Consultancy gives free wellbeing training to housing trust staff

Staff at Derventio Housing Trust have been given free wellbeing training by Neish Consultancy after connecting via Marketing Derby.

The trust’s housing and support officers, along with team leaders, help residents find a more positive future after homelessness.

The people they assist may have a range of difficulties, which could include severe mental health issues, along with drug and alcohol use.

Neish Consultancy felt these staff deserved some important support themselves, so offered to arrange some free wellbeing sessions for them.

Shona Neish said she had heard about Derventio Housing Trust through Marketing Derby and was keen to help the trust because of its good work helping get people back on their feet after going through the toughest times in their lives.

Sheila Taylor, chief executive of NWG Network, a charitable organisation formed as a UK network of over 14,500 practitioners who offer support to professionals working on the issue of child exploitation and trafficking within the UK, offered their premises to enable the training to take place.

Penny Wiltshire, funding and development manager at Derventio Housing Trust, said: “Our frontline staff are working every day with residents who have all been going through the toughest times in life.

“They may have attempted to take their own life, be struggling with severe mental health issues, be battling with drug and alcohol use, or have been rejected by their family – and very often all of these things.

“We have programmes at Derventio Housing Trust to support residents, but we are very keen to offer support to our employees as well.

“The emotional labour of supporting people who have been through dark times can be significant, which is why it was brilliant to have been offered free training by the fabulous Shona Neish from Neish Consultancy, and to have been given free rooms by NWG Network too.

“For an organisation such as Neish Consultancy to give up two full business days to help us, as well as all the extra time producing certificates and handouts, is a brilliant gift to Derventio.

“We’re so grateful for Shona’s time and the generosity of NWG Networks in providing the space.

“It’s great to be part of such a supportive business community and heart-warming that organisations are prepared to help each other out like this.”

Shona said: “It’s something that we always do as a business, if we spot a need, to do something about it.

“Derventio staff do such great work in the city and it’s nice to give them something back.”