This is the same intensive, practitioner-led investigations training as the open course — delivered at your premises, or at a venue of your choice, tailored to your organisation’s policies and the case types your managers actually face. One day. Your team. Your context. Delivered by a practising barrister with over 1,000 investigations across 25 years.

Enquire About In-House Delivery

Discuss Your Requirements

Why In-House Training

Sending individuals to an open course works for some organisations. For others, in-house delivery is the more practical and cost-effective choice. Here is why organisations choose the in-house option.

• Your policies, your procedures, your cases. The open course is built around real cases drawn from Robin’s 25 years of practice. The in-house course can use your own case types, your own policies, and your own disciplinary or grievance framework as the working material. Your delegates will leave knowing how the training applies to the work they actually do.
• The whole team trained on the same day. Rather than sending individuals to open courses at different times and getting inconsistent results, in-house delivery gives your entire team a shared foundation, a common language, and a consistent standard on the same day.
• No travel time or delegate absence beyond the training day. Delegates attend at your premises or a nearby venue you choose, with no day of travel before or after.
• Cost-effective at scale. At £4,990 + VAT for up to 12 delegates, the in-house day works out at £416 per delegate for a full team of 12 — significantly less than the open course rate, and with content tailored specifically to your organisation.
• Preparation included. The price covers Robin’s preparation time. There are no hidden extras for pre-course reading, customisation discussions, or materials development.

Customisation

The standard in-house programme covers the same comprehensive content as the open course. If your organisation has specific requirements — particular policies to focus on, sector-specific considerations, case types that arise regularly in your workplace, or a different emphasis or running order — the content can be adapted.

Customisation is agreed in advance. Robin will discuss what changes you need, confirm what is possible within a standard day’s programme, and agree whether any significant departures from the standard content affect the price. In most cases they do not. More substantial redesign of the programme may be priced separately, and this will always be agreed before any commitment is made.

If you are unsure whether your requirements need customisation or whether the standard programme would suit you well, contact Robin directly for a no-obligation conversation.

Who Is This For

This in-house masterclass is designed for:

• HR teams and HR business partners who conduct or oversee workplace investigations and want consistent, high-quality training for the whole team on the same day
• Managers and team leaders who are asked to investigate disciplinary or grievance matters and need the confidence and practical skills to do so properly
• In-house legal and compliance teams who want a deeper practical grounding in investigation process and Tribunal scrutiny
• Organisations that have faced Tribunal criticism of an investigation and want to raise the standard across their people
• Any organisation with responsibilities under the new all-reasonable-steps sexual harassment duty that needs its people to investigate harassment allegations properly

Why This Masterclass

Most workplace investigation training covers the basics. This masterclass goes further, because the stakes have gone further. Under the Employment Rights Act 2025 and the new duty to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, the standard organisations are expected to meet has risen sharply. An investigation that would have passed Tribunal scrutiny three years ago may not pass it today.

This masterclass is built directly on The Workplace and Corporate Investigator’s Handbook, a 550-page practitioner text endorsed by leading employment lawyers and described as essential reading for anyone who needs their investigation to stand up to challenge. Every session is grounded in real cases. Delegates will see what went wrong in investigations that reached the Tribunal, and leave knowing how to avoid the same mistakes.

Delivered in-house, the day can be anchored to your own policies, your sector context, and the types of cases your managers actually encounter. One day. No lengthy accreditation. No theory for the sake of it. Everything your team actually needs, ready to use on Monday.

Programme

Morning — Legal Foundations and Planning

• The purpose of a workplace investigation and why getting it right matters
• The legal framework: ACAS Code, natural justice, and the reasonable investigation standard
• Types of investigation: disciplinary, grievance, whistleblowing, harassment, and combined
• Setting scope, drafting terms of reference, and managing the commissioning conversation
• Independence, conflicts of interest, and when to appoint an external investigator
• Project planning: timeframes, stakeholder management, and suspension decisions
• Evidence principles: relevance, weight, reliability, contemporaneous evidence, and hearsay

Illustrated throughout with real Employment Tribunal cases and, where agreed in advance, scenarios drawn from your own organisation’s context.

Afternoon — Interviewing, Conclusions, and Reporting

• Preparing for interviews: the PEACE framework, question planning, and interview order
• The environment, disclosure obligations, and managing requests before the interview
• Conducting witness interviews: building rapport, open questioning, and active listening
• Conducting subject interviews: putting allegations, handling denials, and managing hostility
• Non-witness evidence: documents, data, digital materials, and open source intelligence
• Drawing conclusions: the SEARCH framework, credibility assessment, and unconscious bias
• Writing the investigation report: structure, neutral language, linking findings to evidence, and avoiding advocacy
• Handling sensitive and specialist investigations: sexual misconduct, bullying, senior executives, and neurodivergent witnesses
• Using AI tools appropriately in investigations
• What Tribunals actually say: a review of recent cases where investigations failed and why

Interactive exercises and discussion throughout the day, using real scenarios relevant to your organisation.

About Your Trainer

Robin Somerville LLM is a practising barrister, CEDR Accredited Mediator, and one of the UK’s leading independent workplace investigators. He has been involved in over 1,000 investigations, disciplinary hearings, mediations, and appeals across 25 years, including many involving CEOs, directors, and senior managers in complex and sensitive cases. He is the author of The Workplace and Corporate Investigator’s Handbook and two further published books on mediation and hearing-chair practice. He is also a judicial appointee sitting as a tribunal judge and county court judge.

Endorsements

“A clear and practical guide for how to conduct workplace investigations and to avoid the pitfalls from a highly experienced investigator.”

Jeffrey Jupp KC, Barrister, 7 Bedford Row Chambers

“If you want to reduce the risk of your investigation being challenged at Tribunal or elsewhere, this handbook is essential reading.”

Leslie Cuthbert, Practitioner of the Year 2019, iIIRG

“I don’t know any other book that delivers what Robin does here. This needs to be on the desk of every HR business manager.”

Mike Cain, Partner, Keystone Law

Enquire or Book

To discuss in-house delivery of the Workplace Investigations: In-House Practitioner-Led Masterclass for your organisation, contact Robin directly. He is happy to have an initial no-obligation conversation about your requirements, answer questions about the content, and confirm availability for your preferred dates.

robin@robinsomerville.co.uk    |    020 8242 4106    |    www.robinsomerville.co.uk

All in-house bookings are confirmed in writing with a clear statement of the agreed programme, dates, location, delegate numbers, and price before any commitment is required.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do delegates need investigation experience to attend?

No. The masterclass is designed to be useful whether delegates are approaching their first investigation or looking to raise the standard of established practice. No prior experience is required.

What is included in the price?

The price of £4,990 + VAT covers up to 12 delegates, the full day’s training, all course materials, a copy of The Workplace and Corporate Investigator’s Handbook per delegate (550 pages, cover price £49.99), and Robin’s preparation time. Additional delegates are charged at £50 + VAT per person.

Is there a minimum number of delegates?

No. Robin will deliver the training for any number of delegates your organisation wishes to include.

Can the content be tailored to our organisation?

Yes. The standard programme covers the complete investigation process from legal framework through to report writing. If you need content adapted to your own policies, your sector context, or the case types that arise in your organisation, this can be discussed and agreed before the training date. In most cases customisation is included within the standard price.

Where is the training delivered?

At your premises, or at an off-site venue of your choice and arrangement. Robin will travel to your location. Travel costs outside London may apply and will be agreed in advance.

How much notice does Robin need?

Preparation time is included in the price, so Robin simply needs enough lead time to prepare properly. As a guide, four to six weeks is usually comfortable, though this depends on availability and the extent of any customisation required.

Does this course qualify for CPD?

Yes. The masterclass qualifies for CPD hours and certificates of attendance will be provided. Please check with your professional body regarding recognition.

What is the cancellation policy?

Please see the booking terms and conditions for full details. Cancellation terms will be confirmed in writing when the booking is agreed.