Empower Training and Consultancy

28/01/2026

🌐Come and see our New Website

👉 https://www.empowertac.com/

I’ve recently had my website redesigned to better reflect how I work with services and the challenges registered managers are facing.

The site now focuses more clearly on my core training areas:
• Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)
• Autism
• Learning Disabilities
• PMVA / Able Target System
• ADHD

These are the areas I’m increasingly delivering, with all training being fully bespoke to the service, staff team and the people being supported. No off-the-shelf packages or tick-box delivery.

A key focus of my work is supporting staff confidence, consistency and retention, particularly where burnout is a real risk.

I continue to offer my wider range of mandatory and specialist training, but the website now gives a clearer sense of where my main focus sits.

If you’re planning training, or simply curious about my approach, I’d really welcome you having a look.

Bespoke health & social care training from Empower Training & Consultancy covering Dorset and the South West, delivered by experienced health care trainers.

16/01/2026

A lot of people think behaviour support is about “getting someone to stop”.

Stop shouting.
Stop hitting.
Stop refusing.
Stop walking out.
Stop swearing.

But here’s the truth:

We don’t train staff to train people to change their behaviour.
We train staff to understand the behaviour.

Because behaviour isn't “random” - it’s communication.
It’s a person trying to meet a need in the only way they currently can.

That’s why the goal isn’t control.
It’s connection.

Connection before correction.

When we slow down and become a better detective than a judge, we start asking better questions:

What function is this behaviour serving?

What’s changed in the environment?

What is this person trying to avoid, access, or express?

What are they missing in that moment - safety, predictability, control, attention, escape?

Real progress happens when we work with the person, not against them.

The outcome isn’t “perfect behaviour”.

It’s helping them find a more positive way to meet the same need…
without distress, without escalation, and without everyone feeling like they’ve lost.

That’s behaviour support done properly.

If you work in care, education, or support roles - what’s the biggest shift you’ve seen when a team stops focusing on “stopping behaviour” and starts focusing on “understanding why”?

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10/11/2025

Planned Ignoring or Purposeful Non-Interaction — Are We Doing It Right?

I’m seeing more staff and services saying they “use planned ignoring”… but in practice, it’s often being done poorly.
So let me ask you:
👉 Have you ever used or heard of planned ignoring/purposeful non-interaction?
And did you do it correctly?
Because here’s the truth many people miss:
✅ Planned ignoring should only ever be used to reduce a specific behaviour
❌ It should never mean ignoring the person
When done properly, it looks like this:
You don’t interact with the identified behaviour you’re trying to reduce
But you do interact, praise and engage the moment that behaviour is not present
That’s targeted, intentional and ethical.
What it should not look like is withdrawing attention from the whole person.
If we ignore the individual rather than the behaviour… isn’t that just neglect?
When used correctly, planned ignoring is a powerful tool — but only when part of a wider, positive, relational behaviour support plan.
I’d love to hear your experiences.
Have you seen this strategy used well, or poorly, in your setting?

03/11/2025

🎥 What people say about Empower Training & Consultancy

I know I’m one of the lucky ones who truly loves what they do — and when I receive such positive feedback, it reminds me exactly why I do it.

Each kind word drives me to continue growing, creating, and delivering meaningful, person-centred training that makes a real difference in the care sector.

If you’d like to discuss bespoke training for your team — from behaviour support and de-escalation to mental health, breakaway, or custom-designed courses — I’d love to help.

📩 Contact: info@empowertac.com

💙 Training with Care

15/10/2025

🖐️ An easy way to remember the 5 key principles of the Mental Capacity Act
I like to use the hand method — each finger represents a principle:

👍 Thumb – Assume I have capacity
(We assume the person has capacity unless proven otherwise.)

☝️ Pointing finger – Give me information in a way I understand it.
(If I don’t understand, how can I have capacity on that decision?)

🖕 Middle finger – We all have the right to make an unwise decision.
(It might be unwise to swear at someone... but that doesn’t mean I lack capacity!)

💍 Ring finger – Any action taken must be in the person’s best interests.
(And apparently, it’s in your best interest to get married… 😉)

🩵 Little finger – Any action taken must be the least restrictive, safest option.
(reducing restrictive practice empowers independence)

🧠 Principles 1–3 (👍☝️🖕) help us decide if someone has capacity.
💬 Principles 4–5 ( 💍🩵) guide how we make decisions for them if they don’t.

Simple, visual, and it always sticks with learners.
How do you help people remember the 5 key principles? 👇

07/10/2025

A Week as a Trainer
Last week was a great one — though I have to admit, my planning could have been a little better! But woke up to so lovely views from my hotels.

Monday started with a fantastic meeting in Yeovil with a new local client, where I’ll be delivering Managing Behaviours that Challenge and Breakaway training.

On Tuesday, I headed to Taunton for a Skills for Care Learning Providers Network event — always great to connect with others in the sector and share ideas.

Wednesday took me to Okehampton, delivering Ligature Awareness and Protocol Training for a newly opened children’s home — a brilliant team with so much passion for getting things right from day one.

Then came the “poor planning” part — a long drive over to Worthing, where I delivered a Managing Behaviour that Challenges course at a residential home. My biggest takeaway there wasn’t the mileage, but their staff retention — every participant had been in post between 2 and 26 years. That says a lot about the culture and care within that service. 👏

After Worthing, it was on to Upminster, though not before 1.5 hours stuck in M23 traffic due to a crash. My thoughts go out to everyone involved — a reminder that a bit of delay is nothing compared to someone else’s bad day.

In Upminster, I spent the day at a beautiful nursing home delivering an Emergency First Aid at Work course before heading back through the M25 traffic to Dorset on Friday evening.

Yes, it was a lot of travelling and a tiring week, but made easier by loving what I do. Every week, I meet amazing people who are genuinely making a difference in the lives of those they support — and that’s what keeps me going.

24/09/2025

It’s been an incredible first year at Empower Training and Consultancy, and we want to say a huge thank you to all our amazing customers who’ve supported us on this journey.

To celebrate our first birthday, we’re offering a 10% discount on all courses booked between now and 17th October! 🎁

✅ New customers – welcome aboard! This discount is our way of saying hello.
✅ Existing customers – this is in addition to any pre-agreed discounts you already have in place.

Whether you're looking to upskill yourself or your team, now’s the perfect time to book.

📩 For more details, you can message me on Linked in, email info@empowertac.com or call 01935 312321.

empowertac.com

Here’s to another year of empowering growth and learning! 🚀

05/09/2025

🎉 We’re 1! 🎉

This week marks Empower Training & Consultancy’s first official birthday – and what an incredible 12 months it’s been!

Over the past year, I’ve learned so much about starting and running a business, and just as much about myself. It’s been a journey filled with growth, challenges, and so many rewarding moments – and I’ve loved every step.

🙏 A huge thank you to everyone who has supported Empower along the way, and to all the organisations and individuals I’ve had the privilege of working with. Delivering training that is fun, meaningful, and engaging – training that truly makes a difference to staff and the people they care for – has been at the heart of everything we do.

Looking ahead, I’m excited to keep growing Empower, expanding the services we offer, and reaching even more organisations. Over the next year, my goal is to not only continue working with our fantastic existing clients, but also to welcome new ones who share our passion for high-quality, impactful training.

Here’s to year two – and to making an even bigger difference together! 💙

01/09/2025

Last week, I had the pleasure of delivering four Train the Trainer courses to Kirsty at HSW Care. Her passion and experience really shone through, and it was wonderful to see how much she enjoyed the training. I’m so pleased to hear she’s now really excited to start delivering it herself!

HSW Care is a new home care company starting up in Dorset, and I have no doubt they’ll make a real difference in people’s lives – supporting independence and helping individuals continue to live well and meaningfully in their own homes. I’m really looking forward to seeing them grow.

If you have any training needs, including Train-the-Trainer courses, you can reach me at info@empowertac.com.

And if you’re looking for quality home care in Dorset, I’d definitely recommend getting in touch with HSW at hswcareltd@gmail.com.

14/08/2025

Choosing Health and Social Care as a Career?

Today, with it being A-Level results day, I was watching the news and was delighted to hear that Health and Social Care is now in the top 5 subjects being chosen.

I love talking to people about working in this sector and “selling” it as a career opportunity. It’s often overlooked and undervalued – and sadly, I’ve heard people working in the field say, “I’m just a support worker” or “just a carer.”

Let me be clear – there is no “just” in it.
🌟You don’t just help someone achieve their goals.
🌟You don’t just make a difference to their family by being there when they can’t be.
🌟You don’t just give someone’s life meaning by supporting them to do what matters most to them.
🌟You change lives – and that’s never “just” anything.

If you’re looking for a career, Health and Social Care is an incredible option. There are hundreds of roles in the sector, each with the potential to have a real impact on people’s lives – while also giving you a career with genuine meaning and purpose.

When I left school, I didn’t get the grades I needed to go to college (thankfully, because I didn’t really want to go, but didn’t know what else to do!). Growing up my parents were foster carers, and were able to help me a voluntary role at a local SEN school.

That decision changed my life.
18 years later, I’m so grateful he pushed me in that direction. From that voluntary start, I’ve been a Teaching Assistant, Assistant/Deputy Home Manager, Home Manager, Transitions Lead, Unqualified Teacher, Trainer, Behaviour Lead, Training & Recruitment Manager, Behaviour Specialist – and now, Founder/Director of Empower Training and Consultancy, running my own company when I first started was beyond my wildest dreams but I am privileged to say I have a career that I love.

So, to those receiving their A-Level results today – or anyone considering a career change – please consider Health and Social Care. You might just find the same purpose, pride, and passion that I did.