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Corporate
Coach Group

Conduct Fair and Professional Workplace Investigations

Investigation Skills Training 1 day

Learn how to investigate allegations of malpractice or misconduct. How to gather evidence, ask the right questions and learn to distinguish genuine answers, from responses. Handling evasive interviewees. Ensure disciplinary and grievance issues are handled according to proper principles and standards. The importance of well written records.

Available as bespoke in-house training tailored to your organisation.

★★★★★
"Very interesting course with engaging content. I learnt the essentials of conducting an investigative interview. Trainer's presentation was a good mix of theory and practical." - Stacey Jones, Quantum Care
Quality Training
Established 1997
6 CPD Hours
Delivery Options

Course Overview

What is Investigation Skills Training?

When an employee is accused of misconduct, the investigation that follows can have serious consequences for the individual, the team and the organisation. Yet most managers have never received formal training in how to conduct one properly.

Without the right skills, investigations are vulnerable to challenge. Evidence is missed, questions are poorly framed, and the line between facts and opinions becomes blurred. The result is findings that are difficult to defend and decisions that may not stand up to scrutiny.

This one-day in-house course gives your managers a complete, practical framework for conducting investigation interviews with confidence. They will learn how to open and structure a formal investigative interview, apply specialist questioning techniques, and tell the difference between a genuine answer and an evasive response.

The course covers how to separate facts from opinions, evaluate hearsay, apply the best evidence rule, and classify statements accurately. Your managers will also develop the ability to read body language during interviews and take comprehensive written notes that will stand up to scrutiny.

By the end of the day, they will have a clear six-step method they can apply immediately, along with a personal action plan and the confidence to investigate fairly, thoroughly and professionally.

Core Skills

The Key Skills Covered

This course is built around six core skill sets that every investigation officer must develop to conduct fair, professional and legally sound workplace investigations.

  1. 1

    Investigation Interview Techniques

    Understand the purpose of investigative interviews and how they differ from normal conversations. Master the six-step method for conducting structured, professional investigative interviews that reach the truth.

  2. 2

    Investigative Questioning

    Apply specialised questioning techniques to elicit complete, accurate and relevant information from witnesses, complainants and the accused. Learn how to probe responses without leading the interviewee.

  3. 3

    Evidence Evaluation

    Distinguish between admissible and inadmissible evidence, evaluate hearsay and apply the best evidence rule. Understand the onus of proof principle so you reach sound, defensible conclusions.

  4. 4

    Evasion and Contradiction Detection

    Identify when an interviewee is being evasive or giving responses rather than answers. Recognise contradictions in statements and classify them as true, in error, false or arbitrary.

  5. 5

    Body Language Awareness

    Read and interpret important body language cues during investigative interviews. Understand how non-verbal signals can indicate discomfort or evasion, and use this insight to guide your questioning.

  6. 6

    Accurate Record-Taking

    Develop the skill to take comprehensive, accurate written notes during interviews. Accurate records protect the organisation and ensure findings are based on documented evidence that can be relied upon.

Who Is This Course For?

Who Should Attend This Investigation Skills Training Course?

Designed for anyone required to conduct formal workplace investigations or investigative interviews.

HR Managers and Business Partners

Conduct disciplinary and grievance investigations in a fair, structured and legally sound manner.

Line Managers and Team Leaders

Investigate allegations of misconduct with the confidence and skill to reach accurate, well-supported conclusions.

Compliance and Legal Teams

Apply rigorous investigative standards to regulatory and compliance-related enquiries.

Health and Safety Managers

Investigate workplace incidents professionally, gathering admissible evidence and producing defensible reports.

Also beneficial for compliance officers responsible for regulatory investigations, health and safety managers investigating workplace incidents, and team leaders required to investigate complaints or misconduct.

Course Agenda

Investigation Skills Training Course Details

AM

Morning Session • Investigation fundamentals and questioning techniques

Establish why investigative interviews are different from normal conversations, understand the five major steps every investigator must master, and develop the specialised questioning techniques that elicit accurate, complete information.

Investigations officers need a specific set of skills that go well beyond everyday management communication. This opening session explains why professional investigation skills matter, what is at stake when investigations are handled poorly, and what distinguishes a skilled investigator from a manager who simply asks questions. You will understand the context in which investigative interviews take place and why the integrity of the process is as important as the outcome.
Effective investigations follow a structured process. We introduce five major steps that every investigator must master: preparing thoroughly before the interview; opening the interview in a way that establishes the right atmosphere; questioning systematically to gather complete and accurate information; evaluating the information obtained against objective criteria; and concluding with a clear, documented summary. We return to each of these steps throughout the day.
Investigative questioning is not the same as everyday conversation or normal management questioning. Its purpose is specific: to elicit accurate, complete and relevant information in a way that does not lead, prompt or contaminate the interviewee's account. We examine the types of questions available, when each type is appropriate, and the common questioning mistakes that undermine the integrity of an investigation.
There are specific conversational techniques that experienced investigators use to build rapport, encourage disclosure and manage the pace of an interview. These include how to open an interview professionally, how to signal that you are listening without leading the interviewee, how to manage silences effectively, and how to keep the interview focused without appearing hostile or aggressive. Practice with these techniques is built into the afternoon session.
Normal conversation is informal, mutual and driven by social norms of turn-taking and politeness. An investigation interview is a professional, structured and purposeful interaction with a specific goal: to establish what actually happened. Understanding this distinction helps investigators avoid the common mistake of allowing the interview to drift into informal chat, which weakens the quality of the evidence obtained and may compromise the integrity of the process.
One of the most important skills in investigative interviewing is recognising the difference between a true answer and a response. An answer directly addresses the question asked. A response acknowledges the question but deflects, qualifies or substitutes related information without actually providing the answer. Investigators who cannot spot this distinction will regularly accept responses as if they were answers, and will consequently miss important information.
First-hand evidence is what a witness directly saw, heard or experienced. Second-hand evidence is what they were told by someone else. This distinction is fundamental to the evaluation of evidence because second-hand accounts are generally less reliable and may not be admissible in formal proceedings. We cover how to identify which type of evidence you are being given, and how to probe for the original source when a witness presents second-hand information as fact.
The best evidence rule requires that the most direct and reliable evidence available should be preferred over less direct alternatives. In practice, this means preferring original documents over copies, direct witnesses over hearsay accounts, and specific facts over general impressions. We explain the principle and show investigators how to apply it when gathering and evaluating evidence, so that findings are based on the strongest possible evidential foundation.
PM

Afternoon Session • Communication skills, evidence classification and interview practice

Develop the three major communication skills that define effective investigators, learn how to classify evidence and identify evasion, practise real investigative interviews with trainer feedback, and leave with a personal action plan.

The ability to distinguish facts from opinions is the most fundamental skill in investigation work. A fact is a statement that can be verified as true or false by objective means. An opinion is a personal judgement, belief or interpretation. Much of what witnesses say during investigative interviews is a mixture of facts and opinions, and an untrained investigator may accept opinions as if they were evidence. This session gives investigators a reliable method for separating factual statements from opinion, and for questioning witnesses to convert opinions into verifiable claims.
Vague language is one of the most common forms of evasion in investigative interviews. Words such as 'sometimes', 'generally', 'a few' and 'around that time' allow a witness to imply things without committing to them. Investigators must be able to identify vague language and probe for the specific details that make a statement usable as evidence. This session covers the distinction between specific and vague language, the most common forms of vagueness to watch for, and the questioning techniques that convert vague statements into precise, useful information.
Not all inaccurate statements are lies. Witnesses may give false information because they are mistaken, because their memory is unreliable, because they are deliberately deceiving the investigator, or because they are evading a question without technically lying. Investigators must be able to classify statements as true, in error, deliberately false or arbitrary. Each category requires a different response from the investigator. We cover the criteria for each classification and how to probe further when a statement does not fit clearly into a single category.
Probing questions are used when an initial response is incomplete, unclear or potentially evasive. Effective probing is a skill that requires knowing which type of probe to use in each situation. Options include the clarification probe (asking the witness to be more specific), the elaboration probe (asking for more detail), the justification probe (asking why they hold a particular view) and the contrast probe (asking how the situation differed from normal). We practise each type in realistic investigation scenarios.
The record of an investigation interview is a crucial document that may be scrutinised long after the conversation has taken place. We cover the options available for recording interviews, including written notes taken during the interview and written records prepared immediately after. We discuss the advantages and limitations of each method and the minimum standards of accuracy that an investigation record must meet to be reliable and defensible.
The physical environment of an investigation interview matters more than most investigators realise. Room layout affects the power dynamics of the conversation, the comfort of the interviewee and the formality of the process. We cover how to arrange seating to avoid adversarial positioning, how to ensure privacy and confidentiality, how to minimise interruptions, and how to set the right tone from the moment the interviewee enters. Getting the environment right reduces the likelihood that the interviewee will become defensive or hostile.
Investigative interviewers must be able to read body language accurately without over-interpreting it. Changes in posture, eye contact, speech pace and voice tone can signal stress, evasion or discomfort, but they must be interpreted in context rather than in isolation. We cover the key body language signals to observe during investigative interviews, how to distinguish genuine discomfort from habitual mannerisms, and how your own body language and voice tone affect the interviewee's willingness to disclose information.
The afternoon concludes with structured practice interviews based on realistic workplace scenarios. Each delegate will have the opportunity to conduct an investigative interview and receive feedback from the trainer on their use of questioning techniques, their ability to identify evasion and contradiction, and the quality of their note-taking. Practical exercise is the most effective way to consolidate the skills covered during the day and build the confidence to apply them in real investigations.

Availability and Pricing

Delivery Options

Choose the delivery format that best fits your schedule and team.

All options deliver the same high-quality content.

Bespoke In-House

£2250+VAT

per training day

We come to you. Training delivered at your premises, tailored to your team's specific needs.

  • Your premises or online
  • Tailored to your organisation
  • Dates to suit your schedule
  • We can train in your timezone
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All Our Training Includes

Full 1 day of expert training delivered by an experienced trainer
CPD-endorsed course: 6 CPD training hours (plus 2-3 additional hours via post-course online learning)
Full digital interactive course notes
Official training certificate
Access to free additional training material via our post-course portal
3 months of free telephone coaching while you implement your learning

Questions? Call 020 3856 3037 or 01452 856091

Frequently Asked Questions

Course FAQs

You can book directly online via our course dates page, call us on 020 3856 3037, or make an enquiry and we will call you back. We accept payment by BACS, cheque or credit card. Once booked, you will receive a confirmation email with full joining instructions.
Yes. We can deliver this course exclusively for your team at your premises or online, on dates to suit you. Bespoke in-house training is priced per day rather than per delegate, making it cost-effective for groups of four or more. We can also tailor the content to address your organisation's specific challenges.
A good investigator is objective and impartial, separating personal opinions from established facts at every stage of the process. They are skilled in asking precise questions and listening carefully to the answers, distinguishing between what was actually said and what was merely implied. Good investigators are methodical: they preserve timelines, take accurate notes and evaluate evidence against consistent standards. They are also patient and persistent, willing to probe beneath the surface of a statement to identify contradictions and evasion. This course develops all of these qualities through practical exercises grounded in realistic workplace scenarios.
The investigation process typically follows six steps:
  1. Define the purpose and scope of the investigation
  2. Gather initial evidence and relevant documentary records
  3. Conduct investigative interviews with witnesses, complainants and the accused
  4. Evaluate all evidence, distinguishing admissible from inadmissible, and facts from opinions
  5. Identify contradictions, apply the onus of proof principle and reach evidence-based conclusions
  6. Produce a written summary and action plan for the decision panel
This course provides a complete framework for carrying out each step correctly.
Yes, the training is highly interactive. Sessions include group discussions, exercises, case studies and individual action planning. The trainer actively teaches expert content rather than simply facilitating discussion, so delegates leave with structured knowledge they can apply immediately. The style is engaging and practical throughout.
The most effective way to improve your investigation skills is structured training that covers both the theory and practice of investigative interviewing. This means learning the specific language conventions used in investigations, practising different questioning techniques on realistic scenarios, understanding the principles around evidence evaluation, and developing the ability to identify evasion and contradiction in responses. This one-day course provides all of these elements, with practical exercises throughout to build genuine competence and confidence.
Delegates typically include HR managers and HR business partners responsible for conducting formal disciplinary and grievance investigations, line managers and team leaders called upon to investigate allegations of misconduct, compliance officers, health and safety managers investigating workplace incidents, and anyone in a people management role who needs to conduct fair, professional and legally sound investigative interviews. Delegates come from a wide range of sectors and organisations, but all share a common need: to investigate workplace matters with confidence and integrity.

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On This Page

  1. 1 Course Overview
  2. 2 Key Skills
  3. 3 Who Should Attend
  4. 4 Course Agenda
  5. 5 Delivery Options
  6. 6 FAQs

Book This Course

Bespoke In-House £2250 +VAT/day
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Customer Reviews

What Delegates Say About This Course

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Read Our Customer Reviews
★★★★★

"Very well structured. Not too simple, but not overly complicated. The whole day was beneficial. Trainer had a very good manner. He was approachable friendly knowledgeable and fun."

Tina Morgan

Quantum Care

★★★★★

"Very good pace – learnt a lot about the subject that I do not like doing, but is a part of my job. Trainer presentation, good pace and catered for all levels."

Julie Hutchins

Quantum Care

★★★★★

"Very interesting course with engaging content. I learnt the essentials of conducting an investigative interview. Trainer's presentation was a good mix of theory and practical. Clearly presented. The practical exercises were very good."

Stacey Jones

Quantum Care

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Ready to Conduct Professional Investigations?

Speak to us about tailored in-house delivery or a live online session for your team. We can adapt the content to your organisation's specific investigation procedures and policies.

Book Open Course Enquire about In-House

Or speak to a member of our team directly:

020 3856 3037 01452 856091