Accreditation Status
- Instructor Member ()
Course Accreditation Status
Instructor Profile
Personal Details
My most challenging yet rewarding role in life is being a mum of three. Second to that would be setting up and running my own successful training company (particularly sustaining the company through the Covid-19 pandemic). I have been a Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Trainer since 2009, starting my experience within mental health service delivery in late 2008. I am qualified in all MHFA products with the exception of Armed Forces MHFA. Through my company and Associate Work I deliver on average around 3 courses per week to between 6 and 25 delegates. For additional courses my Company uses Associate Trainers. My maximum threshold is 3 courses per week (depending on duration) to ensure my own mental health remains positive. I am an Associate Instructor for MHFA England and other high profile organisations including Mindful Employer and Investor in People (The Growth Co). With a first class honors degree in Criminological Studies, I have studied crime and criminal justice related subjects, social inclusion, counselling skills, employment and criminal law, and social research methodologies. Many of these strands, in particular those around social inclusion, bring added knowledge and value to my course deliveries. My specialist area in mental health would be 'mental health and employment' gained via my work experience and a post graduate qualification in Vocational Rehabilitation. I am also a certified Master Trainer in Strengthening Personal Resilience and deliver related courses on a regular basis. Since 2018 I have been an ASIST (suicide prevention) Instructor, and in 2019 qualified in SafeTALK. In 2020 I qualified as an on-line i-ACT (for Positive Mental Health) Instructor. I deliver the i-ACT Manager course as well as my own company's 'Training for Managers in Mental Health' course. As my training repertoire is fairly wide, this translates into added value across the courses through a wider knowledge of mental health and the whole business approach to mental health. As a self-confessed philomath and avid reader I also add knowledge through on-going formal and informal CPD. I have written and delivered my own training programs on Stress Awareness/Management, Personal Development, Data Protection, Third Sector Chairing Skills, and Vocational Rehabilitation. I am a CIPD qualified Human Resources practitioner, working for 7 years within Third sector infrastructure and advising principally on Human Resources, but also on Charity and Company Law, enterprise start-up, Health & Safety, Data Protection, Quality Assurance and other Third sector related subjects as a sector Business Advisor.
Academically I have carried out 3 dedicated research projects, namely 'Victimisation of Asian Muslims post 7/7' 'The use of Mediation within Third Sector Workplaces' and 'Application of the IPS (Individual Placement & Support) Model within Vocational [mental health] Services'. I am a Post Graduate in Vocational Rehabilitation, applying this within my training deliveries as further added value. My area of passion is equity and ensuring the playing field is level for all people, alongside redressing the historical lack of equity for people experiencing mental health difficulties in both workplaces and communities.
Outside of my family and passion for mental health, I love travelling, reading, and art. My driving force in life is wanting to make a positive difference to humanity. My work as a Mental Health Trainer blends these passions.
Work Experience
I have worked in the private (logistics), public (NHS); and Third sectors (infrastructure), and at various levels. I have specific skills in project management, report writing/review, alongside skills in social research methodologies and evaluation methods such as focus groups, structured and semi-structured interviews, surveys, and social return on investment. I have knowledge and experience in supporting people with mental health problems to both gain and retain work, and helping workplaces to improve their workplace mental health practices. As a Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Trainer, I have delivered to a range of industries including education - primary through to FE/HE and public schools; construction; energy; learning and development organisations; Government intelligenc/security; criminal justice system; aviation; manufacturing; NHS; and various Third Sector organisations. I have delivered to Boards, Senior Management Teams, Departments, middle managers, employees, and volunteers. Having multi sector work experience I am able to take a flexible approach to meet my delegates needs and to understand their role/industry/sector objectives.
Key project experience includes:
2015 to current: Development and growth of my own successful mental health training company, employing 2 staff plus myself, and developing an Associate pool of around 50 Trainers.
2010-15: Set up and management of an NHS project to becoming an independent social enterprise and delivering against all grant funding and business objectives.
2008-9: Development of Workplace Wellbeing and GP based Vocational Health Toolkits (to assist vocational support and job retention for people with mental health difficulties.
1990s: Change management: Re-assignment of manual warehouse storage system to bar coding system, and introduction of track and trace facility.
1990s: Development, review and improvement of systems within a traffic office/warehouse facility, and within Third sector infrastructure in 2005 as part of quality assurance attainment and business improvement.
My early career experience centered around business administration and being a PA, and whilst this may seem less relevant nowadays, I still very much benefit from skills learned in the early 90s - speed typing, high level organisation and administration skills, and all that I learned through Business Administration qualification and experience. These are essential skills for an efficient Trainer and Company owner.
Qualifications
I am a CIPD qualified Human Resources professional, with a first class honors degree in Crimininology, and post graduate qualification in Vocational Rehabilitation. My training qualifications include the Preparing to Teach in the Life Long Learning Sector (PTLLS) qualification and OCN Introductory Training Skills. I am also a Certified Master Trainer in Resilience, ASIST Instructor, and more recently an i-ACT (for Positive Mental Health Instructor). In 2015 I founded my own training company called Mind Matters Training www.mindmatterstraining.co.uk with the purpose of raising mental health literacy through training, and to to share my later brother's 'lived experience' of mental ill health and learning disabilities and the impact that it had on his working life.
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