Public health training for people working in Leeds

This two day course fulfils the training requirements of the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative and you will cover:

• the knowledge and skills to support mothers to breastfeed for as long as they want
• how to encourage responsive and loving mother baby and family relationships whatever the chosen feeding method

Booking information

For further information and training dates, visit the breast feeding training page on Eventbrite

Forward Leeds drug and alcohol service have a team that can provide training and information around drugs and alcohol. This includes providing brief interventions in the workplace with users of your services.

The training is primarily aimed at:

• social care staff and similar organisations
• Leeds City Council teams
• charities and third sector organisations. 

Training is delivered virtually and in person – you can choose which you prefer.

All of the training is completely free, provided your organisation is based in Leeds.

To view a list of all of the 2025 courses, visit the Forward Leeds training for professionals webpage.

Forward Leeds Training Leaflet

The Forward Leeds training leaflet contains more information about the courses offered and details of the service’s bespoke training offer. You can download a PDF of the Forward Leeds training leaflet from their website.
 

What the service provides:

• half day training delivered virtually or in person
• additional packages that deal with new emerging substances, including synthetic cannabinoids
• bespoke packages dependent on timeframe and content - this service comes without a charge and can be delivered from your organisation, where there is demand
   

Training aims:

• increased awareness of brief interventions
• provide some basic tools and worksheets
• how to refer into drug and alcohol services
• where to access leaflets and information
• an increase in substance-specific awareness

In addition, Forward Leeds often deliver drug and alcohol themed sessions as part of our Want To Know More About training sessions for health professionals in Leeds. 

Email prevention@forwardleeds.co.uk for more information or to book on courses.
 

Are you a frontline worker? If so the 'Small changes big savings' resource pack is designed to assist you to deliver budgeting workshops to groups, or to work with individuals in the community. The resource pack contains session plans, hand-outs and activities and covers topics such as:

1. Managing your money
2. Cheap days out
3. Borrowing and debt
4. Making a budget plan

There are hard copies available to borrow at the PHRC as well as a large pull up for advertising a session.

For further information on this training resource, contact Tina Leslie, Health Improvement Practitioner by email: tina.leslie@leeds.gov.uk or call 07779 537 350.

Target group

All Adult Social Care staff working in frontline services.

Overview

Food hygiene and nutritional care are integral to good care in all settings so you need to know how this can be achieved when you are providing food and drink as part of a care package. There are differences in requirements depending on the location of the support you deliver.

Course outcomes:

• know which Food Safety System applies to your area of work
• identify the symptoms of food poisoning
• know the causes of food poisoning, including bacteria and viruses
• understand key food temperatures and storage practices
• be able to follow best practice in relation to personal hygiene and due diligence such as reporting illnesses
• know how to promote hydration and make mealtimes matter
• encouraging healthy positive dietary changes specific to the individual, including those with long term conditions (for example dementia, diabetes, obesity)
• how to support people at risk of malnutrition using “Food First” principles, and when prescribed supplements might be considered

Booking information

Leeds City Council staff can book training via PAL.

Other Adult Social Care staff can email bsc.training.administration@leeds.gov.uk to request training.

If you are a frontline worker, this free one day Healthy Living Training course will enable you to effectively deliver messages around healthy lifestyles, food and physical activity.

This course includes:

• common beliefs and influences around food and physical activity
• the Eatwell guide
• food hygiene
• physical activity

Training course dates

Learning outcomes

The aim of this course is to increase your understanding of the principles of healthy eating, safe food practices and the importance of being physically active.

By the end of the session you should be able to:

• describe how healthy choices could be made easier for individuals
• understand the components of the Eatwell guide and the evidence based healthy eating messages which should be promoted
• list food hygiene good practices which should be promoted
• understand the consistent message around physical activity

Target audience

The Healthy Living training courses are suitable to anyone in the city who has a role which requires the delivery of healthy eating or physical activity messages. Volunteers who support projects are also welcome.

Booking information

If you are interested in booking onto this course or would like further information, contact Charlotte Abbott on 0113 378 4420 or email: phforall@leeds.gov.uk

If you are a practitioner, this range of two free HENRY (Healthy Start, Brighter Future) training programmes will help you to support families to develop a healthier lifestyle.

1. HENRY core training (two days)
2. HENRY group facilitation training (two days)

All HENRY training is coordinated by Deb Lowe - Advanced Health Improvement Specialist. For general enquiries, contact Deb at henry@leeds.gov.uk.

1. HENRY core training (two day course)

This two day course will help you further the develop skills, knowledge and confidence to support a healthy start in life. It will cover:

• the importance of early years for lifelong wellbeing and obesity prevention
• risk and protective factors for child obesity and a healthy start
• the five elements of a healthy start - parenting, lifestyle habits, nutrition, physical activity and emotional wellbeing
• working in partnership with families - a strength-based, solution-focused approach to supporting behaviour change
• emotional dimensions of change - links between behaviours, feelings and needs - and the power of empathy as a catalyst for change
• national guidance on healthy nutrition and physical activity for babies and young children

Target audience

Practitioners working with families of young children including 0-19 PHINs, children’s centre workers, third sector organisations, child care providers, nutritionists and dietitians.

Training dates (two day course)

Booking information

To book onto a course, call 0113 378 4718 or email phforall@leeds.gov.uk.

2. HENRY group facilitation training (two day course)

This two day course aims to develop skills to deliver HENRY group programmes and workshops. It will cover:

• facilitation skills to deliver our interactive group programmes using the HENRY approach
• building on parents’ strengths
• skills and confidence to manage issues that can arise in groups - listening, empathy and solution-focused support
• familiarisation with content of our programmes and workshops
• introduction to programme manuals and resources

Target audience

Family outreach workers and community nursery nurses.

Training dates (two day course)

Booking information

To express an interest in the training, call 0113 378 4718 or email phforall@leeds.gov.uk.

If you are a practitioner, this range of two free HENRY Healthy Families Growing Up training programmes will help you to support families to develop a healthier lifestyle.

1. HENRY core training (two days)
2. HENRY group facilitation training (two days)

All HENRY training is coordinated by Deb Lowe - Advanced Health Improvement Specialist. For general enquiries, contact Deb at henry@leeds.gov.uk.

1. HENRY core training (two day course)

This two day course will help you further the develop skills, knowledge and confidence to support a healthy start in life. It will cover:

• the importance of early years for lifelong wellbeing and obesity prevention
• risk and protective factors for child obesity and a healthy start
• the five elements of a healthy start - parenting, lifestyle habits, nutrition, physical activity and emotional wellbeing
• working in partnership with families - a strength-based, solution-focused approach to supporting behaviour change
• emotional dimensions of change - links between behaviours, feelings and needs - and the power of empathy as a catalyst for change
• national guidance on healthy nutrition and physical activity for young children

Target audience

Practitioners working with families of young children aged 5-12 years old children, voluntary organisations, school staff, nutritionists and dietitians.

Training dates (two day course)

Booking information

To book onto a course, call 0113 378 4718 or email phforall@leeds.gov.uk.

2. HENRY group facilitation training (two day course) for Healthy Families Growing Up

This two day course aims to develop skills to deliver HENRY group programmes and workshops and the Healthy Families Growing Up parent course. It will cover:

• facilitation skills to deliver our interactive group programmes using the HENRY approach
• building on parents’ strengths
• skills and confidence to manage issues that can arise in groups - listening, empathy and solution-focused support
• familiarisation with content of our programmes and workshops
• introduction to programme manuals and resources

Target audience

Family outreach workers and community nursery nurses.

Training dates (two day course)

Booking information

To express an interest in the training, call 0113 378 4718 or email phforall@leeds.gov.uk.

This two hour training session is delivered by health protection specialists from our Public Health team. It is open to any frontline worker that would benefit from learning more about public health and how to protect people’s health in Leeds.

You will learn about preventing illness, protecting health, promoting wellbeing and reducing health inequalities for the people of Leeds. You will learn about key health protection issues that impact on communities across Leeds.

About the training

At this training you will get bitesize information and take part in interactive activities on a range of health protection topics which could include:

• adverse weather and the home environment
• air quality
• antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
• infectious diseases such as Tuberculosis
• infection prevention measures
• life course vaccinations
• parasites
• sepsis

Booking information

If your service or organisation has ten or more colleagues that are interested in attending this training, our Health Protection team can deliver the session in person. The training can take place at your workplace or in a council building or online. To discuss your needs, email HealthProtectionTraining@leeds.gov.uk

If you have less than 10 staff interested in attending this training, please email 
HealthProtectionTraining@leeds.gov.uk for the dates of our training sessions that are open for any organisation to attend.

Making Every Contact Count (MECC) encourages a consistent approach to having healthy conversations. It recognises that staff across health and care, local authority and voluntary sectors have thousands of contacts every day with individuals and are ideally placed to have conversations that signpost and support health and wellbeing and lifestyle changes.

Anyone can have an MECC conversation, you don’t need to be a clinical professional to empower someone to make a change for the better. Using a MECC approach in our day-to-day conversations can have a huge impact on the health and wellbeing of the people of Leeds and only takes a few minutes.

During the COVID-19 pandemic we had to pause our MECC training and took the opportunity to review how we support this work in Leeds. There are several opportunities you can access that will support MECC and healthy conversations. These are:

Bespoke training for teams

Bespoke training is delivered by knowledgeable Public Health specialists in a participatory learning style and is aligned with the council’s 'working with' approach. Training is free for public sector and third sector organisations and normally last between two and three hours and requires a minimum of 10 attendees.

If you are part of a team that works or volunteers in Leeds and would benefit from having MECC training delivered as a team, email phforall@leeds.gov.uk for further information on how to arrange this.

Free national online training

NHS England provide a free MECC e-learning programme and toolkit, designed to support learners in developing an understanding of public health and the factors that impact on a person’s health and wellbeing. It is MECC e-learning training and a toolkit, it is intended for anyone interested in supporting people to improve their health and wellbeing, not just those working in health and social care.

The MECC Toolkit contains a library of national and local resources that can be used to support the development, implementation, and evaluation of MECC programmes across local communities. This includes details of how to join a MECC Community of Practice.

MECC link

MECC Link is a simple but flexible online tool that can support you to have a healthy conversation and to signpost to local support and services and provides:

• easily accessible information on key healthy lifestyle topics
• suggested open questions using the Ask, Assist, Act model
• information on a range of primary Self-care tools and resources
• signposting to recommended national and local support services

Mental health training is a powerful way to build awareness, confidence, and skills to support yourself and others. In Leeds there is a wide range of mental health training available. Below is a selection of local courses that are supported by our Public Health team.

Mental health awareness

Build confidence in supporting others

• understand mental health and reduce stigma
• recognise signs of common conditions
• respond effectively to people in distress
• discover local support options

Book now by phoning 0113 273 9660 or email training@inspirenorth.co.uk

Mental Health First Aid

Develop the knowledge and confidence to support people experiencing mental health challenges.

• understand mental health and its impact
• spot early signs and triggers
• learn how to respond and offer reassurance

Book now by phoning 0113 273 9660 or email training@inspirenorth.co.uk

Understanding self-harm

Gain a deeper understanding of self-harm, challenge common myths, and learn how to support others while protecting your own wellbeing

• explore the reasons behind self-harm
• learn supportive approaches and boundaries
• maintain your own psychological safety

Register for free by phoning 0113 305 5800 or email peersupporttraining@leedsmind.org.uk

SafeTalk suicide prevention training

Learn practical skills to identify and support people with thoughts of suicide.

Learn more by emailing info@beingyouleeds.org.uk or book online at Inspire North Training

Zero Suicide Alliance (ZSA) online suicide prevention training

Free, accessible suicide prevention training

• understand risk factors and warning signs
• watch real-life stories and scenarios
• learn how to talk to someone you’re concerned about
• discover where to find help

Start now by visiting Zero Suicide Alliance Training

More mental health training opportunities

For other mental health training opportunities in Leeds, visit the MindWell Leeds Training Page 

If you are part of service or group that has direct contact with the public, this free training will help you to promote effective oral health care for children and adult groups.

Oral Health promotion is delivered by the Oral Health Promotion team of Leeds Community Healthcare.

Training dates and times

To find out more, contact Kathryn Fox by email: Kathryn.fox@nhs.net.

The course is delivered face to face at a variety of venues.

It is important that young people can access condoms, barrier methods, testing and support by people they trust in places they can access.

If you work with young people aged 13 to 25 years, and may want to deliver or refer to the Well Wave programme, this training will offer you the opportunity to learn about, or refresh your knowledge on the following:

• what is Well Wave
• young people’s sexual health in Leeds
• STIs and contraception
• values in sexual health work
• the law
• confidentiality
• condom and barrier methods demonstration
• registering a young person for c-card
• pregnancy testing
• chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing
• accessibility and inclusion in Well Wave
• sexual health services and referral
• practice sharing and problem solving

Coming to the training is not a commitment to joining the team, but a chance to learn about what doing the work would entail.

We ask participants to refresh their training every 3 years, so there is always a mix of people new to the team and people who have experience in delivering Well Wave at the training.

Prerequisite

You will need to have completed a minimum of Level 1 Safeguarding training to take part in this course.

If you want to join the team after completing this training, you and your organisation will need to commit to the Well Wave Quality Standards (see below). These standards have been compiled with information from young people, National C-Card Guidelines, the Innovations Working group and the Department of Health ‘You’re Welcome’ Criteria.

The course is delivered face to face at a variety of venues.

Training dates and times

Booking

If you are interested in booking onto a course or would like further information, contact T Myers on 0113 378 7560 or Kerrie Burton on 0113 378 3085 or email wellwave@leeds.gov.uk.

If you already know which training date you would like to attend, you can apply for the course using our training booking form.

Well Wave quality standards

To become a Well Wave site all organisations must meet the following standards:

• The environment is clean and hygienic
• There is a safe and confidential space to offer a discreet, confidential service
• Access to a toilet is available (to collect urine samples for pregnancy or STI testing)
• Clear confidentiality statements are displayed and reinforced verbally before the beginning of any consultation
• All staff must have been on Well Wave training within the last 3 years
• Staff have a friendly, positive and non-judgemental approach and the ability to communicate with young people
• Staff are confident in going through all the stages of the consultation check list (including Fraser competencies) and have the ability to discuss sexual health issues comfortably and in a way that is accessible and appropriate to young people with different identities, experiences and needs
• Consideration should be given to the age and understanding of the young person seeking to access the service to assess whether they are at risk
• All staff must adhere to the Leeds Safeguarding Children Partnership protocol and be aware of the safeguarding contact within their organisation and how to initiate a safeguarding procedure. All staff must have appropriate and up to date safeguarding training
• Each organisation must provide their own Health and Safety and Equity and Inclusion Policies
• All staff working to these guidelines must have an enhanced DBS check by their respective organisation
• All sites must compile and return the monitoring as required
• Staff should be aware of key sexual health services supporting young people and know how and when to refer to these services which should include Leeds Sexual Health clinics and website, enhanced sexual health pharmacies, and Marie Stopes, BPAS and Nupas choices advice, and termination provision
• All staff must demonstrate commitment to the success of the scheme and uphold the confidentiality of service users at all times
• All service users will be given opportunities to provide anonymous suggestions / complaints regarding the scheme and will be made aware of this at registration. One option is through Leeds Sexual Health website
• We need to maintain trust across the system. So:
  • It is each sites’ responsibility to ensure they maintain stock of the full range of products on offer, to ensure young people are able to choose the best products for them
  • It is each site’s responsibility to promote the service to their service users and ensure young people are clear on who to approach (materials are provided to support this)
  • Organisations must inform the Sexual Health Team if there are changes to the Well Wave point's opening times, address or key contacts so that the www.wellwave.info website can be updated, and so we can identify and seek to address gaps in provision
  • If there are short term changes in provision, such as due to staff sickness, effort must be made to communicate to any young people that may turn up, that the provision is closed, when it will next be open, and to point them to alternative provision

In preparation for the upcoming winter and to build on the existing network of Winter Friends in Leeds, we would encourage organisations (staff and volunteers) to become a Winter Friend.

The Winter Friend network has been steadily growing since 2016 ensuring that vulnerable residents who are most susceptible to cold weather can increase their resilience.

Winter Friends will understand which evidence based interventions or programmes enable vulnerable people to get the support they may need to increase their winter resilience.

You can also contact the Public Health Resource Centre at phrc@leeds.gov.uk or call 0113 378 6200 to collect resources to support you and vulnerable residents in Leeds this winter.

Winter wellbeing checklists are available for adults and for children and families. They are a useful tool to help those 'at risk' of illness due to cold weather access available key support and services.

To help us determine any further training needs or provide any feedback and/or case studies about work that you have been able to support vulnerable or older people during winter, email agefriendly@leeds.gov.uk.