Risk Communication and Community Engagement Course

In an emergency people need timely, accurate, up-to-date health information they can rely on. Reaching people can be challenging and rumours and misinformation can add to the challenge. Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) focuses on informing and engaging the public on how to reduce risk and better protect themselves. 

The World Health Organisation highlights the importance of Risk Communication and Community Engagement in all the phases of an emergency response, including the two vital components that UK-Med engage with, which are health emergency preparedness, and response. RCCE is key to effective communications and relies on having trained specialist staff in this area.

This course encourages staff to work directly with impacted communities. This will help the UK-Med team to understand the root causes of public health issues from the ground up. By communicating in a careful, considered and sensitive way, we can work to build trust with the communities where we work and leave a legacy of best practice and sustainable programmes.

 By undertaking this course:

• You’ll understand how to encourage positive changes in behaviour
• You’ll develop strategies to gain and maintain trust
• You’ll learn how to mobilise a community, influence key leaders, and build effective partnerships that support the community in the future
• You’ll develop your own confidence in advocating for the needs of marginalised and vulnerable members of the community.

This course takes place online. There are seven modules, each of which takes approximately two hours to complete. These consist of a mix of self-directed learning activities and live interactive sessions. We’re also planning to develop a RCCE Network to make peer support and information sharing easier.

This course is offered to members of the UK-Med Register who are already working in the capacity of a RCCE Advisor. You’ll probably already be aware of the RCCE general guidelines and have a basic level of prior knowledge and skills in implementing RCCE activities. This course is open to participants with all levels of humanitarian experience. This course will deepen your existing knowledge and give you the chance to share best practice with your peers. The live groups will consist of up to twenty participants.

 The key topics you’ll learn about on the RCCE Course are: 

• Influencing risk perception to encourage healthy behaviours
• Sustaining recommended behaviours for extended periods
• Building trust, partnerships and networking
• Dealing with marginalised communities
• Monitoring, evaluation, tools and strategies for needs assessments
• Mental health during emergencies.