Specialist Training and Consultancy Services to the Housing and Housing Related Support Sector
High impact, engaging and tailored training, mentoring and support for teams, plus specialist critical friend reviews in key community safety and wellbeing areas.
The challenges you may be facing.
Training that doesn’t land
Generic, off-the-shelf programmes that fail to improve team members’ competence, confidence and engagement with the subject.
Confidence your organisational approach is robust and fit for purpose
You want confidence that your organisational approach is robust, appropriate and stands up to scrutiny.
Staff requiring additional operational, personal development or emotional support
Teams lacking the operational, personal development or emotional support they need to work effectively in key areas
Thoughtful, tailored work — not off-the-shelf.
Every engagement begins with listening. I shape each programme around the participants, your organisational expectations/processes and the change you’re hoping to see — so the work feels relevant, useful and lasting.
- Training programmes designed around your team and adapted to your in house processes. My courses are designed specifically for housing teams and are presented in an engaging and interactive way using real life examples and practice based excercises. Curent core offers include: - Safeguarding for Housing Teams - Mental Health/Illness for Housing Teams - Recognising and Responding to Customer Vulnerabilities (Inc: all recommended areas in HOS Spotlight report - A Relationship of Equals)
- 1:1 and group coaching/mentoring for teams, managers and leaders
- Staff debrief and counselling following critical incidents or for vicarous trauma (I am a qualified Therapeutic Counsellor registered with the NCPS)
- Critical Friend Reviews of organisational approach, policy and practice -Key Interest areas: Safeguarding, Mental Health, Domestic Abuse, Hoarding and Customer Vulnerability
Energy, vision and over three decades of relevant strategic and operational experience.
I’ve spent over 33 years working in the housing and housing related support sector from the front line to a senior management/director level delivering both operational and Strategic leadership roles. I have a deep (and I'm told immediately apparent!) passion for ensuring service users get the right support at the right time, and that teams have the knowledge, skills, support and empathy to recognise and respond/signpost appropriately. I'm the proud founder and Chair of an award winning Safeguarding and Housing Best Practice Group with national reach. I'm a qualifed and registered Social Worker, qualified and registered Therapeutic Counsellor and have a level 7 - Leadership and Change Management qualification underwritten by CIH and Birmingham University and a list of short vocational CPD too lengthy to list.
You can find a summary of my working history on LinkedIn.
My approach is engaging, creative, curious and grounded in lived experience. I arrive with tried and tested tools but not a fixed playbook. I arrive ready to listen, and to build something useful and impactful with you.
Please see my customer feedback and recomendations as I feel they best represent my offer.
Customer Feedback and Recommendations
Course Participants
Really appreciated Jons numerous examples of practice – helped put into perspective/ my role – Jon has a wealth of experience/knowledge’ - Rating Excellent
Course Participant
Housing Officer
Ive worked in Housing for 30 years and that was the best training I’ve done. Honest, real and grounded in the work we actually do, with tangible take aways.” - Rating Excellent
Course Participant
Neighbourhood Housing Team Leader
Training delivery was excellent, informative, presented in a very engaging manner. There were some difficult ‘hard to watch’ parts but all done sensitively’ - Rating Excellent
Course Participant
Team Leader
Very good pace and comprehensive. I enjoyed the course and was impressed with the facilitator' - Rating Excellent
Course Participant
Supported Living Officer
Excellent overview of how the 'system' works and how to act and react' Rating - Excellent
Course Participant
Maintenance Supervisor
'Excellent training, covered all my needs, feels timely' Rating Excellent
Course Participant
Executive Director
Organisational Recommendations:
A trusted critical friend. Jon brought clarity and challenge in equal measure. He was able to give us a clear picture of our strengths and opportunities along with practical suggestions for service development. His subsequent training of the team's was very well received and garnered excellent feedback
Wales and West Housing Association
Jo Devoile - Executive Director of Housing
' Jon is passionate about using his sector wide experience to create housing solutions that work for people and businesses. He brings a high level of knowledge and proven expertise to tenancy sustainment. Skilled in intervention, training, policy development and partnership building, Jons solution focussed approach delivers real tangible outcomes'
Sovereign Network Group
Mark Washer - CEO
'Jon is a diligent housing, supported housing and tenancy expert. A strong sounding board while we worked together. He's a training and developement Guru who Ill definately utilise for supporting the development of colleagues accross the sector'
SNG Community Foundation
Matthew Buckham - Managing Director
'Ive had the pleasure of working alongside Jon and I can't recommend him enough. His enthusiasm for creating safe communites is infectious, and his depth of knowledge in both Safeguarding and ASB are second to none. What sets Jon apart is not just his expertise, but his ability to to connect with professionals across sectors, bringng people together to share best practice and drive real change. His sessions are engaging, insightful and always tailored to the audience whether you;re new of a seasoned professional. If you're looking for a trainer that combines passion, credibility and a vast network of connections in their feild - Jons the person to speak to'
Connexus Housing
Louise Reynolds- Head of Support Services
Clear, simple, and tailored quotes .
Every engagement is priced with care. Below is a guide — get in touch for a tailored quote.
TRAINING DELIVERY
Bespoke based on volume and spec
Full-day and Half-day sessions
- Up to 20 participants (16 optimal)
- Tailored design call (s)
- Detailed follow-up feedback summary
STAFF SUPPORT AND MENTORING
Guide £80 hr
A multi-session journey designed around your goals. This could be to develop confidence in key areas or provide counselling/debrief sessions following ctitical incidents.
- Discovery & design
- Short term foccussed or longer term open ended
- Manager & Team Member 1:1 support
Consultancy
Bespoke - Guide £500-600 a day
Ongoing advisory work for leaders and people teams.
- Monthly retainer
- Critical Friend Reviews
- Service development support
Get in Touch
Whether you have a clear brief or just an idea you’d like to talk through, I’d love to hear from you.
Email
openhandconsulting@outlook.com
Phone
+44 (0) 7903680042 (note: Please leave a mesage as I may be in session and ill call you back ASAP)
BASED IN
UK - Open Hand Consulting Trading as Open Hand Training and Consultancy and Open Hand Therapeutic Counselling