Launch of Course Directory Signals Growth of Samaritans Workplace Training

Samaritans, the emotional health charity, is today launching its first training directory, to provide organisations with an overview of its unique workplace training courses.

Since its inception in 2002, the charityís external training department has been running and creating courses aimed at equipping staff with practical skills to support an emotionally healthy and effective work place. Over the past four years the department has experienced rapid growth, counting organisations such as the Inland Revenue, National Air Traffic Services, Department of Health, Cancer Research UK and Citizenís Advice amongst its clients.

The Training Directory provides details on each of the six unique training courses, and will be available to organisations throughout the UK and Ireland. The courses are:

- Effective Communication Through Listening and Questioning Skills
- Handling Difficult Contacts
- Managing Suicidal Contacts
- Effective Communication Through Email
- WorkLife: Tackling Stress in the Workplace
- Working with People who Self-Harm

The WorkLife courses, aimed at reducing the impact of stress in the workplace, were launched in May last year to great acclaim. These were followed up by the WorkLife CD-ROM, an interactive version of the WorkLife course, which recently received the gold e-learning award from the International Visual Communication Association.

The Self-Harm course, to be launched on 22nd May, is intended to help frontline staff who come into contact with people who self-harm, equipping them with the skills to provide the relevant support and manage their own feelings.

Samaritans External Training Services Co-ordinator, Jonathan Moran said: ìSamaritans have been listening to people for more than 50 years and our extensive experience in the field of emotional health means we are well placed to offer specialist communication skills training. Samaritans external training was set up in order that other organisations might benefit from this experience, while at the same time creating another revenue stream for the charity. All profits from the courses go towards training Samaritans volunteers in providing our crucial telephone, email, texting and postal services, so not only are our clients looking after their employees emotional welfare, they are also contributing to the welfare of the five million people who contact us each year.î

Steve Tollerton, Samaritans External Training Officer said: ìAll our courses are designed to appeal to different learning styles and are delivered by a qualified team of training professionals. We have had very positive feedback from participants and employers on all our courses. WorkLife in particular is becoming very popular - with 12.8 million working days lost each year to stress, depression and anxiety, this is a workplace issue which many employers are keen to address, with the help of Samaritans.î

To find out more about Samaritans work place training: log on to www.samaritans.org/training or email externaltraining@samaritans.org or phone 44 (0)20 8394 8372 for a copy of our workplace training directory.