Search for Learning and Development Services and Pathways

This training is aimed at managers who want to improve how they manage difficult conversations with members of their team. The content is primarily focused on maintaining good levels of performance within teams, but can be used to support other conversations such as those when managing change. This day will provide a range of tools and techniques that will help you be more confident in difficult situations and help you to understand the causes of and issues surrounding difficult conversations, how to prepare for and manage conversations, different communication styles and how to adapt your approach, emotions that may be experienced and how to deal with them, the support available to you as a manager and action planning for your own difficult conversations.

The standard charge for this course is £103.50 per day but for council employees there is no charge. Please refer to our Course Charges on the Home page for information on discounts and exemptions.


Our tutors are highly experienced, and deliver our programmes with passion, pride and excellence. If you have any questions about this course work please contact emma.ford@southglos.gov.uk.

Participating in sessions

Participants are asked to embrace and abide by the following commitments:

• Maintain your focus on group learning and professional development
• Actively support peers
• Create a safe environment to encourage contribution and learning
• Participate constructively in the sessions
• Listen to encourage and welcome all views
• Respect each other’s values
• Maintain confidentiality in all matters

We embrace diversity and want to ensure that our sessions are fully inclusive for all. Please let us know any requirements or needs you have in relation to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation or caring responsibilities that may be relevant to your participation in the session.

The aim of this blended course is to enable all managers recruit and retain staff effectively. Even if you have recruited in other organisation, it is important for you to attend, to learn best practice for South Gloucestershire Council. All hiring managers are expected to attend this course.

If you have recruited in other organisations you may also find this useful as a refresher or to find out the council approach.

The course will familiarise you with the council’s recruitment guide and you will explore essential and additional criteria for posts, options regarding advert content and where adverts are placed, how to identify appropriate selection processes to use alongside the recruitment interview, shortlisting, preparing for interviews and other assessment tools, how to make fair and unbiased recruitment decisions, giving feedback and the steps you need to take to induct a new starter through to probation.

Please ensure that you have completed the Recruitment Onboarding and Induction e-module before attending this course.

Please log onto the Enable website and visit Learning > Available Learning. The Recruitment Onboarding and Induction e-learning is within the Management & Leadership section.


The day itself will consist of some group discussions and self reflection time to aid your learning. As this course covers South Gloucestershire processes it is for internal staff only.