PABBS In-House Training – Newcastle University – May 11th 2026

I must admit that I wasn’t sure how the day would go, I thought that a whole day on this topic would be intense and upsetting.  It was intense but it was also a very worthwhile training day, with moments of joy, and I’m so pleased that I attended.  The trainers approached the topic with maturity and compassion.  I started the day with little prior knowledge of this topic, and I ended the day feeling like I would feel confident talking about this topic with students if it came up in my role.  The trainers made the day very interesting, and I found it invaluable to hear their own personal experiences as well as the experiences of the attendees.  They created a safe space where everyone felt like they could talk freely about personal experiences if they wished.  The self-care section felt particularly important for staff to be aware of, and everyone appeared visibly lighter by the end of the day.  I have gained newfound confidence in approaching this topic as well as being mindful of the terminology I use which I now realise was outdated.  I left the day with a very positive outlook; I would recommend this training to everyone as we all need to be able to freely talk about this topic.