Guide to inclusive facilitation
To get the best out of any practical sessions you run with your employees (including role-playing activities, workshops, focus groups, training sessions, etc.), it’s important to have a good facilitator.
A brief guide to inclusive facilitation
Ground Rules
To make sure everyone feels able to contribute during any practical sessions, it is important to set ground rules. This ensures that everyone is on the same page about what is expected of them and what is considered appropriate behaviour.
We’ve put together the following slide that we use during all of our practical sessions:
Foster equal participation
It is important to make sure that everyone is able to participate in the session equally. This highlights to participants that you want to hear everyone’s perspective and that no one participant is valued over another.
Foster equal participation
It is important to make sure that everyone is able to participate in the session equally. This highlights to participants that you want to hear everyone’s perspective and that no one participant is valued over another.
Foster equal participation
It is important to make sure that everyone is able to participate in the session equally. This highlights to participants that you want to hear everyone’s perspective and that no one participant is valued over another.
Respect people's identities and experience
All participants should feel welcome and safe to contribute regardless of their specific characteristic/s. In order to encourage diversity of thought and equal participation, it is essential that everyone feels respected.
Respect people's identities and experience
All participants should feel welcome and safe to contribute regardless of their specific characteristic/s. In order to encourage diversity of thought and equal participation, it is essential that everyone feels respected.
Respect people's identities and experience
All participants should feel welcome and safe to contribute regardless of their specific characteristic/s. In order to encourage diversity of thought and equal participation, it is essential that everyone feels respected.
Maintain privacy/confidentiality
It is vital to stress to all participants that anything they share within the session should be treated confidentially and that their privacy will be respected. This encourages people to feel comfortable sharing with the rest of the group.
Maintain privacy/confidentiality
It is vital to stress to all participants that anything they share within the session should be treated confidentially and that their privacy will be respected. This encourages people to feel comfortable sharing with the rest of the group.
Maintain privacy/confidentiality
It is vital to stress to all participants that anything they share within the session should be treated confidentially and that their privacy will be respected. This encourages people to feel comfortable sharing with the rest of the group.
Engage with kindness and respect
All participants should be aware that when they participate, they should do so in a kind and respectful manner to ensure that everyone feels safe and respected during the session.
Engage with kindness and respect
All participants should be aware that when they participate, they should do so in a kind and respectful manner to ensure that everyone feels safe and respected during the session.
Engage with kindness and respect
All participants should be aware that when they participate, they should do so in a kind and respectful manner to ensure that everyone feels safe and respected during the session.
Do not tolerate bullying, harassment, or discrimination
Participants should be made aware that there will be a zero-tolerance approach to any inappropriate behaviour. Anyone who exhibits any inappropriate behaviour will be asked to leave.
Do not tolerate bullying, harassment, or discrimination
Participants should be made aware that there will be a zero-tolerance approach to any inappropriate behaviour. Anyone who exhibits any inappropriate behaviour will be asked to leave.
Do not tolerate bullying, harassment, or discrimination
Participants should be made aware that there will be a zero-tolerance approach to any inappropriate behaviour. Anyone who exhibits any inappropriate behaviour will be asked to leave.
Contribute constructively
All participants should contribute to the session constructively to ensure everyone gets the most out of the session. All contributions should be relevant, appropriately timed and should not undermine any other participants.
Contribute constructively
All participants should contribute to the session constructively to ensure everyone gets the most out of the session. All contributions should be relevant, appropriately timed and should not undermine any other participants.
Contribute constructively
All participants should contribute to the session constructively to ensure everyone gets the most out of the session. All contributions should be relevant, appropriately timed and should not undermine any other participants.
If you need top step out for any reason, please do so
Participants should feel safe to leave at any point in the session for whatever reason. They should not feel that they need to announce or explain their departure.
If you need top step out for any reason, please do so
Participants should feel safe to leave at any point in the session for whatever reason. They should not feel that they need to announce or explain their departure.
If you need top step out for any reason, please do so
Participants should feel safe to leave at any point in the session for whatever reason. They should not feel that they need to announce or explain their departure.
Tips for facilitators
Send an agenda or session plan and a practical information pack detailing any information about parking, location of the toilets, etc. to participants prior to the activity so they know what to expect on the day
Send an agenda or session plan and a practical information pack detailing any information about parking, location of the toilets, etc. to participants prior to the activity so they know what to expect on the day
Send an agenda or session plan and a practical information pack detailing any information about parking, location of the toilets, etc. to participants prior to the activity so they know what to expect on the day
To make your participants feel as relaxed and comfortable as possible, it’s important to foster a friendly environment by being welcoming and approachable
To make your participants feel as relaxed and comfortable as possible, it’s important to foster a friendly environment by being welcoming and approachable
To make your participants feel as relaxed and comfortable as possible, it’s important to foster a friendly environment by being welcoming and approachable
Consider using name tags including people’s pronouns. This can help participants to remember each other’s name and prevent accidental misgendering
Consider using name tags including people’s pronouns. This can help participants to remember each other’s name and prevent accidental misgendering
Consider using name tags including people’s pronouns. This can help participants to remember each other’s name and prevent accidental misgendering
Make sure you have a Code of Conduct / Ground Rules and revisit these at the start of each session
Make sure you have a Code of Conduct / Ground Rules and revisit these at the start of each session
Make sure you have a Code of Conduct / Ground Rules and revisit these at the start of each session
Ice breakers can be a good way of helping participants relax. This can include asking them to introduce themselves, either to the group or in pairs
Ice breakers can be a good way of helping participants relax. This can include asking them to introduce themselves, either to the group or in pairs
Ice breakers can be a good way of helping participants relax. This can include asking them to introduce themselves, either to the group or in pairs
Design any activities with a range of different people in mind and prepare to be flexible. For example, some people won’t be comfortable speaking in front of the group as a whole so the session may need to be held in small groups
Design any activities with a range of different people in mind and prepare to be flexible. For example, some people won’t be comfortable speaking in front of the group as a whole so the session may need to be held in small groups
Design any activities with a range of different people in mind and prepare to be flexible. For example, some people won’t be comfortable speaking in front of the group as a whole so the session may need to be held in small groups
If you’re dividing participants into groups, try and make them as diverse as possible. People will naturally gravitate towards people they know or are most like themselves. Diverse groups will often result in diversity of thought!
If you’re dividing participants into groups, try and make them as diverse as possible. People will naturally gravitate towards people they know or are most like themselves. Diverse groups will often result in diversity of thought!
If you’re dividing participants into groups, try and make them as diverse as possible. People will naturally gravitate towards people they know or are most like themselves. Diverse groups will often result in diversity of thought!
If someone is dominating a session, feed back to them with a summary of what they’ve said (so they know they’ve been heard) and invite other people to share what they have to say
If someone is dominating a session, feed back to them with a summary of what they’ve said (so they know they’ve been heard) and invite other people to share what they have to say
If someone is dominating a session, feed back to them with a summary of what they’ve said (so they know they’ve been heard) and invite other people to share what they have to say
Collect feedback at the end. It’s important to know which parts of the session participants thought worked well and which didn’t
Collect feedback at the end. It’s important to know which parts of the session participants thought worked well and which didn’t
Collect feedback at the end. It’s important to know which parts of the session participants thought worked well and which didn’t
If appropriate, provide a list of support organisations / local services / your contact details / any other signposting information that participants may find useful
If appropriate, provide a list of support organisations / local services / your contact details / any other signposting information that participants may find useful
If appropriate, provide a list of support organisations / local services / your contact details / any other signposting information that participants may find useful
If a participant seems to have left because of a specific topic raised during the session, try and follow-up with them and forward on any relevant signposting information for support
If a participant seems to have left because of a specific topic raised during the session, try and follow-up with them and forward on any relevant signposting information for support
If a participant seems to have left because of a specific topic raised during the session, try and follow-up with them and forward on any relevant signposting information for support
For more ideas
For more ideas on running practical activities, Seeds for Change have put together some guidance including sample activities, how to resolve any potential issues and how to encourage participation. You can find their guidance here: Seeds for Change: Facilitation Tools
The toolkit:
Identifying bullying and harassment
Our toolkit will help you start your journey towards identifying and addressing bullying and harassment in the workplace.
The toolkit:
Identifying bullying and harassment
Our toolkit will help you start your journey towards developing an active bystander culture.
The toolkit:
Identifying bullying and harassment
Our toolkit will help you start your journey towards developing an active bystander culture.
Explore more toolkits
Explore more toolkits
Explore more toolkits
© 2025 Halsden Centre Limited. A company registered in England & Wales No 15730726
© 2025 Halsden Centre Limited. A company registered in England & Wales No 15730726
© 2025 Halsden Centre Limited. A company registered in England & Wales No 15730726