Graeme Tiffany
Independent education consultant and scholar, trainer, lecturer & researcher in informal & community education, community development & community philosophy.
Contact me to discuss your training needs.
Training
I offer training of all kinds, but have a particular interest in that related to youth work (and especially detached youth work), informal and community education, and community development. Please do contact me so we can have a conversation about what you need; my preference is always to listen carefully and discuss training that is context-appreciative.
Speaking
I have spoken at hundreds of seminars and conference across the UK, continental Europe and even further afield. As with training, I like to discuss precisely what you are looking for so I can frame my contribution in the context of your event’s aims. I like to use images, stories, and humour in my presentations, which are always engaging and thought-provoking.
Workshop Facilitation
Sometimes what’s need to is minimal input, just someone who is able to help groups learn from themselves. I have good facilitation skills, a product of specific training. I often use philosophical tools, methods and activities to help people learn, such as concept mapping and Community of Enquiry methodology.
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Other Services
Contact me to discuss your needs; I work across the informal – formal education spectrum, with a particular focus on youth work and detached youth work. I provide training tailored to your needs (see ‘context-appreciative training), workshop facilitation, support for research and evaluation, consultancy, and professional supervision for workers. Follow the link for a list of the work I’ve done.
Training and Workshop Facilitation
I provide training for a wide range of individuals, groups and agencies. I work with the statutory and voluntary sector (including universities), charities, and civil society organisations. Most are part of the community and youth work sector, but I also support services and companies with community dimensions to their work, like Housing Associations and social enterprises.
A particular focus of my training is Detached Youth Work
I have been training detached youth workers for many years, across the UK and Europe. I also run workshops, present at conferences and seminars, evaluate projects, conduct research and provide consultancy, including on the management of detached youth work. I am the author of several publications on detached and street-based work, including the book Reconnecting Detached Youth Work. I have been involved with the Federation for Detached Youth Work for more than 20 years, currently as an advisor. I represent ‘the Fed’ in Dynamo International (the world-wide network of social street workers) and am also a member of Dynamo’s Expert Group
Sometimes, workshop facilitation is a more appropriate intervention; I have extensive training and experience if helping people learn from one another, which is the aim of facilitation. I often use methodology associated with Community Philosophy, with its emphasis of on Critical, Collaborative, Creative and Caring thinking.
Consultancy
My consultancy work is diverse in nature, from conducting research (often in collaboration with others), to undertaking both formal and informal evaluations, supporting project development, providing professional and non-managerial supervision, and direct delivery with young people and adults. The duration of this work is similarly wide-ranging, from one to several days, or even longer; I have worked on some projects on a part-time basis over a number of years. As with my training, I like to work in a ‘context-appreciative’, developmental, way; so, I prefer work where I can develop relationships with people. As such, I often take on project work, where I support, collaborate and partner with groups and organisations in short and longer-term ventures.
Writing
As an independent scholar, I’ve written a wide range of articles, academic papers, book chapters and Reconnecting Detached Youth Work. Much of this is accessible on this website. I’ve also got a blog and see Twitter as form of micro-blogging. I regard writing as an essential communication skill in community and youth work and run training courses for practitioners about this. Writing also means thinking critically about language and what words mean (especially in policy); have a look at my work in Community Philosophy for training on this too.
Testimonials
“Your discussion was very impressive and lively”
“Just contacting you to say how much I enjoyed reading your project report on Community Philosophy – a superb piece of work that should be compulsory reading for those training to be youth and community workers, adult educators, community workers and others. I like the blend of theory, practice, evaluation, and the general tone – persuasive and in parts reflective, and not didactic.”
“The evaluations we’ve received about your contribution to our event have been glowing”