Development and training at Sense

Everyone who works for Sense is supported to reach their full potential. 

Whether you’re a support worker or a senior manager, you’ll find opportunities to learn and grow outside your comfort zone at Sense. 

When you first join Sense

So, you’ve got a new job with Sense – congratulations! First things first, you’ll get an induction tailored specifically to you. 

You’ll get a mixture of online and face-to-face training. In this sessions you’ll learn about Sense, our health and safety procedures, safeguarding, and equality and diversity.

After your induction, you’ll have the opportunity to take an online introduction to British Sign Language (BSL) course.

If you have a role directly supporting people with complex disabilities, you’ll also be trained in:

  • Emergency first aid.
  • Dysphagia awareness.
  • Positive behaviour support.
  • Medication awareness.
  • Infection prevention and control.
  • The Care Certificate (England) and Induction Standards (Wales and Northern Ireland).

During your time at Sense

After your induction, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to learn on the job.

We offer a programme of over 100 online and face-to-face learning opportunities, including:

  • Wellbeing courses: anxiety awareness, stress management, mindfulness and keeping active.
  • Personal development courses: time management, mentoring, unconscious bias and assertiveness skills.
  • Practice development for frontline support workers: communication methods, guiding, identity, sexuality and personal relationships, personalisation and active support and healthcare training.
  • Leadership and management development

Learning opportunities outside of Sense

Sense takes part in two external development programmes. Any of our eligible staff are encouraged to apply for these opportunities. 

  • Mentoring: we’re part of a cross-organisational mentoring programme, matching interested members of staff with an experienced mentor from another charity. Anyone who works at Sense can also act as a mentor themselves if they’d like to.
  • Moving Up: this programme, run by Skills for Care, trains people from Black, Asian or minority ethnic communities in leadership. The programme is a combination of learning networks, mentoring and one-to-one coaching. Find out more about the Moving Up programme.

Find out more