Training and development resources to upskill colleagues and members of the public

As we move into the third year of Coventry Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC), we are focusing on giving something back to our local communities. The HDRC “Training and Skills” team, led by Coventry University and Coventry City Council, has been working to develop and share training resources to help people  understand the building blocks of health and learn more about research.

Training is available for Coventry City Council employees, Elected Members, Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise organisations (VCSEs), university staff, and Coventry residents.

We recognise and welcome colleagues who want to continue their professional development within research. Last year, 17 staff members across all service areas requested a desire to learn more about research during their appraisal. This year, that number has increased to 49.

This work supports the One Coventry values by providing the skills and attributes we need to deliver our One Coventry Council Plan.

Find out more about the resources below.

Corporate Learning and Development Offer

The Corporate Learning and Development Offer supports employees in fulfilling their professional and personal needs, encouraging individual and organisational growth. The available resources will enhance your work experience and help your career progression.

There is now a section on Learning about evidence, data, and research. This page includes a variety of resources to improve your knowledge, skills, and confidence about these topics. Resources for all levels, from beginner to advanced, include podcasts, videos, guides, and online courses. All are free to access.

Plans to share our learning platform with our communities

We are excited to share that we are looking to launch a new tailor-made course on Coventry City Council’s online learning platform.

This will be available to internal colleagues, VCSEs and members of the public. This will empower our communities to learn more about how the building blocks of health affect lives and how to use research to tackle inequalities. This will be the first time this has happened, and we are proud to promote the importance of knowledge-sharing.

We hope to share more information in the coming weeks.

Monthly webinars

This year, Coventry HDRC has been hosting monthly webinars delivered by various speakers from the HDRC team and collaborators.

Our next one is Wednesday, 18 September 12:30 – 1:15 pm, Online. Gabriela Matouskova (Hope 4 The Community CIC) and Prof Andy Turner (Coventry University) will discuss how research evidence has been used to co-create, design and evaluate “HOPE” programmes to help people manage their wellbeing and flourish in their working and personal lives.  

Previous recordings are available on our YouTube channel. Registrations for the upcoming webinars are also available, and we encourage anyone curious to attend and learn!

Co-Creation and Citizen Social Science Courses

Coventry University is currently hosting a free Co-creation Wellbeing Course, which began in early August. It is open to members of the public and professionals working in practice, research, or policymaking. It covers understanding, planning, and carrying out co-creation. Future courses will be run, and information about these will be shared. If you are particularly interested, please get in touch.

Coventry University also plans to run a Citizen Social Science course this September. This course will provide an opportunity for members of the public to undertake their own research projects and learn about the wider impacts on their own and the community's health. They will have one-to-one support from experienced researchers. Please contact us if you are interested.

Coventry HDRC yearly webinar

Coventry HDRC invites everyone to its yearly webinar, where a range of guest speakers will discuss the importance of research and how it can impact our communities. 

We all hear the term 'research', but it is often difficult to define what it means for each individual as it is so broad. In this webinar, speakers will provide clear examples of how they have applied research on small and large scales and its impact on local people's lives. No prior knowledge or experience with research is necessary to attend the webinar; we encourage anyone curious to come along and learn.

The webinar is taking place on Wednesday 25 September, 13:00-15:00.

We are committed to ensuring that all our employees are represented and supported in accessing this training to develop their skills and knowledge and reach their full potential.