Essential Communication and Care Navigation
Provider: Striding Edge Consultancy
Hosted by: Jacki Piper
Lesson Overview:
Care Navigation Training is a practical and engaging programme designed to help reception, patient access and care navigation teams develop the confidence, communication skills and knowledge required to support patients effectively within modern primary care services.
Care navigation is about far more than directing patients to the correct service. Effective care navigation requires strong communication skills, professional judgement, active listening and the ability to build rapport quickly whilst gathering the information needed to support safe and appropriate decision-making. This course helps participants develop the skills required to navigate patient conversations confidently and professionally.
The programme explores the complete care navigation process, from opening conversations positively and gathering information effectively through to offering solutions, managing expectations and concluding conversations professionally. Participants learn how to build trust, develop rapport and create positive patient experiences whilst supporting access to the most appropriate services and healthcare professionals.
Who is training for:
This programme is designed for reception, administration, patient access and care navigation staff who regularly communicate with patients and play a key role in helping people access the right services and support.
- Receptionists
- Care Navigators
- Patient Access Teams
- Medical Reception Managers
- Reception Supervisors
- Practice Administrators
- Primary Care Network Patient Services Teams
- Care Coordinators
- Patient Services Advisors
- General Practice Support Staff
- Call Handling Teams
- Healthcare Administrators
- Anyone responsible for handling patient enquiries, appointments and service navigation conversations
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the session the delegate will be able to:
- Understand the purpose and principles of effective care navigation within primary care
- Develop confidence in conducting care navigation conversations professionally and consistently
- Understand the information required to support safe and effective patient navigation
- Explore the role of communication in supporting positive patient experiences
- Develop practical techniques for building rapport and trust quickly
- Recognise how mindset, beliefs and attitudes can influence patient interactions
- Improve questioning skills to gather relevant information effectively
- Develop active listening skills that support understanding and reduce misunderstandings
- Learn techniques for confirming understanding and clarifying information accurately
- Understand how to communicate effectively with patients over the telephone
- Develop confidence in managing conversations involving sensitive or personal information
- Explore approaches for supporting patients who are anxious, embarrassed or reluctant to share information
- Understand how to offer solutions and signpost patients appropriately to services and healthcare professionals
- Develop strategies for managing expectations and explaining triage processes clearly
- Improve confidence in concluding conversations professionally and positively
- Understand how communication can support continuity of care and improve patient outcomes
- Develop practical approaches for communicating with people who have English as a second language
- Create a structured approach to care navigation conversations that can be applied immediately in practice
Select Dorset Training hub when registering
Use password: Dorset2026
