Mock Court Room Training

Mock Court Room Training

Advanced Court Skills Level 2 Training

How to Survive the Witness box and be an Impressive Witness

As social care professionals, you may have to go to court, either as an expert witness or to support your client.

Does the mere thought of going to court make you fearful because:

• you do not know what may be expected of you,
• you may not know what to say or when to say it,
• you may not know who else will be at court,
• you may not know how to address the Judges,
• you may not know what the court etiquette, formality or protocol is. Or even simply
• what not to wear

All these and many more of your questions will be answered at this essential training.

Attendance at this training will prepare you so that you can approach the court experience with confidence and perform your role as a witness effectively and robustly.

Aims:

To re-create a courtroom setting and provide social workers with the experience of being questioned in court and give guidance in terms of the presentation of oral evidence.

The overall aim of the training is to support participants in attending court as robust and confident witnesses on behalf of the local authority.

• This training is advanced to the training on Court Skills Level 1. This training is for participants who want to enhance their courtroom skills in dealing with giving evidence in court.
• To prepare participants to survive cross examination within a mock courtroom 
• The training will demonstrate the different styles that the participants can experience when cross examined and ways that they can face the cross examination with confidence.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the importance of robust evidence and how it assists in Court
•  Develop skills in the key points of presenting evidence clearly and credibly.
• Understand the practical strategies in presenting evidence in a mock court room environment.
• Understand the nature and purpose of cross examination and develop an understanding of the skills needed in presenting credible evidence, including under cross-examination.

• Understand how to deal with body language and present as a robust and impressive LA witness.
• Gain confidence in the presentation of evidence and experience cross examination in a mock court room setting.
• Gain an understanding of how to answer difficult questions in court.
• Identify potential dilemmas and challenges for social workers when undertaking court work.
• Understand ways to access support before, during and after court hearings.

Programme Itinerary:

Day 1 – preparation for court 9:30am	Day 2 – Mock Court room trial 9:30am
• Introduction and overview • Expectations and anxieties • Role of social care workers as experts • Challenges in relation to court work and what support is available • Preparation for court • Introduction of case study and preparation for court • Review, questions, and preparation for the mock court room 4:30pm End	During the mock court scenario, each participant will be given the opportunity to give evidence in chief and be cross examined in the witness box by a lawyer. After each session, constructive feedback will be given in relation to: • Body language, • Dealing with nerves • “what not to say” and • How to improve skills to become an impressive witness. • Review questions and feedback 4:30pm End

Materials:

• The training will be delivered using a combination of case studies, and role play.
• There will be the use of power point, video recordings and booklets consisting of useful hand-outs that the participants can take away and use as reference documents in the future.
•  Where relevant, the participants will be provided with relevant and up to date case law, guidance, legislation, and examples of good practice.

Booking information:

Please contact us for the latest information about this course.

Want it in-house?

We can deliver our training courses in-house – contact us to discuss your requirements.

Trainer:

Shefali Shah, is an experienced national trainer, Shefali has been a senior solicitor and was a member of the Law Society Children Panel for 20, with over 25 years’ experience as a solicitor and manager in various Local Authorities. Shefali is a former legal advisor to Adoption for Adopters and Adoption UK, a national adoption charity and the Independent Review Mechanism. Shefali also teaches social care law academically on various social work undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs.

Shefali is also the author of Key Changes to Family Justice (England), and The Child’s Legal Journey Through Care, both published by CoramBaaf. Both are legal practitioner’s guides aimed at supporting social care professionals to understand the application of the law and the legal responsibilities to children. More information can be found here:

https://www.kingsleyknight.co.uk/key-changes-to-family-justice-england/

https://www.kingsleyknight.co.uk/may-news/

Copyrights of this programme outline is owned by Kingsley Knight Training and cannot be duplicated in part or whole without the prior permission of the owner.