Courses
The centre staff are involved with the teaching of various Middlesex University postgraduate courses. It is the base for some of the School of Health and Social Science postgraduate research students, where they can benefit from extensive research, computing and other facilities available in the centre.
The centre also provides Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training. These courses draw on the pooled expertise of the centre and external consultants and cover areas such as: flood warnings, flood risk management, asset condition assessment, flood alleviation and coast protection.
If the courses below do not specifically address your training needs then please contact the centre as we can deliver bespoke, in-house training. Whether it is for a group of new or existing employees, we can design a course that is centered on your exact requirements. We can discuss your training requirements and provide you with a course proposal. We can also provide courses outside the UK. Please contact Lucy Caple if you are interested in a bespoke training course.
A number of courses are currently run by the centre, as follows:
An Introduction to Flood Benefits Appraisal
This course introduces delegates with limited prior knowledge of damage assessment to the Flood Hazard Research Centre 2010 Multi-Coloured Handbook.
The course:
- Examines the basic economic principles applicable to flood damage assessment.
- Gives you an understanding of the different damage types, available data for each, and assessment techniques.
- Explains the role of the new National Receptor Dataset.
- Makes you aware of data deficiencies and understand the role of data quality
- Emphasises what’s new in the established Multi-Coloured Handbook 2010 and how this will improve damage assessments
- Encourages discussion on strengths and weakness, data quality issues, what’s important and what lessons can be learned to improve damage assessment.
- Identifies the relationship between quantification in monetary terms and Receptor Group risk.
This course has received very good feedback from delegates. It is kept to a small group to promote discussion and there are facilitators on hand to answer questions and to assist during the frequent practical breakout sessions. Throughout the day these allow delegates to put into practice what they have learnt from the lecture sessions. The next course will take place on Tuesday 20 March 2012 at the 4* Hotel Russell in Bloomsbury, Central London. Please complete our booking form if you wish to attend. A discounted course fee is available for staff from public organisations.
Flood Management Benefits: A Better Appraisal in Less Time (ADVANCED COURSE)
The centre will be holding another one day course on 'Flood Management Benefits: A Better Appraisal in Less Time' on Thursday 29 March 2012 at the 4* Hotel Russell, in Bloomsbury, Central London. The centre previously held this course on Tuesday 17 May 2011 in Birmingham and as a result of the excellent feedback and demand for another course date we have decided to run it again. The course focuses on the management of gathering, understanding and effectively using benefit appraisal data and is specifically developed for local authority, consultant and Environment Agency evaluators and appraisers who wish to develop and refine their approach. The course is delivered by the authors of the 2010 version of ‘The Benefits of Flood and Coastal Risk Management: A Handbook of Assessment Techniques 2010’. Please complete our booking form if you wish to attend. Further information on the course can be found here. A discounted course fee is available for staff from public organisations.
Accreditation to undertake visual flood defence asset inspections (T98)
This is a national accreditation course developed by FHRC and the Environment Agency designed to provide Environment Agency, local authority and consultancy staff with the skills and
knowledge to undertake a high standard and consistent approach to the visual assessment of flood defences and structures. This includes river, coastal and urban assets. This is a work based course and trains the new or established asset inspector in the processes involved in asset condition assessment. Based on the Condition Assessment Manual (CAM) and inputting data onto databases such as NFCDD the course utilises various teaching methods including e-learning, e-assessment, on the job mentoring and a final field visit for accreditation and certification. The course covers flood risk management systems, methods for input of data and management of information, asset condition grading and reporting, asset numbering and coding, inspection frequency and aspects of accreditation. Candidates are expected to carry out a set number of mentored field visits and complete field asset condition reports. These outcomes are presented in a formalised assessment procedure. This course utilises the extensive practical experience of the water management experts and water industry consultants. Depending on level of experience and time commitment the course can be completed in three to four months. On successful accreditation a certificate is provided which is valid for three years. The accreditation has proved successful and is now established within the Environment Agency. For further information about this course please contact Lucy Caple.
Flood Forecasting, Warning and Response Course
This is a two day residential course designed to provide trainees with a firm perspective of flood warning, forecasting and response. It is an intensive course and covers key areas including the policy framework, flood incident management, detection and forecasting, need and use of data, warning messages, public awareness and campaigns. It also reviews the value of effective flood warnings to communities by analysing costs, benefits and social issues. This course utilises the extensive experience of the water management experts, water industry consultants and senior university researchers. The course is structured around lectures and workshops with assessment activities built in. The programme is tailored to the needs of staff in water agencies, consultancy firms, government bodies and non-governmental organisations. For further information about this course please contact Lucy Caple.
Flood Risk Management Foundation Course
This course is designed to provide trainees from the Environment Agency with a foundation in the key areas of flood risk management. The course covers several key themes based on a prescribed building-block structure of sub-areas. These sub-areas encompass the Agency’s corporate strategy and responsibilities for flood risk management including flood warning, asset management and environment management. These fundamental themes are further related to stakeholder engagement, economics and flood risk information. Consideration of corporate strategy and flood defence law are covered as individual modules but interwoven throughout the sub-areas and themes. The course is well established and has undergone a number of revisions over the past six years. This course utilises the extensive experience of water management experts, water industry consultants and senior researchers. The centre runs this course as a four day residential course, which includes a field visit. This course could also be tailored to the needs of other organisations if required. For further information please contact Lucy Caple.
