Making Families Count provides inspirational training, helping organisations to positively engage with families and learn from families’ experiences. This transforms the experience of family members and improves the care provided.
Our webinars have all been updated to assist organisations in preparing and using PSIRF (Patient Safety Incident Response Framework).
2025 Webinars
17 June 2025 – Why good family engagement in the NHS matters (FREE)
30 September 2025 – Involving Families Keeps Patients Safer (FREE)
22 October 2025 – Building Trust and Engagement with Families in Mental Health Services, using PSIRF
6 November 2025 – Building Trust and Engagement with Families in Acute Services, using PSIRF
New webinars – please express your interest:
We are developing a series of new webinars. By clicking the “Register Your Interest” button for each webinar that appeals to you, you’ll be the first to receive updates on its development and be guaranteed a place upon booking. Your interest will also help us gauge demand for these valuable learning opportunities.
TBA – “Compassionate Communication, Meaningful Engagement”: A Session with the Handbook’s Creators
TBA – Working with Patients with Learning Disabilities in Hospital Settings
TBA – Supporting Positive Family Engagement in Palliative Care
In addition to webinars, we offer bespoke in-house training as well as Virtual Training Packages tailored to the needs of your organisation.
2025 Past Webinars (for information)
24 April 2025 – Family Liaison Services – Working with Families, for Families
30 April and 21 May 2025 (two-part webinar) – Life Beyond the Cubicle – Training the Trainers
15 May and 18 June 2025 (two-part webinar) – Life Beyond the Cubicle – Training the Trainers
All participants will receive the programme and background information about Making Families Count in advance. Everyone who attends will also receive a resource pack (including a shareable PDF guide and the speakers’ slides) and a certificate of attendance.
“Your speakers were fantastic; really down to earth and impactful. I came away from the session with some tangible, practical things that I can start to use in my practice immediately. The message you are sending is very powerful and “spot on” for the people who attend your webinars.”
Amy Stanley, Clinical Investigations Manager, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
For more details about the individual webinars, see below.
“Why good family engagement in the NHS matters“
Date: Tuesday 17 June 2025
Time: 12.30pm – 1.30pm
Price: FREE
This new webinar is a free introduction to the work of Making Families Count (MFC) and focuses on who we are, what we do and why we do it. Speakers include Julie Kerry, who co-founded MFC in 2014 and is now one of our directors, Len Hodkin, family member and director, and Rosi Reed, our development and training coordinator. MFC aims to offer training which supports healthcare professionals to better engage with parents and families. This introductory webinar illustrates what our training offers in terms of facilitating staff to have the necessary skills to work well with families, particularly around the PSIRF guidance.
The aims of this webinar are:
- To offer an initial introduction to the work of Making Families Count
- To improve your understanding of the importance of engaging well with families in the PSIRF context
- To facilitate conversations about your team/organisation’s current practice
Speakers:
Julie Kerry, Len Hodkin, and Rosi Reed
This webinar is open to all healthcare professionals who are interested in knowing more about the work of Making Families Count and the training we offer.
“Involving Families Keeps Patients Safer“
Date: Tuesday 30 September 2025
Time: 12.30pm – 1.30pm
Price: FREE
This free webinar is an introduction to the work of Making Families Count (MFC) and focuses on who we are and why we believe that involving patient’s families from first contact is an important part of patient safety. The webinar features members’ stories which illustrate how important good family engagement is, and gives ideas about how to train staff to have the necessary skills to work well with families, particularly around the PSIRF guidance.
The aims of this webinar are:
- To offer an initial introduction to the work of Making Families Count
- To improve your understanding of the importance of engaging well with families in the PSIRF context
- To facilitate conversations about your team/organisation’s current practice
Speakers:
Julie Kerry, Trevor Stevens, and David Smith
This webinar is open to all healthcare professionals who are interested in knowing more about the work of Making Families Count and the training we offer.
“Building Trust and Engagement with Families in Mental Health Services, using PSIRF”
Date: Wednesday 22 October 2025
Time: 12.15pm – 3:15pm
Price: £90
This webinar focuses on using positive family engagement within the new PSIRF framework to transform the investigation experience of patients, families, and staff. We will provide clear information on when and how to develop positive family engagement during investigations, in line with PSIRF. The webinar has been developed in line with the national NHS Patient Safety Standards introduced as part of the NHS Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) and the Engaging and involving patients, families and staff following a patient safety incident PSIRF supporting guidance.
This webinar enables you to hear the first-hand experiences of staff and families in a powerful and engaging way. It gives you the opportunity to discuss and share your experiences and that of speakers and other delegates in a non-judgmental and positive learning environment.
This webinar is for…
- Patient Safety Leads / Manager / Advisors
- Family Liaison Service Teams
- PSIRF Implementation Teams
- Governance Leads / Managers / Directors
- Clinical Leads in Safety & Quality
Speakers:
Julie Kerry, Lucien Champion, Stephen Habgood and Sam Fairhurst
Learning Outcomes
You will have the opportunity to achieve the following learning objectives:
- Understand the challenges and opportunities of engaging positively with families. Using PSIRF to develop an approach that recognises the importance of a collaborative investigative process that is thoughtful, compassionate, and supportive to families and staff. Appreciating the long-term adverse impact of poor engagement.
- Consider the family perspective after a patient safety incident, learning from the lived experiences of families to ‘walk a while in their shoes’, in relation to creation of actionable insights from these experiences which will influence your own future practice.
- Challenge yourself on your approach to the delivery of duty of candour and whether it meets the needs of families after a patient safety event.
- Increase your confidence in managing issues of information sharing and confidentiality. Developing approaches to how families can be supported to be part of a safety plan for patients.
- This would also specifically include working well with families who have experienced loss through suicide.
- Focus on an investigative and engagement approach which avoids compounding harm. Recognising the positive impact even small expressions of kindness can make and determining what makes a meaningful apology.
- Develop an approach to report writing after a patient safety incident, which has the family at the centre.
“Building Trust and Engagement with Families in Acute Services, using PSIRF”
Date: Thursday 6 November 2025
Time: 12.15pm – 3.15pm
Price: £90
This webinar focuses on using positive family engagement within the new PSIRF framework to transform the investigation experience of patients, families, and staff. The webinar will provide clear information on when and how to develop positive family engagement during investigations, in line with PSIRF. This webinar has been developed in line with the national NHS Patient Safety Standards introduced as part of the NHS Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) and the Engaging and involving patients, families and staff following a patient safety incident PSIRF supporting guidance.
This webinar enables you to hear the first-hand experiences of staff and families in a powerful and engaging way. It gives you the opportunity to discuss and share your experiences and that of speakers and other delegates in a non-judgmental and positive learning environment.
This webinar is for…
- Patient Safety Leads / Manager / Advisors
- Family Liaison Service Teams
- PSIRF Implementation Teams
- Governance Leads / Managers / Directors
- Clinical Leads in Safety & Quality
Speakers:
Ashley Windebank-Brooks, Dr Karen Lascelles, Julie Kerry, Rosi Reed, Joanne Canning, Derek Richford
Learning Outcomes
You will have the opportunity to achieve the following learning objectives:
- Understand the challenges and opportunities of engaging positively with families. Using PSIRF to develop an approach that recognises the importance of a collaborative investigative process that is thoughtful, compassionate, and supportive to families and staff. Appreciating the long-term adverse impact of poor engagement.
- Consider the family perspective after a patient safety incident, learning from the lived experiences of families to ‘walk a while in their shoes’, in relation to creation of actionable insights from these experiences which will influence your own future practice.
- Challenge yourself on your approach to the delivery of duty of candour and whether it meets the needs of families after a patient safety event.
- Increase your confidence in managing issues of information sharing and confidentiality. Developing approaches to how families can be supported to be part of a safety plan for patients.
- Focus on an investigative and engagement approach which avoids compounding harm. Recognising the positive impact even small expressions of kindness can make and determining what makes a meaningful apology.
- Develop an approach to report writing after a patient safety incident, which has the family at the centre.
“Compassionate Communication, Meaningful Engagement”: A Session with the Handbook’s Creators
Date: TBA
Discover the key principles of compassionate engagement in this in-depth webinar based on our best practice handbook. Developed over two years in collaboration with ten NHS Trusts, this handbook provides detailed guidance on supporting patients and families after a patient safety event.
This session will explore some of the handbook’s most crucial areas, including the principles of compassionate engagement, the Duty of Candour, Safeguarding, and Confidentiality and Information Sharing, all in line with the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF).
Join the healthcare professionals and MFC members who created this essential resource as they share their expertise.
This webinar has been developed in line with the national NHS Patient Safety Standards and the Engaging and involving patients, families and staff following a patient safety incident PSIRF supporting guidance.
This webinar is for:
- Clinical Leads in Safety and Quality
- Patient Safety Leads, Managers, and Advisors
- Family Liaison Service Teams
- PSIRF Implementation Teams
- Governance Leads, Managers, and Directors
“Working with Patients with Learning Disabilities in Hospital Settings”
Date: TBA
We recognise the ongoing challenges healthcare professionals face in supporting patients with learning disabilities and their families within hospital environments.
This webinar will feature powerful stories from family members who are also healthcare professionals, offering unique insights from both perspectives. We are also honoured to welcome Beverley Dawkins OBE and Elaine Clarke. Following an investigation into the tragic death of Elaine’s brother, Clive, they co-created a vital educational pack to improve the safety of individuals with learning disabilities in hospitals.
Beverley and Elaine will discuss their impactful work and the resources they have developed. They will be joined by a healthcare professional who has successfully implemented and championed their work within their own organisation.
This webinar is for:
- Learning Disability Staff
- Learning Disability Nurses
- Learning Disability Managers
- Ward Staff and Managers
- Patient Safety Leads, Managers, and Advisors
“Supporting Positive Family Engagement in Palliative Care”
Date: TBA
Positive and effective engagement with a patient’s family and carers is a transformative and essential component of excellent palliative care. However, many staff members find this aspect of their role challenging.
This webinar will highlight the significant benefits of positive family engagement, demonstrating how it enhances the end-of-life experience for both staff and families. We will provide a practical “how-to” guide, covering all aspects of what this engagement looks like and how to implement it effectively.
Our speakers include both family members and senior healthcare staff who advise palliative care teams on improving family engagement, drawing from their professional expertise and personal experiences with the palliative care system.
This webinar is for:
- Hospice Consultants
- Hospice Nurses and Managers
- Hospice Reception and Admin Staff
- Community Palliative Care Staff
- Primary Care Staff, including GPs
“Life Beyond the Cubicle – Training the Trainers“
This training is now only available as bespoke training. Please contact us to discuss setting up a course for your organisation.
Our new Life Beyond the Cubicle resources are designed to help clinicians work well with the family and friends of people who have mental health crises in order to improve care and safety.
Dorit Braun and Dr Karen Lascelles, who led the development of the resources, will facilitate a new training programme which aims to give participants the confidence to use the Life Beyond the Cubicle films and audios in groups of NHS staff. Such groups might include clinical supervision, peer support, or learning events.
When we piloted the Life Beyond the Cubicle resources, we found that meeting in groups using some of the films and audios was a good way to encourage clinicians to work through the modules. We also found that each film could provoke extremely rich and supportive discussions among colleagues. But often colleagues wanted more support to feel equipped to plan a programme suitable for groups of clinicians from services in their own Trust. This course will equip you to do that.
The Training the Trainers programme is suitable for anyone with clinical supervision responsibilities whose work covers staff who work with patients and families in mental health crises. You need to have access to the NHS learning hub. The sessions will be interactive. Numbers are limited to 15 per Training the Trainers programme. Participants are expected to attend both sessions.
The Training the Trainers programme offers two linked sessions:
Session 1: Introduction. A two-hour session introducing the Life Beyond the Cubicle resources and providing an overview of how they can support improved practice in working well with families.
Session 2: Putting it into Action. A three-hour session to develop participants’ confidence and skills to develop bespoke training for groups you facilitate.
There will be a task between sessions 1 and 2: we will ask you to select and show one of the films or audios to a small group.
We recommend that you familiarise yourself with the Life Beyond the Cubicle modules in advance of the course. The programme will make use of the Guide for Group Based Learning, which is free to download from the NHS Learning Hub.
Please note that we can offer this programme as a bespoke Training the Trainers programme for individual Trusts. If you are interested, please contact [email protected]
“Family Liaison Services – Working with Families, for Families“
Past Webinar
Date: Thursday 24 April 2025
Time: 12.15pm – 3:15pm
Price: £90
This new Making Families Count webinar is designed specifically for NHS staff who are committed to engaging positively with patients and families after a serious patient safety incident.
The programme seeks to create a unique learning experience for those in Family Liaison or Patient Engagement roles across the NHS. It focuses on learning from the lived experience of patients and families after serious patient safety incidents, contrasts the family liaison roles within the NHS and other sectors, and shares the learning from experts who have developed and run Family Liaison services in other parts of the NHS. The model of delivery enables delegates to interact with each other and with presenters, learning from each other and developing or expanding their peer support networks, which will be beneficial beyond the event itself.
This webinar is for…
- Family Liaison Service Teams
- Patient Engagement Teams
- Directors of Nursing and Patient Services
- Staff involved in Serious Incident Investigations
- Staff involved in PSIRF implementation
Speakers:
Louise Pye, Karen Lascelles, Rosi Reed, Stephen Habgood, Len Hodkin, Kirk Wilson, Sue Massingham and Julie Kerry
Learning Outcomes
- Contrasting the model of family liaison within the NHS and other sectors to create an understanding of alternate approaches, training, and service delivery.
- Develop a deeper understanding of the impact and long-term consequences for families of poor engagement during protracted incident investigations. Hearing the family’s perspective after an incident involving serious harm or death.
- Consider the crucial link between the NHS Trust and the family as they negotiate the difficult and complex NHS investigation process and related processes, e.g. inquests.
- Developing strong communication skills, being able to listen and empathise to build trust with families.
- Develop an approach to create an ethical relationship with the family by building trust, sharing information between families and the investigation lead, providing information about additional services available to families, and signposting to relevant support agencies. Consider the continuation of support, if needed, when the investigation closes.
- Consider your own peer support network and opportunities for expanding this further and use this webinar to reflect upon additional training and development needs and how these can be met.
Refund Policy
You can find our refund policy here.