Testimonials

"Deb has delivered first-class training to MS Society staff and volunteers several times and we have always been struck by the professionalism and enthusiasm of her delivery. Deb is skilled in being able to provide training to suit the particular needs of a given group, tailoring her thorough materials to suit requirements. She has delivered training to our team in small and large groups and via teleconference. Feedback from the whole team has been overwhelmingly positive and I'm inundated with requests to rebook her. I can't recommend Deb's training highly enough and I feel confident anyone would be delighted with the training they receive."
 Alex Beaumont, formerly Helpline Volunteer Manager, MS Society Helpline

"RSVP has worked with Deb several times and each time Deb has been professional, clear and concise. The feedback from course participants is always high and appreciative of Deb's clear delivery of the course as well as her warm, empathic personality. I would have no issues with employing Deb as a trainer time and time again."
 Anjella Darcy, Services Manager, Rape & Sexual Violence Project, Birmingham

"I enjoyed the training from start to finish. It was very engaging, informative, relevant and insightful. It helped me to develop my understanding and awareness of the devastating impact losing someone to suicide can have and the uniqueness of this kind of bereavement as well as how supporting callers around this can affect us. It was very interactive with lots of skills practice and discussions and the session went so quickly. It was packed, useful and interesting all the way through. I just want to add that this was the best training session I've attended. I found the trainer's approach, pitch and delivery to be delightful - kind, friendly and professional, as well as passionate and sensitive, which can't be easy to achieve with such a heavy subject matter. Thank you ever so much."
  Supporting people bereaved by suicide course participant

"Deb has delivered training on behalf of The Helplines Association since 2008. She has proven versatile in her ability to run a variety of 'prescribed' courses and to develop others based on specific needs, and in the sheer range of social welfare and health-related clients to whom she has delivered. She has been reliable and responsive throughout. Clients and course participants score her highly, and she has helped win and undertaken repeat business from some of them. I have found her friendly and enjoyable to work with."
 Mark McLean, Formerly Head of Helplines Development Services, The Helplines Association

"I have nothing other than extreme positive praise for the trainer and the training. It has been extremely valuable and knowledgeable. The tutor - Deb - has a way of excellent teaching ability. She explains things really well throughout, and displays warmth and core conditions."
 Developing helpline skills participant

"Deb expresses herself in a sensitive and supportive way - which shows me how I should be on a helpline. I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the training and have found it relevant and informative."
 Helpline skills training participant

"Deb delivers really powerful, life-affirming support to people who aren't quite sure where they are, or how they are going to get there. She has experience of real coalface support of young people, of people suffering brain-damage and chronic lack of self-confidence, and of ordinary office staff who feel they could work more effectively and be of more value if they understood how to hold their heads up in that environment. Technique is of no value without heart, and heart of precious little help without knowledge of best practice; Deb has both, in abundance."
 N Daisley, support staff at Oxford University

"Deb has a fantastic ability to ensure that everybody in the [learning] group gets their chance to speak and get their views across, her patience is incomparable and she never loses her focus on the topic of the workshop or her mission to ensure everyone in the group gains something from the session. She has a personal warmth that she brings to every workshop and her ability to remain professional but still maintain a sense of fun is admirable... Deb always uses a range of techniques to ensure that everybody can access the workshop and get involved with a method that appeals to their learning style. She is always well prepared with a good range of appropriate activities for the session and challenges each client to take as much away from the session as they can... Although there are some problems with memory loss for the group they can always remember who Deb is and what she does for us as she is the woman 'who taught us how to say no!' if this doesn't sum up quite how powerful and long lasting the effects of Deb's workshops are I don't know what does! ... I would recommend Deb as a trainer to anyone that is looking... She is thorough, keeps things interesting and engaging and extremely flexible at allowing the workshop to take different directions if the clients want to discuss certain topics."
 Nicki Holland, Formerly Activity and Rehabilitation Co-Ordinator, Headway, Oxford
 [link to full version of testimonial]