Becoming a SAGE & THYME Facilitator

We are creating the next generation of communication skills trainers.

You need energy and motivation to teach communication skills.

Providing training in interpersonal skills requires patience and empathy for your learners, and the ability to coach them. This is different from teaching technical skills, as you are helping staff navigate unpredictable conversations.

The SATFAC/SATFAC Online course teaches you how to run a SAGE & THYME Foundation Level/Online workshop after you have seen one demonstrated.

Attend a workshop, learn how to teach it, then teach the workshop yourself

The steps below are for becoming a face to face SAGE & THYME Foundation Level workshop Facilitator.

The process for becoming a SAGE & THYME Online Facilitator is similar, but please visit our online training page for more information.

Step 1: Understand what becoming a SAGE & THYME Facilitator involves

Look at information on this web site and read the 'becoming a facilitator guide' (see download below).

When running the SAGE & THYME Foundation Level workshop, you will be working in a team with two other SAGE & THYME Facilitators.

If your organisation doesn't have a licence to run SAGE & THYME training, then you will need to apply for one.

Becoming a Facilitator

Download

Find out more about the licence

Step 2: Complete the application form

To attend the SATFAC course, you first need to answer the questions on the application form.

We ask these questions to:

Encourage you to think about your relevant background and experience
Help you consider what is involved in becoming a communication skills facilitator
Focus your mind on teaching foundation level communication skills.

Step 3: Application form is reviewed

Your form will be reviewed by a senior member of the SAGE & THYME Team.

They will be looking for people who:

Are motivated to become a communication skills facilitator
Have relevant experience/skills or understand what is needed and are willing to learn.

Step 4: SATFAC course place booked - you start preparation

You are then booked a place on the course, and you are sent some information to read to prepare for the training.

After the SATFAC course, people often say that they wish they had read this information in more detail, as the learning curve on the SATFAC course is steep.

The people who have found the SATFAC course easier are often those who have prepared well in advance.

Step 5: Attend SAGE & THYME Foundation Level workshop

You will attend this workshop along with other learners (some who will be attending the SATFAC course and some who won’t).

This workshop is then fresh in your mind for when we teach you how to run it over the following two days.

Step 6: Attend SATFAC course

The SATFAC course is two days of reflecting, discussing, unpacking and rehearsing the teaching skills needed.

In this time, the trainers unpack everything involved in the workshop, coach you how to train it and assess your competence and confidence to teach it.

You will learn general teaching skills as well as how to teach SAGE & THYME – many staff haven’t been taught how to teach.

What people learn on the SATFAC course

SAGE & THYME unpacked

How to include and engage learners

Learner facilitation skills

Handling challenge respectfully

Modelling the skills you are teaching

That you cannot force learning

How to gather before you give

Rehearsals that are safe for everyone

Step 7: Assessment outcome - pass the SATFAC course

If you meet the competencies clearly outlined to you at the start of the SATFAC course you will be qualified to teach the SAGE & THYME Foundation Level workshop.

The assessment outcome sent in email to you within a few days.

It will include some bespoke feedback for you from our trainers.

We tell you which elements of the workshop you are now ready to teach.

There are three outcomes:

You can run all aspects of the workshop
You need some practice before you can lead in the workshop
You are not ready yet to run the workshop.

Step 8: Run your first workshop

You ensure that the licence giving your organisation permission to run the SAGE & THYME workshop is signed and get access to the digital pack that is given to learners attending the workshop.

You book a room (when two other SAGE & THYME Facilitators are free), you book on learners and then you run the training!

Back at work after attending the SATFAC course

Watch the first few minutes of this film where Helen describes how she helped a patient using her SAGE & THYME facilitator knowledge