Why Face to Face Training is Non-Negotiable
Why Face-to-Face Training Outperforms Online Learning in Children’s Residential Care
In a world where online learning has become the norm, it’s tempting to think that digital convenience equals better learning. But in the context of children’s residential care, relationships, empathy and professional reflection are at the heart of everything. That's why face-to-face training is non-negotiable.
As a trainer working with residential care staff, I’ve seen first-hand how in-person learning creates deeper understanding, stronger engagement and lasting behavioural change. Paradoxically the less I speak, the more staff learn.
It isn’t about giving lectures or downloading information, it’s about creating a reflective space where practitioners connect, share, and grow together.
The Power of Reflective Learning
At the core of my training approach lies reflective learning, an active process that goes beyond “what did you learn?” to “how will this change what you do?”
Reflective learning encourages staff to pause and think deeply about what they’ve learned, how it applies to their daily work and how it impacts the children, their colleagues and themselves. By creating space for these reflections, training stops being a one-off event and becomes part of a continuous cycle of improvement.
I always say the less I speak, the more staff learn. Because reflective learning turns the focus from me to them. Staff become active participants in their own professional growth, rather than passive recipients of information.
Why Face-to-Face Training Makes the Difference
Online training can deliver information, but information isn’t transformation. In-person learning offers something that simply can’t be replicated on a screen:
1. Real human connection – Staff learn from one another’s stories, emotions and lived experiences. That shared vulnerability creates authentic growth.
2. Immediate feedback and discussion – Questions arise organically, misunderstandings are addressed in real time and insights are explored through dialogue.
3. Reflective group dynamics – A key part of reflective learning is hearing different perspectives. One person’s reflection often sparks another’s realisation, creating a ripple effect of shared learning.
4. Embodied learning – Face-to-face sessions allow participants to practise communication, de-escalation, or trauma-informed approaches in realistic scenarios that simply can’t be simulated online.
When staff feel seen, heard and supported they’re far more likely to internalise new concepts and to apply them consistently in practice.
Reflective Learning in Action
Here are some reflective questions that I use to embed learning during and after face-to-face sessions:
·What key concepts or skills did you learn during the training?
·How do you plan to apply what you’ve learned in your current role?
·Can you provide an example of how you’ve already implemented new skills or knowledge from the training?
·What did you learn from other participants on the training?
·Was there a story or example that made you think differently about your own practice?
·How has this training changed your perspective on your role?
·Do you feel more confident, capable, or aware?
·What indicators will you look for to assess the impact of the training on your performance?
These questions are deceptively simple, but they drive deeper understanding and personal accountability. They transform training from “something I attended” to “something that changed the way I think”.
Why Ofsted Inspectors Value Reflective Practice
Ofsted’s inspection framework for children’s homes places strong emphasis on leadership, professional development and reflective practice. Inspectors don’t just want to see that staff have attended training, they want to see evidence of how training has impacted practice.
Reflective learning is exactly what inspectors are looking for, because it demonstrates a learning culture where staff actively think about their work and strive to improve, evidence that training leads to real-world application, measurable change and an environment where children benefit because adults are consistently learning from experience and from each other. Reflective learning bridges the gap between policy and practice, between knowing what’s right and doing what’s right.
Building a Culture of Continuous Improvement
When reflective learning becomes part of everyday practice, something powerful happens. Staff stop seeing training as a box to tick and start seeing it as a shared journey of growth. Face-to-face sessions provide the emotional space, relational safety and collaborative energy needed to make this happen. That’s why, in children’s residential care, face-to-face training is not just a ‘nice to have’, it’s a non-negotiable. Because when staff are truly present in the room with one another and reflecting honestly, that’s where learning comes to life and where children’s outcomes are improved.
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