Stephen Prendergast, Head of HR, Sofology

Mental Health Training For Managers

It was important to find the correct company to partner with to help carry out part of our wellbeing strategy that focuses on mental health this. We wanted all our Managers to attend, Mental Health (Awareness) Training to not only give more support to our colleagues should they need it but also to give the leaders of the business some level of understanding of this complex area. Sofology already had an in-house offering which consisted of Mental health first aiders and an overview module but wanted a baseline consistent approach that we knew was externally ratified and delivered by professionals in this field. Upon contacting Sara at the Mind Solution it was apparent immediately how knowledgeable both her and her colleague Nicky were around mental health, the impact within organisations and the effect it has on both a colleague and business if training and support is not available. The vital USP that the Mind Solution is they get to know your business, what language is used i.e. colleague or employee, the internal statistics and any employee assistance programme or support already available in the business, making it even more informative and relatable to our colleagues. Since the training we have received a number of great testimonials from our colleagues stating how it is one of the best training offerings they have been part of and how useful this will be in their roles. Both Nicky and Sara are exceptional facilitators, dynamic, empathetic and informative and our colleagues remained engaged throughout the sessions. We believe in its value and the positive impact on a personal level some managers have said that it has had that we committed to 6 monthly (numbers dependant) sessions for all managers in development programmes and external candidates that we hire.

Ngoma Knight - HR Business Partner, RATP DEV

Mental Health Training for Managers

Amy Small - VP, Media Cause

The Employee Wellbeing Portal

I’ve been working with Sara for about 9 months to get our employee wellness program up and running, which includes making all of the content from The Mind Solution’s portal available to everyone at the agency. She was wonderful from the start, always open to having conversations with other members of exec leadership to ensure we had buy-in, and collaborating to figure out the portal’s rollout and ongoing engagement plan. We’ve had wonderful feedback from the team so far, and I’m excited for the continued impact this will have for everyone…not just in a work context, but in their personal lives, as well.

Nick Teston, IT Manager, Interactive Investor

Mental Health Training for Managers

I have completed a Mental Health Training for Managers (covering Mental Health; Trust, Anxiety, Depression, Addiction, imposter syndrome etc) course today delivered by Sara Maude Workplace Wellbeing Specialist The course highlighted that one of our the greatest challenges as managers when talking about Mental Health is the fear of getting it wrong or making things worse. There is still so much stigma attached to Mental Health that raising awareness and educating managers in the workplace is critical. For the well being of our colleagues (and ourselves). Talking about your feelings isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s part of taking charge of your wellbeing and doing what you can to stay healthy. Remember to look after yourself. Eat and Sleep well. Your brain needs nutrients to stay healthy and function well. If things are getting too much for you and you feel you can’t cope, ask for help. This course gives us the tools to have confident conversations around mental health and well-being. I would like to say Thank You to Sara for her passion, expertise and sense of humour in delivering these sessions to us.

Fiona Haywood, HR Manager, The Crown Estate Scotland

Workplace Wellbeing Programme

We asked Sara to provide Resilience and Mental Health awareness training to our staff and managers in order to support them during a prolonged period of organisational change. Sara worked with us to develop a programme which was relevant to our staff and met their needs. Her professional and practical approach to facilitation allowed staff to explore a sensitive and complex issue in a safe environment. We received positive feedback on the sessions from staff and managers on Sara’s presentation style and understanding of the subject matter and the staff also felt she was able to answer a range of questions and support the discussions which arose during and after the sessions.

Alicia Goodchild, HR Manager, Grace Eyre

Employee Wellbeing in the Workplace

Both Sara and Jill are excellent speakers. The subject is fascinating and Sara and Jill are very energising. The exercises are brilliant and practical tools to take away. This has given me the insight into a topic I feel very passionate about (building emotional resilience for peak performance). Really looking forward to Sara and Jill speaking and facilitating workshops at Grace Eyres staff conference.

Helen Weatherill, Director of People Brighton and Sussex University Hospital

Workplace Wellbeing Programme

Sara, the facilitator was outstanding, from just one conversation she had the ability to expertly analyse the team’s needs and develop a bespoke wellbeing programme that was interesting and relevant. She was able to captivate and hold the audience all day even though there was a lot of material to cover. This is an intensive programme that provides excellent value for money.

The Department of Corrections, Wisconsin

Workplace Wellbeing Programme

Sara is a true gem whom I greatly enjoy learning from. No matter the circumstance she always teaches in a way that makes me not feel judged and I feel validated in how I feel but she somehow is still able to teach me tools to use without being life, "You are wrong in feeling this way, do this and get over it" which is super appreciated. Tony was a nice surprise I knew there was going to be another instructor here but did not know that we would get a lot of coaching from him in this session and that was great. It brought in a different dynamic. Tony was insightful and brought up a great analogy, rumble strips, that I will try to remember but even more so I enjoyed the conversation about others words or actions and how we let that affect us, and how not to.

Christina Evans, HR Team Leader, Sussex Downs College

Employee Wellbeing in the Workplace Workshop

Excellent speakers, very knowledgeable and interesting. Really useful techniques to use at work and everyday life. Practical tips and exercises will be helpful. One of the best seminars I have attended – thank you!

A Snapshot of The Impact Our Workplace Wellbeing Programmes Have!

🌟 Seemed to go by fast. Lots of useful information. Ms. Maude is awesome!!! 🌟 I want more information on tapping! 🌟 The presenter was great. A wonderful understanding of the topic and very soothing approach. 🌟 Sara Maude is amazing and this training is so important for self and professional development. 🌟 This was amazing training...could be longer. An hour went really fast. 🌟 Wonderful speaker. Enjoyed very much and will be putting her suggestions to use. Would like more information on the tapping process. 🌟Very relevant for staff to learn this skill to enhance not only professional development, but emotional intelligence and well being as a whole, to utilize in our every day lives. 🌟 Wonderful topic. Very helpful!  🌟 Sara Maude was very knowledgeable about the subject, she put the presentation in terms that I could relate and identify with. The subject matter was very interesting. 🌟 great to have session at end to show techniques that are helpful 🌟Tied in with the basics of emotional regulation. 🌟 Thank you and please continue to present these types of trainings. 🌟 It was excellent. 🌟 Ms.Maude is AWESOME!!!! 🌟 Very knowledgeable and provided a practical application of the material. 🌟 Sara has been a great leader of discussion and information for the past two classes I have had with her. My favorite viewpoint she recognizes and mentions is that it is okay to be human and feel emotion but not to let it consume you. 🌟 Sara was amazing to listen to. She gave great examples and explained things in an easy to understand manner. 🌟 She was very knowledgeable on this topic and spoke eloquently, which made her engaging and easy to follow. 🌟 The fact that she was from another country and was still able to present in a style and manner that Americans could relate to. 🌟 Key in maintaining one's overall health and sanity. 🌟 This information should be shared with all as it actualizes emotions and explains how harmful we can be to ourselves when we let outside factors overpower our own well being. I have been using the information I learned in the last class and I am excited for the next class on anxiety! 

🌟 Sara has a way of making you not feel guilty to have feelings and it is refreshing. I have learned so much about myself and my thinking, where it came from and how to change unhealthy thinking into a different more positive view. 🌟 I found the training to be engaging and worthwhile! I walked away with a couple sustainable and realistic tips.  🌟 The fact that we were able to do some tapping in this session was great as I did watch the videos but could not participate or hear( our office was too loud). I plan on doing more of this as I saw a dramatic improvement of the areas where I hold stress or anxiety. 🌟 I don't believe I have ever attended any training that held an impact more than Ms. Maude's presentations in all my years 🌟 Sara is just a wealth of non judgmental knowledge. I cannot express how much I look forward to the classes as they not only allow me to learn but to come out of the class more relaxed and focused. The classes are by far the best that I have taken in terms of mental health support. 🌟 Have her offer more trainings on Mental Health MORE, MORE, MORE 🌟I plan on doing a lot more of the tapping technique to take me out of my current headspace and help to de-dramatize the situation. I am hoping that will help to keep my emotions a little more in check and alleviate the tenseness I feel

🌟 Sara has a way of helping me to focus and slow down to really delve into the topic at hand. She is easy to understand and follow and the material is always helpful in my personal and professional life. 🌟 This was fantastic and very helpful to me and those I work with. I can also tell people I have done it and it has helped! 🌟This was a useful training in regards to learning to move forward from trauma but even more so to take a little time to relax a bit and let go of things are that causing a lot of stress 🌟 Sara is a true gem, a wealth of knowledge and I am so appreciative I was able to take her classes. They have impacted me in a profound way. 🌟 Being an OOA I only interact with clients over the phone or in person at our window for a total of approximately 10 minutes so my usage for this class was more personal as I do not have as much contact with clients. I do hope to move into other roles in the future though and this training was definitely invaluable to me.

🌟 I think everyone should take this 🌟 This trainer is absolutely fabulous! The information she shares is helpful and insightful. 🌟 This was a great class to end the year with, kind of a recap of some of the other classes. It really helped to solidify a new more positive way of thinking, taking care of ourselves mentally and physically and focusing on staying away from overstimulating activities and instead focusing on more calming activities instead. Also making sure to take a break every 60-90 minutes during the day for a couple minutes to stretch, deep breathe and unplug. Eating properly throughout the day, exercise and having good sleeping habits are just as important to keeping yourself healthy. 🌟 I loved the tapping exercises, it helps my brain to think about me tapping myself instead of what I have been overthinking. I also enjoy the deep breathing and focusing on my breaths I always feel more grounded after doing that. The eating habits suggestion of Breakfast eating like a king, Lunch eating like a Queen and Dinner eating like a Pauper was info that I have recently been noticing is super helpful so it was nice to hear someone affirm what I have been doing recently. 🌟 Sara is such a dream to have as a teacher and resource. Her classes are the highlight of my month as it is a great reminder to take care of myself and refocus. Sara is also just so inviting and friendly, it makes for a very comfy hour of learning! 🌟 I definitely have started to use these techniques at work and at home. The techniques have made my life less chaotic and more manageable in terms of how I think about and deal with situations. I also wanted to mention the break out room was scary at first but I really enjoyed getting to hear other peoples ideas for switching off.

🌟 I personally think this is the best ever trainer in this field of topics she's been providing I've ever come across. It would be super to see her continue working with WI and staff for the future. 🌟 love the fact that these tools can be used in my home life and my work life. This one for instance will help when I get hung up about a task I have trouble completing or if there is an individual that consistently tries to belittle me and puts me down. If I were to become an agent it would also be a great tool to teach to others on how to alleviate any anger or stress that might affect them. 🌟 The session was insightful in making me aware that the stress I feel is more a product of how I think about the situation more than the actual event itself. I will use this going forward whenever possible. 🌟 • I wish there was more time to delve deeper into these topics but I am very appreciative for them. It is helping my mental, especially with everything happening in my home life, and allows me to not feel so overwhelmed that I feel the need to take a vacation day to stay home and sleep. In the past I didn't have these tools and would become so stressed that I didn't feel I would be able to perform my job properly. Thank you for these classes!