I have worked with ActEd on a number of medical courses aiming to improve the professional communication skills of colleagues at my institution through scenario training and communication techniques. The actors are professional, enthusiastic, motivated and a real pleasure to work with. They were genuinely engaged in trying to give candidates the most learning possible and contributed massively to the development of the course. All candidates remarked at how real the scenarios felt and sounded which greatly optimised their learning. The speaking tips they gave on the course continue to be used by me today!
Dr Sophie Skellett
MA MB BChir MRCP FRCPCH
Consultant in Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care and Associate Medical Director, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust
Chair European Paediatric Advanced Life Support committee, Resuscitation Council (UK)
Working with ActEd is a pleasure. Over the last few years they have provided a range of bespoke offers to our staff, ranging from training clinical staff deliver bad news to improving staff communications. Their care in understanding our culture and ways of working has resulted in impactful sessions run by excellent actors and facilitators.
Eleanor Clarke, Head of Organisational Development, Whittington Hospital Trust
Earlier this year we collaborated with ActEd to deliver communication skills training to 250 pre-registration pharmacists. The unique selling point of ActEd was their willingness to collaborate to develop the training and suitable scenarios; ensuring that they were relevant to the learning needs of the trainees. As well as providing trainees with the opportunity to practice their communication skills in a ‘safe space’, the actors also facilitated feedback to the trainees, which many reported as being “highly valuable to their personal development”. The course received an overall satisfaction rating of 96.7% from attendees.
Stephen Whyte
Primary and Social Care, Course Director and Senior Lecturer, London South Bank University
There’s something magical about ActEd - working with ActEd is to engage in a collaborative relationship that is transformative for all involved. They bring their wealth of expertise and experience as a group of actors to enrich the learning of those who participate in the courses they support to enable and empower people to build their confidence and competence through enacting challenging situations.
I have worked with ActEd over several years inviting them to work as co-collaborators in crafting communication skills courses for health professionals and others working within the NHS. They are committed to their craft and reliable. As colleagues crafting a course or workshop they bring a unique insight that complements my role as an educator, trainer and facilitator.
During courses where role play is included each actor from ActEd that I have worked with has applied their professional skills to co-create scenarios in response to the needs of each participant that have immediately enabled the person to enter a situation ‘for real’, to practise alternative approaches to resolve their communication challenges. Each actor has used their talents to fine tune their character and respond according to the needs of the health professional and provide invaluable feedback.
I highly recommend ActEd – they are more than a ‘resource’ to include in professional training, they are a talent that can breathe an enhanced creativity into a course when involved from the outset.
Geoff Wykurz
Freelance educator, facilitator, evaluator
I am a nurse working in the NHS and have now worked with Dan, Shereen and the other actors from ActEd on three educational courses aimed at improving communication skills across professional multi-disciplinary groups in the NHS. Excellent communication skills amongst colleagues is essential for the provision of outstanding patient care and so the opportunity to have ActEd on our courses creating and recreating real scenarios where people can practice difficult communication issues has been amazing. Their professionalism and empathy in helping people who are often upset or worried about the situation that they are facing is invaluable. They have also introduced us to different ways to bring groups together and to breathing exercises to focus the mind before starting the communication exercises.
They are an inspirational group of actors who always put 100% of their time and energy into everything that they do for us.
Roz Cross
Lead Clinical Site Practitioner
Great Ormond Street Hospital Trust