Affordable Solutions Tailored to Your Needs
Breakthrough’s Training and Consultancy department works with organisations across the public, private and voluntary sectors on disability, employment and independent living. Our innovative and practical approach results in tangible benefits and culture change. All Breakthrough trainers and consultants are highly experienced disabled people who deliver to rigorous professional standards.
- Commission training / consultancy to meet your operational and strategic needs.
- Get good value from our competitive rates.
- Achieve real changes in attitudes and practice among staff.
- Benefit your business and improve services through an inclusive approach.
Book Onto Our Regular Open Disability Equality Action Training Courses
Disability Equality Action Training for Front Line Staff
Essential training for front line staff working in Public, Private and Third Sector organisations. This is available as a one day course, and as a two day extended course when there is demand. Level 2 accreditation for this course is available from the Open College Network. Gain the knowledge, understanding and confidence to:
- communicate effectively with disabled people
- provide a better service to disabled customers
- identify and remove barriers disabled people face
- meet legal requirements
- make your workplace more inclusive
Disability Equality Action Training for Managers
Essential training for managers working in Public, Private and Third Sector organisations. On this one day course, gain the knowledge, confidence and skills to:
- improve employment practices
- make services more efficient and effective
- identify and remove barriers
- promote inclusion and equality
- meet legal requirements
Courses & Consultancy
Disability Equality Action Training.
Our most popular course, Disability Equality Action Training focuses on the identification and removal of barriers to employment and services.
Participants leave this course with the knowledge, tools, confidence and motivation to make practical changes of real benefit to organisations and disabled people.
To cater to the popular demand for this course we offer regular, open courses at our fully accessible headquarters in Manchester. These standard courses are an affordable option for small organisations or in situations where a small number of staff need to be trained. Discounts are available for early bookings, voluntary organisations, disabled people’s organisations and multiple bookings. Participants receive a comprehensive training publication containing in-depth information on disability issues, legislation and good practice.
Disability Legislation
From legal briefings to applying disability law in organisational contexts, we know disability discrimination and disability equality legislation inside out. What’s more, we can make it accessible and relevant to different audiences.
Disability Equality: The Duty & Beyond
At Breakthrough we have the expertise to support organisations in the following ways:
- Involving disabled people through accessible meetings, events and focus groups
- Gathering the views of disabled stakeholders through our networks and use of accessible research methods
- Impact assessments
- Policy audits
- Strategic reviews and high level consultancy
- Training for staff at all levels
Excellence in Employment - Best practice in the recruitment and retention of disabled employees.
Breakthrough is a working example of best practice in the employment of disabled people. Our excellence was recognised when we were awarded ‘Best Employer’ in the 2006 Positive Action Awards (where only disabled people can nominate.) Over 60% of our employees, including senior managers, are disabled people – a figure which has been achieved through fair and open recruitment processes combined with innovative policies and management practices. In this training we share our ‘know-how’ with you.
Building Capacity & Skills
We work with disabled people and their organisations to build confidence, independence and employment related skills. Our portfolio of courses includes:
- Management Committee Skills
- Writing a Constitution
- Train the Trainers – a course for disabled people who wish to deliver Disability Action Training.
- Independent Living Skills
- Disability Issues & legislation
Conferences and Events
We have extensive experience of organising and hosting fully accessible conferences and events.
We provide high calibre speakers and workshop facilitators.
We have experts able to effectively participate in media interviews.
Examples of our Work
Disability Equality Action Training – Trafford Council
Disability Equality Action Training delivered to every senior and middle manager in the organisation.
Briefings on disability legislation and its practical implications also delivered to elected members.
Over 95% of participants rated the overall usefulness of the training as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’.
Trafford Council’s Disability Equality Manager comments: ‘over the years, it is because I have had Breakthrough UK that I have been able to continue my work effectively’.
“When we commissioned Breakthrough UK to provide disability equality training with our staff, I was hopeful it would have a strong impact but I wasn’t ready for what happened. Members of staff started coming up to me in corridors or emailing me to say it was the most worthwhile and best training we’d ever done (and some of them could go back 30 years when they said that.) I joined a session myself and found it highly rewarding. The sheer quality of this training has inspired our staff to think seriously and creatively about how they as individuals and teams can contribute to our Equalities duties.”
Trafford Council Chief Executive, David McNulty.
Disability Equality – Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP North West)
Breakthrough has a well developed relationship with CSIP. Particular projects of note include:
- The delivery of training to highly experienced field workers, on current issues relevant to disabled people and their organisations within a care services context.
- The delivery of practical training to CSIP business support and administrative staff on accessible communications, meetings and events.
- CSIP’s sponsorship and ongoing support for key Breakthrough events, including the Centres for Independent Living (CIL) conference: ‘Success Stories’.
Disability and Employment Consultancy – BBC HR Direct
The BBC’s human resources division, BBC HR Direct, commissioned Breakthrough in March 2007 to advise on open and fair recruitment practice and the removal of potential barriers in job specifications.
Best Practice in Recruitment, Retention and Management of Disabled Staff – Woolworths plc
Four months after being named as ‘Best Employer’ at the Positive Action Awards in September 2006 (sponsored by the Northwest Regional Development Agency) for our open and fair recruitment and HR practices, we were approached by Woolworths plc to deliver training to line managers on practical issues relating to disability and employment.
Disability Equality Duty - Northwest Development Agency
In 2006 Breakthrough UK was commissioned to support the production of the Agency’s Disability Equality Scheme. This involved the recruitment of a reference group of disabled people from across the region and capacity building work with the group to enable them to contribute effectively to the process. Breakthrough also provided high level consultancy to key people in the Agency to assist in identifying and prioritising actions.
Customer Feedback
Just a few of the comments from evaluation forms:
“Delivery methods were very good and interesting. One of the best courses I have been on”
“Very well delivered – excellent and knowledgeable facilitator”
“Excellent and varied mix of activities and discussion – covered the necessary underpinning knowledge and highly current and relevant legislation”
“An excellent session that gave a clear, direct, knowledgeable and worthwhile viewpoint into the world of equality. Respectfully and passionately presented”
“I found this to be a very interesting and informative approach. It equipped me with the knowledge to feed back to other managers and colleagues”
“Very useful – the course has given me the time and space to reconsider my and my team’s approach to disability issues and develop a plan for the future”
“Breakthrough UK is an amazing resource and it was a pleasure to visit you and learn so much”
“Life changing – opened up my awareness and appreciation of the requirements of disabled people”
”Excellent! Very useful ideas to take back to the team”
“The single best day of training I’ve had in 30 years of local government”
Special Offer – Policy Toolkit
Customers who commission training or consultancy worth £2,500 or more will be eligible to receive our Policy Toolkit. The toolkit contains Breakthrough’s innovative policies in areas such as recruitment, health and safety, equal opportunities and sickness absence.
Venues to Suit
We have a fully accessible training facility, with free parking, in the heart of Manchester. We offer a full service including room and equipment hire, refreshments and high quality training packs. Our Training and Consultancy Co-ordinator makes training with Breakthrough hassle free.
We also deliver training at other venues convenient to you. Our network spreads across the North of England and beyond.
