Haringey Disability Training, North London, UK
'Squareinthecircle?' Public sculpture by Tony Heaton 2007
This is what people who use mental health services have said about our training:
‘I feel less isolated – it has reawakened thoughts of my abilities’
‘A huge boost to my confidence’
‘The course helped me to understand more about my potential and focus less on my condition’
‘The course gave me a chance to do something I thought I couldn’t do.’
‘The course will empower me in my life.'
Our work with individuals
Edward is a young African-Caribbean man with a long history of mental health problems who has had a series of monotonous manual jobs that he found unsatisfying. He had faced repeated discrimination in the workplace and consequently did not hold any post for a significant period. He particularly disliked how his mental health condition became ‘public knowledge’ and the subsequent harassment he experienced increased the unhappiness he felt about the jobs, and also about himself.
On completing the Equals course, Edward felt empowered to tackle a new area of work that interested him, a desire to train as a legal executive. Edward realised that he did not have to disclose his mental health background to everyone who asked about it. He was provided with strategies on how to respond to intrusive questions by colleagues and advised on disclosing confidential health information to employers in confidence and on his terms. Since the course Edward has embarked on training to become a legal executive, he is working part-time and volunteering for an African-Caribbean cultural project.
Juanita attended one of the courses but insisted she had no mental ill health background. She came along to support a colleague with whom she volunteered. On the first morning she seemed disengaged and although she participated in the course workshop exercises she stated that none of the content related to her. By the second and third days she was more engaged and brought up examples of family members and friends that had encountered mental health discrimination. On the final day of the training she disclosed her own mental health status to the group – this was the first time that she had ever offered anyone an insight into her background.
She reported that she felt empowered by the course content and by the way the trainers had involved her without any pressure or hidden agendas. Since completing the course Juanita has been volunteering in the community in support and advice work, feeling, in her own words ‘more knowledgeable, confident and better equipped altogether’
Our work with organisations and businesses
This major arts venue had a disability policy that was out of date and ineffective. Staff and managers had little guidance and no confidence in dealing with disabled staff and customers. We undertook a policy review and re-write and designed and delivered a series of briefing sessions intended to familiarise staff with their legal obligations and the practical workings of the new policy and guidelines. Feedback indicates that staff and managers are clearer and more confident about the issues and what constitutes best practice. Our ‘mystery shop’ indicated that customer satisfaction has increased.
A group of people with learning difficulties who were running their own Management Committee felt that they did not have enough skills and knowledge to be effective or to make important decisions about staffing, budgets, policy and operations. They contacted a member of the Equals team to design and deliver a Management training module for them because standard training was inaccessible and not suited to their specific needs. The result was a course that enabled people with learning difficulties in the right way, at their pace and that had a focus on skills development with equal access at its core. Longer term, the Management Committee flourished and had a toolkit with which to induct new members.
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