Elsie Rodas

10-05-2025

Raising the bar: What sets great internal trainers apart?

Image by nd3000 via Envato Elements

Unlocking the skills, mindset, and strategies that drive effective workplace learning, compliance, and lasting staff development

In today’s complex workplace environments, particularly in regulated sectors like healthcare, social care, and education, the ability to deliver effective internal training is no longer a luxury. It’s a necessity.

At The Mandatory Training Group, we work closely with organisations striving to ensure their teams meet compliance requirements and develop the skills, confidence, and mindset to excel. That journey often begins with an essential role: the internal trainer.

Whether it’s a nurse training new starters on infection prevention and control, or a compliance manager rolling out safeguarding refresher sessions, internal trainers are vital to operational success. But what makes an internal trainer truly great?

In this blog, Elsie explores the key skills, behaviours, and tools that define outstanding internal trainers - and how organisations can support them to deliver maximum impact.

What is an internal trainer?

An internal trainer is someone within an organisation who is responsible for delivering learning and development activities to other staff. They might focus on induction training, statutory and mandatory topics, digital systems, soft skills, or even management development.

Unlike external consultants, internal trainers operate with an intimate knowledge of the company’s policies, values, and workflows. They understand the regulatory frameworks, quality standards, and performance expectations that external trainers may not always see.

More importantly, they are positioned to build trust, tailor sessions to real workplace scenarios, and reinforce learning long after the session ends.

Why internal trainers are business critical

Internal trainers play a central role in:

• Embedding statutory and mandatory training within daily practice
• Responding quickly to policy or legislative changes
• Providing cost-effective continuous professional development (CPD)
• Supporting performance improvement, culture change, and compliance
• Ensuring alignment with Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Ofsted frameworks.

Done well, internal training isn’t just a compliance tool - it’s a driver of quality, safety, and long-term retention.

The 7 key attributes of high-impact internal trainers

These are the 7 key attributes that enable internal trainers to deliver effective, relevant, and impactful learning across the organisation.

1. Subject mastery grounded in practice

Great internal trainers know their content inside out, but more importantly, they can make it relatable and practical. Whether it's moving and handling techniques, GDPR protocols, or health and safety procedures, learners need more than textbook knowledge. They need a real-world application.

Top tip - Equip trainers with access to CPD-accredited resources and sector updates. Encourage shadowing, real-case analysis, and continuous learning.

2. Understanding of adult learning principles

Adults bring experience, biases, and questions into the training room. Effective internal trainers design sessions around andragogy - the theory of adult learning, which emphasises:

• Relevance to real-life tasks
• Opportunities for problem-solving
• Respect for prior experience
• Self-directed learning.

This means ditching the lecture-style approach in favour of interactive workshops, group discussions, and practical scenarios.

Top Tip - Encourage trainers to include role-play, group reflection, and peer-to-peer feedback in sessions.

3. Confident, clear communication

Effective training is built on strong communication. Great internal trainers tailor their style based on their audience, whether that’s frontline carers, admin staff, or senior clinicians.

They explain complex topics in plain English, ask the right questions, and encourage active participation. They also listen deeply, creating a safe space where learners feel comfortable asking, reflecting, and challenging.

Top tip - Develop trainers’ communication skills through peer observation, presentation coaching, and regular feedback.

4. Digital confidence with training tools

Modern training environments are increasingly hybrid. From LMS platforms and e-learning tools to video conferencing and virtual classrooms, internal trainers must be digitally agile.

They need to feel confident not just delivering face-to-face sessions, but also running online workshops, assigning digital assessments, and tracking compliance through systems like ComplyPlus™.

Top tip - Provide access to training authoring tools, helpdesk support, and CPD on digital facilitation methods.

5. Strategic organisational awareness

Internal training isn’t one-size-fits-all. Trainers must understand their organisation's unique context, including policies, strategic priorities, inspection frameworks, and workforce culture.

This insight allows them to link training content directly to KPIs, audit outcomes, patient or learner safety, and service quality.

Top tip - Involve trainers in quality improvement projects, governance meetings, and internal reviews.

6. Evaluation and continuous improvement

Great internal trainers are reflective practitioners. After each session, they assess what worked, what didn’t, and how future delivery can be improved. They use tools like:

• Feedback forms and learner evaluations
• Pre- and post-session assessments
• Observational feedback from peers or managers
• Compliance tracking data.

Top tip - Build evaluation into your training delivery cycle using dashboards and reporting tools within your LMS.

7. Empathy, patience, and a growth mindset

Lastly, internal trainers must have the emotional intelligence to manage a room of diverse learners. Some may lack confidence, others resist change, and some may be experiencing stress or burnout.

A great trainer supports every learner without judgment. They bring empathy, encouragement, and the belief that everyone can grow.

Top tip - Include mental health awareness and trauma-informed approaches in train the trainer programmes.

Supporting internal trainers to thrive

At The Mandatory Training Group, we’ve worked with organisations across the UK to develop internal training teams that drive results. Based on our experience, here’s what works:

Accredited train the trainer programmes

Our CPD-certified courses cover both subject-specific knowledge (e.g., BLS, Safeguarding, Moving & Handling) and training delivery skills, giving internal trainers the confidence to lead.

Ready-made trainer packs

Each pack includes presentation slides, lesson plans, activities, assessments, and learner forms - saving valuable preparation time.

ComplyPlus™ integration

Our ComplyPlus™ Learning Management System allows organisations to manage, monitor, and evaluate training across multiple teams, sites, or services. Internal trainers can easily upload content, track attendance, automate refresher schedules, and demonstrate compliance to regulators.

Ongoing support and peer learning

Trainer networks, communities of practice, and regular refresher sessions keep internal trainers engaged, updated, and inspired.

Final thoughts - The true value of internal trainers

As the workforce evolves, so must the way we develop our teams. Internal trainers are not simply knowledge-sharers - they’re change agents, culture builders, and role models. They embody an organisation’s values, translate policy into practice, and ensure staff are equipped to deliver safe, compliant, and person-centred care or education.

Supporting internal trainers isn’t just good practice - it’s good business. Your internal training team can help build a high-performing, future-ready organisation with the right tools, training, and systems.

Build confident trainers and compliant teams

At The Mandatory Training Group, we understand the challenges of maintaining compliance and training quality in regulated sectors. That’s why we developed ComplyPlus™ - a smart platform that helps internal trainers deliver, monitor, and evidence statutory, mandatory, and CPD-accredited training with ease.

Whether you're just starting to build your internal training team or enhancing existing efforts, our Train the Trainer programmes and sector-specific tools are here to help you align with CQC, Ofsted, and other regulatory standards.

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