"Bloody brilliant!” Empathy Fatigue with Expert Citizens Insight Academy and Stoke on Trent City Council, June 2024
Greetings one and all,
I recently had the pleasure of training a cohort of Housing Needs staff from Stoke-on-Trent City Council, yes, my old stomping ground. A fair few familiar faces on the training and a fair few NEW faces too. What were they to make of me? Well, I think they rather enjoyed themselves!
The course was Empathy Fatigue – a subject I first launched way back in 2018. I have updated the course each year (yes, even during COVID), and now this is the housing specific 2024 version. For the course, I interviewed a raft of staff who are working alongside some of the most disadvantaged people in our society. With the best will in the world, some of those staff members were heading toward burnout. People who had previously been inspiring team players, were now, working from home and disengaging from their colleagues and customers. How do we get them back to the person they used to be?
The course highlights the difference between empathy fatigue and burnout. All the while, demonstrating how to recognise it for yourself and also how to challenge your views, your colleague’s views and those of your customers. It really is an eye-opening course; my training films include interviews with people from across England who have NOT been supported and protected by their employers and thus; burn out.
We are losing people in our industries due to the stress and strains of the ever-increasing workload. When people attend the course, they will often tell me that they have now recognised what is wrong and they now have the tools (well, some of them…) to fix the situation.
Thanks again to Expert Citizens Insight Academy for supporting Stoke Council in asking me to create and deliver a pretty important training course.
On with the feedback:
What did you learn?
“Very insightful training. Helped to establish new ways of thinking, perception and identified areas of focus.”
“I’ve learned how to change my mindset, how to avoid negative behaviours etc I understand that what I'm feeling is empathy fatigue / burn out and I 'm not alone.”
“Alot about my working habits - insight into my mental wellbeing.”
“It actually highlighted the trigger points and areas that need to possibly be addressed.”
“I learnt about self-reflection and how I better understanded myself.”
“I learned how to overcome procrastination. Learned how we can falsely perceive the world as more dangerous than it is.”
“I learnt how to recognise when I am becoming impatient & desensitised to customers and to take a step back & think about how I respond.”
“Empathy & compassion, reflecting on everything, time for self.”
“Difference between empathy & compassion.”
“I learnt to take time for myself, prioritise more.”
“To take time for reflecting on how we are doing in our roles, take a break when needed.”
“Prioritising myself, looking at your own strengths and positive outcomes, reflection.”
“More insight into how to empathy can be both positive & negative and its actually more a strength in my job role.”
“Understanding, routine, patience, empathy, take time for myself.”
“Found the questionnaire identify causes ok, stress, a diet and burnout useful, techniques and approach to address them was helpful.”
“I learnt about reflecting on my own wellbeing. How work can have an impact on my mindset and how my mindset can have an impact on my work.”
How has the training helped?
“I feel more understanding and I have some helpful tools to change my mind set.”
“More mindful whilst working - balancing my work / life.”
“To recognise when we need to take time out and give yourself "self-love" and protect yourself.”
“Better share my worth.”
“Be self-aware of empathy fatigue / burn out signs, recognise how procrastination can be overcome.”
“Help me to be more tolerant on occasions.”
“To learn to switch off when needed.”
“More aware, be more understanding.”
“It will help me reflect when I am feeling stressed and use the methods shown to help.”
“To take a calmer approach in stressful situations.”
“To focus on mindfulness and set boundaries so work is not always the priority thought.”
“More aware I could burn out & to be more aware day to day.”
“I will be nicer, more understanding, less judgemental.”
“Consider my self-care more frequently, introduce strengths into this it.”
“I will better manage my own wellbeing. Take 5 minutes out per day to just ask myself how I feel.”
Would you recommend this course to others?
“Yes!!!”
“100% absolutely amazing best training I've been on.”
“Yes - really insightful on how we react to others.”
“Definitely and the trainer is fabulous.”
“Very inspiring and develop self-reflection.”
“Yes, very inspiring.”
“Yes definitely.”
“Yes, Excellent training.”
“Yes, very professional, easy to understand.”
“Yes, great training, very informative + excellent trainer that kept us entertained and focussed.”
“Yes - it was super and informative.”
“Yes, Steven is lovely! and makes the training very relatable.”
“There is always a positive & real edge to your training I always come away thought provoked & enjoyed myself which is not always the case.”
“Yes, helps to understand people, and remember use empathy.”
“Yes!”
“Very good training & Steven was very engaging.”
Further comments
“No, it was bloody brilliant!”
“The training was exceptional - kept me engaged and interested.”
“No, its great how it is already.”
“Excellent course, excellent trainer, very enjoyable.”
“Absolutely fantastic.”
“It was a great fun session.”
“As previously said Steven is an amazing trainer.”
“Steve, Bloody Brilliant!”
“Brilliant Course.”