This session will cover the opportunities and challenges that using social media in the Public Sector presents and introduce delegates to using social media platforms for themselves, their teams and their organisation.
For full details and dates, please click here: https://parliament.learningpool.com/mod/facetoface/view.php?f=480
This one day course is designed to equip staff with the skills and confidence to handle challenging conversations with customers or employees in a sensitive and professional way.
A person’s emotional state can affect their reactions. Understanding how this happens can help you resolve conflict more successfully.
The Samaritans trains their volunteers in active-listening techniques using a model known as the ‘listening wheel’. This course will cover these techniques to help you build rapport with a person in order to alleviate their distress and de-escalate any anger and aggression, which can be used to great effect in the workplace.
For full details and dates, please click here: https://parliament.learningpool.com/mod/facetoface/view.php?f=518
Attendees will discuss the causes signs and symptoms of mental health, how to respond to and deal with a situation and how they can support and unburden themselves after the event.
For full details and dates, click here: https://parliament.learningpool.com/course/view.php?id=260
Having a good level of emotional resilience can positively affect teams, colleagues, other individuals and one’s own wellbeing, increasing productivity and performance in the workplace. Individuals will have a better chance of delivering results at work if they are able to deal with stressful life events.
The course will focus on managing emotional health and empowering delegates to support others. It will help delegates to identify and respond to increasing demands in a way that helps them to get through challenging situations and continue to learn and grow.
For full details and dates, please click here: https://parliament.learningpool.com/course/view.php?id=575
This course will cover the essentials of good writing which are needed for drafting briefings such as content, structure, layout & use of language that meets the reader’s needs, and the process of drafting, editing and clearing a briefing.
For full details and dates, click here: https://parliament.learningpool.com/course/view.php?id=553
What is a division? Where is the Lobby? What is the difference between a PPS, a PPC, an APPG and a POPTART? And, the greatest mystery of them all, just what exactly are the Lords doing when they are “at pleasure”?
One of the most overwhelming difficulties of starting a job in parliament can be coming to terms with the language, which quite often might as well be Swahili for a newcomer.
In an attempt to help the public connect with parliament, the Modernisation Committee made some changes to the language and procedures used around the place. For example, the procedure whereby Members wishing to raise a point of order used to have to wear a special hat, like a pirate, was abolished in 1998 to the dismay of the more fashionably (and piratically ) minded MPs of the time.
Similarly, ‘I spy strangers’ (formerly used to request that the House sit in private), ‘strangers’ being members of the public, was abolished in and replaced with the rather less romantic request that the ‘House sit in private’.
While there may be a certain smugness which emanates from being able to understand such obscurities, many feel that the use of such language further turns off an already disengaged public. Others argue it creates a sense of occasion and tradition and helps maintain dignified discussion.
The BBC also has a very good jargon-buster, called the A-Z of Parliament.
Parliament’s Education Service works with schools to support young people’s understanding of Parliament and democracy; they are here: https://learning.parliament.uk/en/
ES March 2013
The main resource for training for Members’ Staff is The Members and Members’ Staff Services Team .
Courses take place online, on the Parliamentary Estate and regionally, and if a course of interest is not available at a convenient location or date, they will endeavour to accommodate specific requirements, subject to sufficient demand (12 delegates and above).
Courses are free of charge to all Members’ staff who are paid through IPSA’s staffing allowance and travel costs to training events can be met from the expenses scheme administered by IPSA.
The full course catalogue is available via Act – the Parliamentary learning management system. Some courses are advertised as being for House staff, but MPs’ staff can still sign up for some of them, such as some of the courses from Parliamentary Digital. If in doubt, please do contact L&D for advice.
If you see a course you’d like to do, but there isn’t a session advertised yet, please do put yourself on the waiting list so that the MMSST knows that people are interested. This will also ensure that you get a notification of when a session is available.
email: mmsst@parliament.uk
The House of Commons Library arranges inductions, training and events for MPs and MPs’ staff. Visit the Library’s website to find out more.
To receive information on all upcoming Commons Library training courses and events, sign up for email updates for MPs’ staff and bookmark the Library’s ACT page.
The Behaviour Code seminars for 20 and 29 October are already fully-booked, so a further October date has been scheduled as follows: Time: 1400 – 1530Date: 27 October 2026Location: Online via MS TeamsFurther information, future dates and booking: https://parliament.learningpool.com/course/view.php?id=2007 Description: Our highly experienced and expert trainers will explain our behaviour code and the responsibility we…
Learn potentially lifesaving CPR and emergency response skills Time: 10:00 – 15:00Date: Wednesday 14 October 2026Location: Portcullis House Atrium Restart a Heart Day aims to increase the number of people surviving out-of-hospital cardiac arrests by helping more people learn CPR and become Resus Ready. Join the Parliamentary Health and Wellbeing Service (PHWS) and London Ambulance…
Understanding the daily business papers Time: 1300Date: Monday 12 October 2026Location: Online via MS Teams To register, please email nanchevi@parliament.uk from your parliamentary account.
Time: 1400 – 1500Date: Wednesday 21 October 2026Location: Online via MS TeamsRegistration: Via ACT This month’s speaker will be Will Downs from the Commons Library’s Home Affairs Section.
Time: 1000 – 1200Date: Tuesday 6 October 2026Location: online via MS TeamsRegistration: please sign up via ACT Further information: please email MMSST@parliament.uk The Members and Members’ staff Services Team invites all new Members’ Staff to join us for a two hour Welcome to Parliament induction session. Aims: The session is interactive and will include polls,…
Open to Members of Parliament and their staff. The Public Service Ombudsman (formerly known as the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman) independently investigates complaints about UK government departments, other public organisations, and the NHS in England. Complaining can be complicated for some people. If you are a Member of Parliament, or work for one, we want…
The Security Awareness Programme offers a range of sessions open to all passholders. You’ll hear from members of the Parliamentary Security Department (PSD), senior leaders, and guest speakers. Sessions cover a wide variety of topics, including: The skills and knowledge you gain can help you in both your professional and personal life Please see here…
Time: 1400 – 1530Date: Thursday 24 September 2026Location: Online via MS Teams Join us for this extended casework forum session which aims to bring you essential tips, tricks and advice on how to effectively manage casework. With the authors of the Library’s Guide to casework and W4MP’s accompanying Casework guide on hand, we will also have guests…
Professor Jennifer Lees-Marshment from the University of Dundee will be delivering a series of workshops for Members’ staff this autumn. These interactive sessions are designed to encourage peer learning through discussion and breakout groups. The workshops will provide participants with the opportunity to share experiences, explore key topics and issues, and learn from colleagues across…
Time: 14:00 – 15:00Date: Wednesday 19 August 2026Location: Online via TeamsBooking: book via ACT We’ll be joined by staff from the Housing Ombudsman and Library subject specialistsOnline booking closes 90 minutes before the forum meeting. To request a place after online booking has closed please email LibraryTraining@parliament.uk