Sabbatical officer training for SUs

YOU’VE GOT A TEAM OF BRIGHT EYED SABBATICAL OFFICERS READY TO MAKE CHANGE – GIVE THEM THE BEST POSSIBLE CHANCE OF SUCCESS

Being a student officer is just like riding a bike… whilst doing a spot of juggling… and did I mention the bike is on fire?

And managing those sabbatical officers to be effective during their time in post is another rollercoaster in itself – especially when you are juggling so many other things in your own role. You want to promote effective activism, you want student voice to be well represented and you would love it if there was a little more help along the way.

That’s where I can help you

Your officers have a lot to learn before they hit the ground running, and the academic year is packed with stress points and dips in engagement.
Which is why you need training that is tailored to your challenges and needs.

Does any of this sound familiar…

You fill your officers with essential information during their summer induction only to find that they’ve forgotten everything by October and they don’t put it into practice. (leaving you tearing your hair out)
They start their term full of enthusiasm and vision but the endless meetings and pressure of the role wear them down – and you spend your valuable time chasing them to get their manifestos implemented
Over time, you find that your team are dealing with more and more miscommunication and conflicts
You have plenty of officers who are perfect for the role, but their lack of confidence or tendency to burn themselves out means that they don’t reach their potential

It may feel the same year after year. But imagine if things looked different…

Your officers are equipped with the professional and interpersonal skills they need to do the job well – and they actually implement them.
They have support over the tricky periods of the year to help them stay resilient and motivated over their whole post.
Each officer is confidently managing their time, projects and work life balance so that they can sustainably deliver more of their manifesto points for the student body.
Your officers assertively choose which meetings they actually need to be in so that they can free up their time for real engagement and representation work
Your permanent staff team and officers work in partnership with supportive and clear communication
YOU have more time to devote to the other parts of your role

LET’S EQUIP YOUR LEADERS FOR SUCCESS

You want sabbatical officers who are confident in their leadership, able to communicate their vision, who can negotiate, manage their projects and look after their wellbeing in the process.

Let me ease the load by planing a programme of skills development for your officers that genuinely bridges the gap between knowing and doing.

"Gemma delivered a number of sessions for new and returning SU Officers. I listened into the sessions and not only did I find Gemma’s content superb, the delivery and style of approach was engaging and supportive. Working with Gemma in the build up to the sessions was a dream; we maintained constant communication throughout and I always felt at ease when things naturally change and adapt in these kind of projects. Not only do I highly rate Gemma’s work but I also think she is extremely great value for money. Could not recommend Gemma highly enough, and genuinely feel I’ve made a friend from this project and collaboration."

Ryan BeasleyGeneral Manager, Newman Students’ Union

"I have been to several of Gemma’s trainings over the past 18 months and have found each to be extremely useful. Gemma sets out each training session to suit the group’s needs and always manages to make everyone feel comfortable and happy to partake. One of my favourite sessions has been on handling conflict and difficult conversations and thanks to Gemma, I have built up skills around both topics which I use everyday as HSU President. I would highly recommend Gemma to anyone looking to develop their skills and in particular to any SU Officer looking for a helping hand during their term."

Martha MitchellPresident of Hallam Students’ Union

"The most useful part of the programme was handling conflict. It is a really difficult topic and I think I know better how to handle those situations after going through this programme. It was really useful for my role in student organisation and I think I will also use it in my future job. Gemma is a really good trainer. Her sessions were well structured, easy to understand, there was a lot of space for questions and practising."

Zdeněk NevímErasmus Student Network President

"I took part in public speaking training when I decided to run in our president elections. This experience truly transformed my approach to public speaking and really boosted my confidence. The training was insightful and also practical, equipping me with essential skills that I applied throughout my campaign. I am proud to say that thanks to this guidance, I excelled in all the public speaking sections of the elections and ultimately won! The techniques and encouragement have stayed with me, and I continue to draw on this training every time I have to present or speak publicly."

Lilly-Jane RockettPresident of Inclusivity and Diversity at Hull SU

"I enjoyed thinking about how we can work better as a team in regards to what interpersonal strengths and weaknesses we each have. I can use the ideas on how to best mitigate situations where conflict may arise. This will change the way I work so that I am more mindful of people’s working and personality styles and that I ensure I address any problems I’m having in a diplomatic way. Gemma was really lovely and I appreciate how she asked what we would like to get out of the training and tailored it as such."

Sana AliWellbeing Officer

THIS IS FOR YOU IF…

THIS IS NOT FOR YOU IF…

You are ready for a smoother academic year
You’ve been wishing that someone could lighten the load and be that external sounding board and accountability partner for your team
You’re committed to giving your officer team the time and budget to build up their effectiveness

You are thinking “we don’t have time for this”
You believe that your officers are ‘only’ in post for one year so you are tempted to save some budget or just do the basics
You want something one size fits all that you can book in to tick a box. To give your officers the best possible experience you have to set aside some time for a few honest discussions about what you need so that we can truly collaborate.

"I really enjoyed how interactive the workshop was. I liked the element of initial ‘mystery’ in the activities and how it later tied into the theoretical content. Identifying the various (and often different) values within the team members made me realise even more so how important it is to communicate and understand each other. I will take away the importance of collaboration and the need to be aware of our initial instinct to be competitive."

Carly SchnunVice President of Postgraduates

"Going forward I will be more open minded and look for more collaborative approaches and outcomes to issues. I feel I’m taking away the ability to handle challenging situations with confidence."

George WardleVP Student Activities

"I learned leadership skills and how to communicate better with my team. I learned more on collaboration (team working together is very important). It was also helpful in terms of conflict resolution in an organisation. It will make me seek more clarity from colleagues when needed. The workshop was interactive and quite insightful."

Uju OkoroaforInternational Students’ Officer

"I now feel I have a better plan for going into difficult conversations or mediation and that I will be able to handle it better. Using and focussing on coaching tools was very useful."

Georgia MoranVP Sports & Societies

"I liked the self reflection involved; learning about myself and how others perceive me. I will remember how other personalities like to work and how they are different to mine."

Katherine DaviesPostgraduate Rep Elect

LET’S BUILD AN OFFICER TRAINING PROGRAMME THAT WORKS FOR YOU

Every SU looks a little bit different which is why we start with a chat about what your team needs. Then I’ll create your bespoke proposal full of juicy skill building activities and professional development content to ramp up your officer team.

I come to your site to deliver interactive sessions that help your team bond, gain confidence and bring their best selves to the role.

Your package will be tailored to your team, but after 8 years of working in the sector I’ve got a few helpful suggestions to get you started…

PREPARE TO BE A SABBATICAL OFFICER WITH SUMMER INDUCTION TRAINING

Initial induction training for your sabbs could involve 1-3 days of:

Identifying their individual and team values
Personality typing for effective teamwork
Understanding leadership, authority and power
Exploring leadership styles to find what works for them
Public speaking skills for meetings and campaigning
Effective persuasion tools
Learning to coach for better student consultations
How to chair effective meetings
Understanding conflict and how to negotiate
Time management tools to start the year well
Project management skills for implementing their manifesto

START THE TERM RIGHT

Just before the madness of freshers give your student officers 1-2 days of preparation:

Assertiveness skills and setting healthy boundaries
Prioritisation and scheduling tools
Handling difficult conversations
Setting effective habits
Leading people through change management
Building trust and credibility as a leader

TOP UP TRAINING TO BEAT THE TRICKY PERIODS

Every sabbatical officer will face dips in their motivation and wellbeing. Book in a range of skills sessions to pre-empt those difficult periods and help your leaders stay on track:

Managing stress and preventing burnout
Maintaining a healthy work life balance
Understanding and developing resilience
Self motivation tools
Overcoming negative beliefs and building self confidence
Overcoming procrastination

1:1 COACHING FOR OFFICERS

All of these bespoke training programmes can be complemented with 1:1 or group coaching sessions to give your officers the space to explore their skills deeper, soundboard their challenges, tackle their mindset gremlins and effectively action plan.

Your investment is £900 per full day and £450 per half day of training. This includes VAT and resource packs for your officers. 1:1 coaching sessions are charged at £40 per hour. Additional travel costs may be added for some locations and overnight stays.

MEET YOUR TRAINER

I’m Gemma Perella, a Personal Development Trainer. I help organisations supporting students to create confident, resilient and emotionally intelligent leaders. I have been working with student unions and higher education providers for the last 9 years to deliver practical and fun learning programmes. I am passionate about equipping young people to handle life’s challenges so that they can use their strengths to contribute to society in a meaningful way.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We only have [x] officers - does this change the price?

No. All training packages are based on my time and expertise rather than a price per head. But, if you want to maximise your value for money then you are most welcome to bring in part time officers, reps, permanent staff or even team up with other SUs to share costs.

How many people can be trained at once?

I recommend a maximum group size of 25 to ensure that everyone gets plenty of opportunity for individual practice and detailed feedback to support their development.

What do you mean by a full day / half day?

A full day includes 6 hours of training time. For example this may run from 9am-4pm with an hour allocated for the lunch break… or more likely 10am-5pm for students, right? A half day is a block of 3 hours of training.

When can we hold our training dates / times?

Most organisations want to run their training within working hours so that they know that their officers are on site. However, SUs are vibrant and busy organisations so sometimes you want a bit more flexibility. We can discuss evening or weekend training if that better meets your needs.

What is the time frame for booking in training?

Ideally, we would have at least a months’ notice for any training booking so that I have time to design your programme and that you can make sure your officers keep their diary clear.

For busier periods such as summer induction training or freshers you may want to book 2-3 months in advance to secure your preferred dates.

Training is booked on a first come first served basis.

What if I don't yet know what training my officers will need over the year?

No problem. We can kick off by planning your bread and butter induction topics to start the year off well (think teambuilding, leadership, project management and confidence) and pencil in the follow up training dates with some rough ideas. I can work with you to discuss officers' needs as they emerge or you can drop me a line when you see skills gaps forming. That way the training can be responsive to their needs.

Do you deliver in person? Online?

I find that the best officer training happens in the room where you can really get into deep discussions and practical, skill building activities. When I do deliver online sessions, they still follow an interactive and practical style (your officers will not just be listening to a webinar!)

I do not offer hybrid events as these make it very difficult to provide the same quality experience to your in-the-room and your remote officers.

Where does the training take place?

I come to you. You provide a room on your campus that has plenty of space for group work. (Or treat your team to an ‘away day’ and I’ll meet you there).

If we are delivering remote training then I will provide a Zoom room.

What if I need something that isn't on your list of topics?

Feel free to drop me an email or book in a meeting to ask away. It may be that what you need didn’t make it into my list of most popular topics for the website.
When people ask for training that I simply don’t offer, I tell them honestly (no democracy reviews and no conflict management for club night security staff!).

What if my officers don’t need training but just need support?

I’ve got you covered. Knowing how to do something is not the same as actually doing it. Sometimes confidence, mindset gremlins or something else is blocking your officers ability to flourish.

I can offer 1:1 or group coaching sessions to your officers alongside their training programme. This gives them a non-judgemental, external sounding board, tailored support and that bit of extra confidence to overcome their challenges.

We already provide some in house training, can we still work with you?

Absolutely. Your team probably specialises in how your union works, democratic processes and the foundations of being an officer. My specialism is helping your officers to build their practical leadership and interpersonal skills. We can discuss what you already have covered, what the gaps are and design a training programme that perfectly complements your in-house team.

CREATING CONFIDENT STUDENT OFFICERS