Reflecting on Pastoral Conversations

(14 May 2026 - In person - 1pm to 4pm)

Course Description

Reflective Connection is the updated course offering, which now takes the place of Reflective Practice.

Reflective Connection Training empowers Pastoral Care Workers (PCWs) to enhance their personal growth and professional effectiveness through meaningful reflection on their experiences. By developing a reflective mindset and fostering a supportive community, PCWs strengthen problem-solving, empathy, and relationships, ultimately improving their ability to support students, parents, and colleagues.

Course Overview

In the demanding and emotionally charged role of a Pastoral Care Worker (PCW), the ability to reflect on one’s actions and experiences is crucial for personal growth and professional effectiveness. Our Reflective Connection Training is designed to equip you with tools to engage in meaningful reflection that enhances your work with students, parents, and colleagues.

By developing a reflective mindset, you can enhance your problem-solving skills, deepen empathy, and foster stronger relationships with those you serve. This training also focuses on creating a supportive community of care among PCWs, where sharing experiences and reflecting as a group leads to collective growth. PCWs will have the opportunity to engage in group reflection exercises, providing you with the necessary support network to face the challenges of your work with renewed confidence.

Ultimately, Reflective Connection isn’t just a training program – it’s a vital tool for empowering Pastoral Care Workers to continuously improve their practice, ensuring they can offer the highest level of support to the school community.

Before you click the "Register" button

Make sure you only enrol for the course if you can attend, as we have limited spots!

If you have decided to participate, but something
unforeseeable happens, please notify us as soon as possible, by email (bookings@smg.net.au)

Topics

Hours

Comprehensive Exploration

  • 3 Topics
  • 1 Course Evaluation
  • 1 Certification

This training will equip PCWs with useful information on:

Topic 1

Introduction to Reflective Practice.

Topic 2

Using Reflection with Students, Parents, and Fellow Pastoral Care Workers.

Topic 3

The Gibbs Reflective Cycle and Group Reflection.

Lisa Hughes

Key Learning Outcomes 

Understand the importance of reflection for personal and professional growth in pastoral care.

Learn the six stages of the Gibbs Reflective Cycle and apply it to real-life pastoral care scenarios.

Apply reflective techniques to interactions with students, parents, and colleagues to enhance understanding and support.

Practice reflective exercises in a group setting, gaining insights from diverse perspectives.

Meet the instructor

Lisa Hughes

Hi, I’m Lisa Hughes and I value continuous learning and connecting with self and others to grow our professional practice. The unique role of pastoral care in schools requires an intentional focus on reflective practice.

With a background in pastoral care, youth work, community development, and vocational training, I can testify to the immense value of having colleagues who created a safe space for me to share openly and were willing to journey alongside me. Exploring and using established models of reflective practice can also create a continuous learning environment and lead to better outcomes for both ourselves and the value we offer to our school community. Through self reflection we can build our resilience and skills, recover from setbacks and improve our sustainability in the role.