Effective Communication Skills training

What this course covers

• Use a range of communication skills and approaches, and set the tone for your service
• Recognise and overcome the barriers that stop messages getting through
• Give recognition that lands, and raise problems in ways that change practice
• Hold difficult conversations — challenging practice, angry families and unwelcome change
• Identify sources of workplace conflict and manage and resolve them
• Record, report and hand over information clearly, factually and in good time

Workplace tasks and competency sign-off

This course sets six workplace tasks the manager completes on the job, not just questions to answer on screen. They include holding a full listening conversation with a team member, giving three pieces of specific recognition and recording how they landed, planning and running one corrective conversation, auditing five care records against the five tests of a good entry, and preparing and holding one difficult conversation with a family. Each task states the evidence it produces, and that evidence feeds the Leadership & Management competency sign-off record your employer downloads and a senior signs.

How much does Effective Communication Skills training cost?

£4 per person on Care2Learn, with no minimum order and no subscription. If your team needs a full training matrix rather than one course, a subscription at £2 per learner per month covers all 32 courses — see the 2026 price comparison.

Who needs it

Registered managers, deputy and aspiring managers, team leaders and senior carers in CQC-regulated services. The course is aligned to Standard 4 of the Skills for Care Manager Induction Standards, the framework new managers are expected to work towards in their first six months. Completion is recorded with the date taken and the date it is next due, so it appears correctly on your training matrix and can be evidenced at inspection.

What the learner receives

A certificate in their own name carrying the CPD Aligned seal, showing the completion date and the renewal date a year later, downloadable at any time. The record belongs to the learner, not just the employer — it travels with them rather than sitting in one provider's system.

Related courses

Communication sits alongside the other three leadership courses, and managers usually take them together.

• Coaching Skills — asking rather than telling, and the GROW model
• Leading & Managing in Adult Social Care — culture, values, governance and CQC well-led
• Personal Development & Wellbeing — self-awareness, workload and avoiding burnout

You can also browse the full catalogue of 32 courses, or read about the Care Certificate for staff new to care.

Frequently asked questions

Is this course CPD Aligned?

Yes. The certificate carries the CPD Aligned seal and shows the completion date and the date the training is next due, so it drops straight onto your training matrix.

How long does Effective Communication Skills training take?

About 60 minutes for the e‑learning. The workplace tasks are completed in the service over the following weeks and are not timed — they are designed to fit around a working rota.

Does this cover difficult conversations?

Yes — it is the backbone of the course. Three sections deal with it directly: challenging poor practice without damaging the relationship, handling an angry or distressed family, and announcing change nobody asked for. Two of the six workplace tasks require you to plan and hold a real one and record what happened.

Does it cover data protection and GDPR?

No — this course is about communication as a skill. Information governance is covered properly in our separate Data Protection & GDPR course, which goes into lawful basis, the Caldicott principles, records and breach reporting in the depth the subject needs.

Does completing this count towards the Care Certificate?

No. The Care Certificate is a separate 16‑standard induction, available as its own course. This is a leadership course aimed at people managing or supervising others.