Local domestic abuse charity, Safer, has received a boost in its ability to reach workplace-based audiences thanks to help from The Evolution Group.
Safer is The Evolution Group’s chosen charity for 2022. As well as organising various fundraising activities throughout the year, the team of Management Consultants are also offering their support to the charity by helping them reach an extended network of workplace-based audiences by facilitating training sessions with their clients.
The Evolution Group’s CEO Matt Warren (pictured) explained: “‘As consultants we’re in a privileged position in that we have a presence as a team in a wide range of workplaces across the island. We’re using our network to help Safer reach an extended audience and enable them to deliver some incredibly important training around the skills needed to identify and provide support for domestic abuse victims.
“Employers are well placed to be able to spot the signs of domestic abuse in colleagues: anxiety, seeming distracted, regularly being late, spending an increased amount of time on the phone to a partner. Yet these signs often get misinterpreted as just simply poor work ethos and the victims can face disciplinary action as a result, just when they are most in need of support. The training Safer provides equips managers with the skills needed to identify and provide support for domestic abuse victims at their workplace.
“As employers our clients are keen to ensure they’re doing everything possible to ensure their staff are healthy, happy and productive, so have been keen to accept the offer of training on how to spot the signs of domestic abuse, and crucially how to respond.”
One such client that has recently benefitted from the Safer training is the Revenue Service at the States of Guernsey. Davina De La Haye, Team Leader on The Revenue Service, explained: “The Safer training was an eye opener. We always tend to think that things like this don’t happen on our doorstep.
“The Safer training session was a powerful demonstration of how many people within our community live in fear on a daily basis not only for themselves but for their children, whilst trying to conceal their ordeal for their own safety. Attending the course helped with the enhancement of managers’ soft skills enabling them to recognise some of the signs if a staff member is struggling or acting out of what would be ‘normal character’.
“They can then give them confidential support and guide them to what options they have and where to reach out for help. By doing this the individual will grow in strength and confidence and make the call to someone like Safer, or if nothing else know that they have someone they can speak with. A small act of staff welfare checking in on them could potentially save a life.’
“It’s so important to have the senior team backing on this in such a busy environment as it enables the team leads and managers to take the time out where necessary to support our biggest assets which is our colleagues around us, even if it’s only for 10 minutes, as it can make the difference on so many levels.”
Safer’s Head of Services, Naomi Wood, said, ‘We really appreciate the help The Evolution Group are providing us in reaching their clients’ workplaces. Having ambassadors like them to help promote the value of our training for organisations does make a big difference to how many people we have the ability to reach and educate. Increasing the number of people that know how to identify the signs of domestic abuse means that more victims will receive the support they so desperately need.’
The Evolution Group have also organised cake sales at the offices where the training is taking place to raise money for Safer. The most recent cake sale raised over £150.
If you are interested in organising training from Safer at a workplace, please contact Jo Wyatt
