Member Article

New housing partnership helps to raise awareness of mental health issues

Welfare reform is impacting on the financial and housing circumstances of tenants, and many housing organisations are dealing with increasing numbers of tenants with mental health issues.

A new series of courses are aiming to prepare managers and front line staff by giving them the confidence and knowledge to support tenants who may need help, build resilience amongst staff to support colleagues to help tenants, as well improving understanding of how housing services can respond more strategically.

The Northern Housing Consortium has teamed up with award winning workplace training and consultancy company, HearFirst to offer one day mental health courses to housing association staff.

The first course, ‘Understanding Mental Health’ is aimed at front line members of staff who deal with tenants in crisis and those who may become suicidal. It will help them understand how to respond and support people and also encourage staff to become aware of their own wellbeing.

The ‘Mental Health - doing more for service users’ course will help managers to improve their understanding of the issues and how housing services can respond more strategically.

The first courses, which will be held at social housing provider Livin in Spennymoor, will be delivered on Thursday 21st and Friday 22nd November respectively between 10.00am and 4.00pm and lunch will be provided.

Julie Ryder, Director and Founder of HearFirst, said: “We are delighted to partner with the Northern Housing Consortium to offer bespoke training courses to housing association staff.

“With the pressure of welfare reform changes and the current economic climate, housing organisations need to support tenants, particularly those that are vulnerable, through these very difficult times. The aim of our training courses is to raise awareness of the causes and symptoms of mental health issues and to help staff spot and identify how they can help tenants.

“These courses are ideal for those organisations that can only release small numbers of staff at a time or if organisations would like to try the course before committing to an in-house course.”

Jeremy Brock, Events Manager at the Northern Housing Consortium, said: “We know from our Member organisations that their front line staff are increasingly dealing with tenants displaying symptoms of stress, anxiety and mental ill-health and in some cases those becoming suicidal. These courses are specifically designed for housing organisations to help staff to help tenants.”

For more information or to book your place, please visit www.northern-consortium.org.uk/Events

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by HearFirst .