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<p>All front line staff undertake mandatory training designed to give them the relevant
skills and knowledge to provide appropriate support in a range of circumstances, including
cases of murder, missing persons, rape and sexual assault. Our training is aligned
with our Consular Strategy 2016-2020 and is constantly updated in line with ongoing
customer feedback, formal evaluations and policy or legal developments.</p><p>Frontline
Consular staff, in London and overseas, undertake mandatory "Introduction to
Consular Work" and "Safeguarding children and young persons" e-learning
courses during their first week in the role. This is followed within three months
by an "Assistance Guidance Assessment", which is conducted to a pass standard,
and a five-day "Essential Assistance Workshop", an interactive course with
activities focused on building customer care skills for handling the full range of
consular casework with particular emphasis on the most vulnerable.</p><p>Staff then
follow a programme of continuous development relevant to their role. This comprises
a range of learning activities including e-learning, workshops and discussions with
specialist agencies and NGOs dealing specifically with bereavement, rape and sexual
assault which are designed to further enhance the skills, knowledge and behaviours
of consular staff dealing with these and other vulnerable customers. There are also
opportunities for staff to practice customer care skills through telephone handling
skills practice programme.</p><p>We have also developed a learning retention and evaluation
tool to help embed knowledge following training courses. This involves a series of
online timed and targeted questions for a five month period.</p>
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