Case Study: Telford & Wrekin Employee Education
continued...
Mobile:Engaged Impact
During the KEC, it was clear to us that our input was welcomed, and that there was considerable appetite
for academic input. Following involvement with the Mobile:Engaged project, the workshop presentation was
amended and additions were made to the verbal input that accompanied it. A similar educational workshop,
informed by the KEC, was also developed for groups of young people in the area. Additional input from
the Mobile:Engaged team was offered to help develop the material targeted at the different needs of that
demographic group (see p29).
The workshop PowerPoint presentation was amended following our engagement to create a more personally
relevant framing of the information, as suggested on p52 of this case study. This small change may increase
the likelihood that individuals will connect with the information being presented and see it as relevant to their
personal lives, rather than as a problem for, and about, other people.
Because the delivery context can result in audience members offering verbal challenges to the information
being presented, a number of ‘pre-emptive strikes’ have been added to the slides. Challenges tend to follow
fairly predictable formats (see pages 142-145) so it is relatively easy to be prepared with effective responses
– and responses should be made otherwise a dissenting voice can start to appear credible (“even the expert
couldn’t come up with an answer to me on that one!”). Some challenges may not be vocalised, but may
nonetheless occur to attendees, so it is useful to tackle them head-on.
To add a practical behaviour change element to the workshop, information relating to a number of mobile
phone applications, settings (see p141) and other avoidance ideas have been added. Individuals have a range of
options to choose from in creating an action plan for behaviour change. This was added to enhance the ability
for individuals to move between stages of the transtheoretical model of behaviour change.
As suggested in the KEC, questions about behaviour were added to the pre- and post- workshop questionnaire.
This means that information can now be obtained regarding (self-reported) planned and actual changes in
behaviour.
“The changes you have suggested have
also been transferrable to our work on drink
and drug driving and other areas of risk.”
Road Safety Officer, Telford and Wrekin Council
54
Find out which companies have robust policies
about mobile phone use. These can be effective
‘levers’ for professional drivers, if they are known
about by the employees, and enforced.