and other vulnerable groups against gaming and gambling harms.

A 10 Point Plan to Embed Antiracism through Your Work with Students

Presented by Robin Landman - Black FE Leadership Group (BFELG)

Since its arrival on the FE scene during the summer of 2020, the Black FE Leadership Group (BFELG) has secured widespread accolades and support for its work, geared towards engendering a truly antiracist FE System.  Through an affiliated model of support for colleges, it has developed a 10 Point Plan, which is underpinned by a Diagnostic Toolkit and tailored CPD, to support colleges in their work with their students. This workshop showcases BFELG's approach, resources and impacts to date.

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Mind Your Language: Exploitation and Victim Blaming

Presented by Sarah Brown, NWG Network

The language we use as professionals can have a significant, and potentially lifelong, impact on victims of exploitation. A victim of exploitation is never to blame for the abuse they have lived through, yet we live in times where victims continue to be blamed.

This workshop enables us to discuss victim-blaming language and how we can accurately and sensitively record and report on victim experiences. The aim of the session is to explore ways in which we can develop the language we use.

Oral Saliva Drug Screening Programme – More than just a ‘deterrent’

Drug Sense UK

This workshop is no longer running.

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Workforce Development - DSL, DDSLs and Safeguarding Leads

Presented by Isabelle King, Education Training Foundation

This workshop will look at the skills and knowledge needed to work as a DSL or Safeguarding Lead within your College. It will share thinking around the training and development available and give insight into Education Training Foundation and their partners new CPD offer and qualification framework.

Unheard voices: How learner safety improves when institutions listen

Presented by Kenya Peters and Gemma McCall, Culture Shift

Shining a light on learner well-being, how harassment impacts learners' time at college, and exploring effective strategies to create change. This session aims to close an existing knowledge gap on how to effectively support learners experiencing poor behaviour, acknowledging that the road to change is complex, but that with the right resourcing and direction colleges can quite quickly begin to move the dial on harassment in Further Education. Attendees will come away with the data, case studies, insight and inspiration they need to start creating meaningful change now!

We are delighted to have Culture Shift as our Gala Dinner Sponsor.

This Workshop is run by a commercial company.

Strategic Safeguarding in Further Education - Planning for Excellence

Presented by Mike Glanville, The Safeguarding Company

Mike will be exploring the current safeguarding challenges being faced by FE colleges and setting out the key principles for effective safeguarding practice. He will be highlighting the importance of a contextual safeguarding approach to strategic planning and how the use of data is critical in the setting of objectives and the understanding of risk and harm.

This Workshop is run by a commercial company.

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Suicide Prevention - Awareness, Resource, Knowledge (SP-ARK)

Presented by PAPYRUS

This workshop will introduce PAPYRUS and Suicide Prevention.  It aims to increase awareness of Suicide and Suicide Prevention, provide information about PAPYRUS, develop hope and encourage action for a suicide safer community and build an understanding of the importance of self-care.

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A Hidden Challenge: Supporting Young People from Armed Forces Families to Thrive

Presented by Katherine Lawrence, Service Children’s Progression (SCiP) Alliance and Martyn Rogers, Canterbury College

This workshop will explore recent research about the context for young people from military families post-16 and hear examples of how Canterbury College supports this cohort.

Young people in Armed Forces families may have moved frequently during their childhood, with little agency support and at short notice. Many experience frequent separation, anxiety during deployment and the stress of transition out of the military. We will explore how this may impact on educational progression and wellbeing and will look together at how you might develop support and identify priorities for action. 

Coaching as a Development Tool for Student Services Managers

Presented by Alex Payne and Wendy Dick - Landex 

Providing a service that supports others in an uncertain and complex world requires leaders and managers who are resolutely focused on engaging in self-development which is directly relevant and immediately relatable to their practice. Leadership Coaching is an easily accessible, highly individualized approach to professional development for managers and leaders in all disciplines at all stages in their career. The leadership coaching process is focused on ‘self as leader and manager’. Positive impacts can be seen for self, for teams and for the wider organization.

This interactive workshop will provide an overview of some of the key coaching concepts and theories that managers have found effective in cultivating and optimising their own leadership strengths and skills when working within complex environments.

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Additional facilities to support Mental Health.

Presented by Robert Powell, IPS Ltd and Guy Outram, Mindspace 24/7

Students Mental Health is currently at the forefront of the news. The further education sector has been working hard to enable students to have a range of resources available to them.

However, the situation is growing, and we understand that there will be many students who will not want to admit that they need help, especially infront of their peers.

The partnership with IPS Ltd and Mindspace 24/7 can help to reduce Mental Health within the education sector, this is not to replace the staff and resources that have been put inplace by Colleges, but to enhance it.

Accessible from any college website, the IPS Ltd’s i-Pay system has the facility to access Online Therapy sessions, with highly qualified psychotherapists, from Mindspace 24/7. It can be accessed remotely, in private and is easy to use.

This additional tool can be used as a resource for councellors and welfare officers so that they can refer therapy sessions to the students.

This Workshop is run by a commercial company.