About US
Nicki and Lisa met in 2009 – on an advanced communication skills course! Lisa was a delegate and Nicki was training to be a facilitator. Lisa subsequently also went through training (she says it’s the most rigorous training she has ever done). Their working partnership developed over the subsequent years, and they began facilitating courses together regularly in about 2012. They have worked together across England and Wales, and in Ireland. Nicki has had the opportunity to travel to both New Zealand and Singapore to deliver communication skills training. Lisa is not at all jealous…
It is very clear to them that the need for communication skills training amongst healthcare professionals is huge, with doctors, nurses and AHPs being asked to have the most difficult conversations with patients and their families without the skills that could make those conversations go as well as possible. The evidence that communication skills can be learned is clear, but staff are not being offered the opportunity to optimise their skills. This feels unfair.
In order to continue to be able to deliver training and to develop new facilitators, Nicki and Lisa created Reach in 2018. Both were still in full time NHS employment at the time, but have since retired from clinical work to concentrate on training. They both love what they do
Who are we
Get to know the founders and your trainers.
Get to know the founders and your trainers.
Dr Lisa Kauffmann
MB BS MSc FRCPCH
Nicki Fitzmaurice
RGN RSCN DN MSc
Nicki and Lisa both have a passion for helping healthcare professionals to improve their communication skills. The impact of communication on the experience of care for patients and their families, on their health outcomes, and on the resilience and wellbeing of staff is profound, and well documented. As practitioners, they both recognised the huge impact of this training on their own communication with patients and colleagues, and are delighted to be able to share the skills they learned with others. All healthcare staff deserve the best communication skills training available to help them in their work.
Lisa is a recently retired consultant paediatrician with an interest in Palliative Care from Manchester. She was a medical student and junior doctor in London, and moved to Manchester to take up a consultant post in community child health in 1995. She is a convert to the North West. She developed an interest in children with severe disability, and subsequently in paediatric palliative care. For the last 10 years of her clinical career she delivered palliative care both in the community and in hospital. She became interested in communication skills as she worked with families who were dealing with the knowledge that their child might die. She qualified as an Advanced Communication Skills facilitator in 2010 and has delivered courses regularly in Manchester and around the country When not delivering training you can find Lisa walking her dog or hiking in the hills.
Nicki is from Manchester and is now a convert to the West Midlands! Nicki started her nursing career in 1986, junior Dr’s and nurses marvel at how someone so old can still stand unaided! The lion’s share of Nicki’s career has been focussed on palliative and bereavement care. Nicki was one of the national leads for advanced communication skills training with the National Cancer Action Team. Here her passion for facilitation began. Outside of work Nicki has grandchildren, a dog, a partner, and a love of travelling that keep her busy.
If you want to improve your communication
Get in Touch
Why not let us know what you need help with and we can put together the best solution for your healthcare professionals