| Responses | Date | Author |
I wanted to like comments!
thumbs up Dee & Alex, very useful :-) |
| 21/08/2026 | Shane |
Thank you everyone for your thoughts. After 30 years as a trainer it’s great to be stopped in my tracks and questioned. Yes a lot of what we do is assumed as it’s standard practice plus we have T&C’s. I do agree with everything said. The H&S element is key, sometimes stating the obvious but our responsibility.
Alex, I agree it’s not unusual to have someone do something odd when attending training courses
Something I’ve done when I worked in a previous organisation and I’ve adopted in the contract work I’m currently involved with is setting out clear guidelines with Our Responsibilities and Your Responsibilities. For delegates who are self funding its identifying the anomalies
Thanks again for your responses, much appreciated
Sera
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| 20/08/2026 | Sera |
Hi Sera,
That's an interesting question. I suspect it doesn't come up very often because a lot of these responsibilities are simply assumed rather than talked about. As an independent trainer running open online courses, I'd see your responsibilities as:
- Delivering the course as advertised and to a professional standard.
- Providing suitable materials and an accessible platform.
- Creating a respectful and psychologically safe learning environment.
- Meeting any legal obligations, such as data protection and equality requirements.
- Making sure delegates know what they need in terms of technology, preparation and expectations beforehand.
Delegates would generally be responsible for having a suitable space to join from, a reliable internet connection and the ability to attend. Things like sickness or leaving early would usually be covered by your terms and conditions. The only other thing I'd add is being clear about what happens if you're unable to deliver due to illness or if there are significant technical issues. You've got me thinking now, because it's one of those areas where most of us work on the basis of an unwritten understanding of who is responsible for what. It's a good question to ask! Dee |
| 20/08/2026 | Dee |
Hi Sera,
You are correct, however, you can definitely do some key communication to help yourself. - set clear expectations in advance of your course, most platforms allow drip emails to remind delegates. This can be used to set out expectations for set up and location etc. - eg platform will be xxx please ensure loaded in advance, cameras will be on/optional, participants will/will not be muted, - Then at the beginning of the course have a clear slide/info about what you expect from your delegates - try and fit in an icebreaker that incorporates your requirements for visibility and interaction, eg if you need to use breakout rooms, or see/hear delegates, or use the question or chat function this is a good time to test it out. I can't guarantee this will work, even with all this I still have the phantom who phones in from their car or is on camera but seems to be sleeping lol. Hope this helps Alex |
| 20/08/2026 | Alex |
Hi Sera,
When delivering online, I would say that I am also responsible, to a degree, for their environment. With the housekeeping, to say - it's particularly warm outside, we will be taking regular breaks, but can I be sure that you all have your glasses charged, comfortable and ready to go? I have attended meetings where this information is on the welcome screen, saying Welcome, we will be starting at 9:30, ensure you have a drink, etc. etc. I would say we still have an H&S responsibility.
I am intrigued by others' responses too, made me wonder if I am missing anything
:-) |
| 20/08/2026 | Shane |