Beyond Boundaries: Cultivating Cultural Competence
**new for 2025**
Objective
In an increasingly diverse society, understanding and respecting different cultures isn’t just a bonus—it’s essential. Whether you’re a housing officer, landlord, or someone visiting tenants’ homes, your interactions can shape trust, engagement, and the overall tenant experience.
This dynamic and thought-provoking session will equip you with the awareness, confidence, and skills to navigate cultural differences with sensitivity and respect. You’ll explore real-life scenarios, challenge assumptions, and develop practical strategies to enhance communication and foster inclusive relationships.
Session Aims
The aim of this session is to create an understanding and respect for cultures and backgrounds other than our own and enable people to interact with individuals from different
cultures in a respectful and empathetic manner, from colleagues to customers and members of the public.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the session, participants will:
- Explore what shapes culture and reflect on their own cultural background
- Spot and appreciate the different ways people do things based on their culture
- Look at their own views and how these might affect their interactions with others
- Understand what makes it hard for some people to get help and support
- Learn practical ways to make everyone feel welcome, regardless of their background
- Pick up useful communication skills that work well with different people
- Discover ways to learn more about cultures and situations they’re unfamiliar with
- Feel more at ease working with people from all walks of life
Facilitator
Noreen Blanluet (she/they)
Noreen is an experienced facilitator, trainer and consultant. They have been working across public services for over a decade, with a focus on relational approaches, collaboration, meaningful engagement, co-design, involvement and co-production, compassionate communication, and inclusive facilitation. They work at all levels from frontline delivery to strategic teams, supporting innovation, transformation, and professional / team / organisational / social change.
A biologist and systems thinker by training (BSc in Biology, MSc in Agriculture), they are skilled at holding the wider picture while bringing attention to detail, with a head for systems and processes and a heart for people and relationships. Previously they worked in a range of private and third sector organisations, with a common thread of navigating complexity, nurturing diversity and building community. They co-founded and developed the Co-production Network for Wales.
Target audience
This course is designed for individuals at all levels, both personally and professionally, who interact with customers, members of the public, and colleagues. It is suitable for frontline staff, managers, and anyone involved in customer service, communication, or public-facing activities, as well as those who support these roles within the workplace.
Duration
This course is delivered in-house as a half day (3 hours) or full day (6 hours), and is available online or face-to-face, for a maximum of 15 delegates. The full day course includes additional examples and more opportunities to practise the tools and techniques.
If you would like to book this course, please get in touch on 029 21 057 957 or email info@taipawb.org.