This course is designed to enhance and develop your practice and increase competencies in participation and engagement.  The course will be delivered over 6 full days (5 days face to face at the University of Exeter Streatham campus and 1 day online). The cohort will run from January 22^nd through to March 6^th, 2026.

In addition, the course will provide a half day online training course for participants’ managers or senior leaders giving an overview of the course and an opportunity to explore how to further embed quality participation at a team or service level.

You will be required to engage in a reflective practice assignment to support your learning.

A place on the programme will cost £675.

The Course will Cover:

• The ontology, philosophy, and ethics of participation.
• Participation models and their appropriateness within Children’s and Young Peoples’ Health, Education and Social Care Sectors.
• Stage and age of lived experience.
  • Children, young people, parents and carers
• Embracing neurodiversity
• Planning projects and managing them for success.
• Working with others and having difficult conversations.
• Preparing people to share (or not).
• Evaluation and tracking of difference made.
• Creating projects based on principles.
• Challenging and controversy, how to manage it.
• Individual, Service Level and Commissioning level participation.
• Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion.
• More than steering groups – moving to youth led approaches.
• Creative thinking and doing.
• Becoming an Agent of Change – understanding how to use carrots and sticks, winning hearts and minds.
• Impacts – what difference does your role make?

The Course is Suitable for:

Those working within Health, Education and Social Care.

Those working directly in roles related to children, young people and parent carer participation, advocacy, peer support, lived experience voice and engagement.

What difference will it make:

Two practitioners who completed the Advanced Participation Practitioner CPD programme have significantly enhanced engagement within a Dorset MHST. Nearly 2,000 young people, alongside over 150 parents and school staff, contributed insights to a participation survey that are now shaping services to meet real needs. This programme demonstrates the impact of prioritising participation and ensuring every voice matters.

Quote from a previous trainee on this programme:  “The course was a very positive experience—engaging and passionate teachers, a variety of guest lecturers, and content that was really interesting. I was especially grateful for the support in repeating sessions when needed, which made the learning experience even more valuable.”

Course dates & times

We have evolved the course to reflect the feedback of previous participants, with over 80% of it being face-to-face on campus at the university of Exeter. We have structured in to enable individuals with greater distance to travel to have both days 1 & 2, and days 5 & 6 back-to-back so individuals could stay locally if preferable.

• Day 1 Thursday          January 22^nd                  9:30 – 4:30 (on Campus)
• Day 2 Friday                January 23^rd                   9:30 – 4:30 (on Campus)
• Day 3 Thursday          February 5^th               9:30 – 4:30 (on Campus)
• Day 4 Thursday          February 19^th              9:30 – 4:30 (online project building & coaching)
• Day 5 Thursday          March 5^th               9:30 – 4:30 (on Campus)
• Day 6 Friday                March 6^th                 9:30 – 4:30 (on Campus)

Development day for attendees’ managers, service leads & commissioners via Teams:

• Day 1 Friday               February 6^th               9:30 – 12:30 online)

If you are interested in taking part in this training course, please book using the following link: Cedar Create | Advanced Participation Practitioner | Autumn 2025

If you have any questions, please contact: cyp-participation@exeter.ac.uk