A Quiet Place Wellbeing in the Work Place

well being in the work place

Supporting each client and their workforce…

A happy workforce is a more productive workforce. From the experiences gained within schools, children’s homes and care homes, A Quiet Place has developed a range of initiatives in both the private and public sector to implement Well Being in the Workplace.

By supporting the workforce within a client’s organisation, a holistic programme is tailored to fit the needs of individual companies who wish to promote and support health and well being for their employees.

 

What a client can expect…

As with all of A Quiet Place’s services, there is a genuine passion from each member of the team to strive for well being and reduced stress levels. By raising the awareness of stress related difficulties to staff and management, each client receives:

  • Layered levels of support for staff
  • A variety of techniques to support the aims of the programme
  • A variety of programmes offered to staff for their own preferences
  • On-going support and training

Stress related problems within the workplace are a common theme, ranging from personal reasons right through to the current economic climate. The likes of high absenteeism, unproductive or unmotivated staff and even the development of mental problems can be effectively prevented by implementing a healthy and vigorous staff welfare policy.

AQP works with process and content

1. Process

AQP is aware that in many organisations time and budgets are at a premium. This means that we will endeavour to be as effective as possible and some steps may run together and/or parallel to each other where appropriate.

AQP offers an intensive personal package that is evidence based to be extremely effective in improving absenteeism and job satisfaction.

Step 1 – Engagement and discovery

Gathering information in order to identify your aims and objectives
Meetings will be arranged at a convenient time and place to discuss the initial enquiry with one or more members of staff. Other meetings may then be arranged for demonstration purposes with other staff members as required. These may be delivered in one meeting where required.

Individual audit may be delivered for personal well being, this will also inform developments.

Step 2 – Research, analysis & presentation of options

Prepare an analysis of your situation for discussion.
Based on the outcome of our information gathering a discussion document will be presented with a variety of options that identifies any gaps that need to be developed.

It will set out specific and realistic recommendations designed to achieve your stated objectives over an agreed time period.

An investment schedule will be prepared and a proposal document supplied. A member of the leadership team should be identified as the Well Being coordinator who will be supported in arranging delivery of the options. Once the plan has been agreed and signed step 3 will be put into place.

Step 3 – Implementation

Implementation of agreed Plan
The Well Being coordinator will have an intensive session to explain the role. Timetables will be planned for the training and resources be kept and loaned out in an agreed way appropriate to the organisation. You can relax in the knowledge that we will be working alongside you, taking care of all the necessary final steps to turn your plan into reality.

Step 4 – Sustainability- Ongoing Service & Relationship

Monitoring Your Progress
Where an ongoing service is agreed, we will help you review your Plan to make sure it is on track with your objectives. Reviews will take account of any changes in your personal circumstances, market conditions and relevant legislation.

Step 5 – Content

The content depends on the time and budget of the organisation and consists of a range of options chosen during the planning and consultancy stage. This might be a developmental process building on programmes as needed with sustainable support if required.

Treating Customers Fairly

A Quiet Place is a business that holds people as the most valuable asset in any organisation. Much research now emphasises the importance of this approach in valuing employees has a beneficial effect on the bottom line.

Developing the potential of individuals using a holistic approach: A Quiet Place seeks ‘to walk their talk’ and demonstrate in all our relationships our commitment as a company to demonstrate in all our practice our ethos and principles reflecting this process with our client base whatever the age or ability.

  • Respect
  • Care
  • Support
  • Belief in inner potential and recourses

A Happy workforce is a productive workforce

Example content

Initial consultation, proposal and induction for Well Being Coordinator (Step 1 meetings/Step 2)
Implementation (Step 3)

1. Stress Awareness & Mindfulness

  • What is stress & its impact?
  • Box of resources

2. Managing Emotions

  • Self Management Programme ( and biofeedback software available in staffroom see option 1&2 for costing)

3. Techniques to Manage Stress

  • Relaxation
  • Mindfulness
  • Yoga, Tai-chi, Chi-gong, toxin release gentle stretch exercises for all
  • Calm, Relaxed and Confident

4. Developments and use of programmes

  • Feedback
  • Options for future training

5. Audit & Report to inform developments for individuals

  • Timetable for therapist to see all staff 1:1 – (half hour per member of staff)

6. Prescription

7. Developmental

8. Additional

What does Well Being in the Workplace consist of..?

A Quiet Place Well Being in the Workplace goes beyond traditional programmes, with an emphasis placed on understanding, actions and defined results for clients. Quality assurance is paramount, and a member of the team will work directly with the staff to successfully supervise, monitor and implement the programmes. So what else does the programme consist of?

  • Awareness raising training days
  • Environment design for an effective and balanced workplace.
  • Resources including relaxation CDs
  • Well being audit resulting in personalised advice for each participant
  • Management training in areas such as recognition of stress, well-being, communication skills, management of conflict, management of change and team building
  • The provision of water and fresh fruit each day to help people choose a more healthy option for refreshments within the working day
  • Head and shoulder massage from a qualified on-site therapist
  • Specialised input from traditional and complementary therapists

Everybody can get involved in the programme and everyone can benefit from it.

Our Services for Training and Consultancy

Training built around each client…

With a passion for the provision of quality training and support, A Quiet Place offers a consultancy service that is both innovative and holistic in a number of settings. With a range of services for education and business, the aim is to develop the full potential of individuals within the context of their immediate environments.

Partnership is key to success and whether the client is an individual, a group or a company in the private or public sector, each can enjoy the latest techniques for ‘change’ within an environment.

Clients can look forward to:

  • Gaining more effective communication skills.
  • Techniques that help build successful relationships.
  • Effective decision making processes that are appropriate to their work life balance.

Each member of the A Quiet Place team is an experienced practitioner in their specialist field, delivering best practice across a broad range of traditional and complementary skills at their disposal.

Other training is available on request

  • Full Facilitator Diploma (one year, available in conjunction with partner organisations)
  • Educational Therapeutics a 3 day (6 module) course with theory and practice underpinning the holistic approach
  • Effective Communications, a 2 day programme looking at various models of communication including listening skills, Transactional Analysis and N.L.P.
  • Bio-Feedback –the use of bio-feedback programmes in education for all ages and abilities to improve performance both academic and sporting, increase resilience and well being. David is a licensed HeartMath trainer.
  • Mersey Mindfulness – simple techniques that can be used by everyone incorporating learning styles and relaxation techniques
  • The Mindful Driver
  • Well Being in the Workplace
  • Performance, Performance, Performance-using the latest brain research for all
  • Well being in education…fitting it all in, a bespoke product designed to fit into schools busy schedules
  • Yoga 4 U- gentle stretching and breathing exercises for anyone
  • Relaxation and guided visualisation
  • Calm Relaxed and Confident
  • Mental health, attachment theory and impact on our behaviour
  • The Magic Carpet
  • Ready Steady Learn
  • Peer massage in class
  • The Art of Parenting
  • Family Massage-appropriate touch
  • Creativity and personal development
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Spiritual Intelligence

A Smooth Guide-for everyday

Meditation Courses

What is meant by Inner Landscapes?

By Inner Landscapes I refer to the world of the imagination.

This world will be stronger in some who have a vivid imagination than others. For everyone it will be characterised by circumstances and experiences that have occurred in their life, and in particular those with a high emotional charge.

An emotional charge can be positive or negative. Where experiences have given rise to strong memories, for example where something particularly dreadful has happened and the visual memory can flash back very strongly when a stimulus, conscious or unconscious occurs. Extreme cases can be called post traumatic stress disorder. The whole experience is highlighted. At the positive end it could be a concert or a highly emotionally charged moment e.g, the birth of a baby or wedding day.

All our experiences describe our inner landscape and it is a useful metaphor to look back from the present moment and see the mountains and valleys through which you have passed in order to get to this moment in time.

We all love to see dramatic landscapes and this may reframe the past for some people.

 

 

Meditation Courses

What is meditation?

The word meditation derives from the Latin word ‘meditari’ meaning to heal, to think, to contemplate, devise and ponder. ”

Meditation and Mindfulness have been practised for thousands of years usually as part of religious practices. They do not however need to be attached to any particular belief system as they offer techniques for disciplining and quietening the mind in order to access a sense of calm.

The techniques are simple but that does not necessarily mean easy. In our western society today the underlying common denominator tends to have developed into a place where busy..ness and noise tend to be the norm. Nostalgia for the country life rests deep within many and although it is accessed through a rather rosy golden gateway the reality was hard work for most with a limited time for anything but survival.
It was not until the mid to late 1700’s when the countryside, reflected through the eyes of our great poets Wordsworth, Keats, Shelley etc. began our romance with nature and beauty, peace and quiet.

I have been teaching yoga and meditation for over 30 years now and use an eclectic approach of techniques to allow options for each person’s time and preference to begin to access their own still centre. There will be suggested readings and poetry, music and films if you want to look deeper in different ways.

It is a work in progress as indeed you, as people who have agreed to pilot the course, are also an essential part.

Your feedback, your adventure, certainly the process as well as the content will play a part in this developing work.

The intention of this course is to provide a practical introduction to the art of meditation. It is a simple practical guide for anyone to learn how to be still and to access a deeper sense of themselves. Learning how to tap into the treasures of the imagination can bring untold benefits, amongst many for example:

  • Self Knowledge
  • Creativity
  • Relaxation
  • Self management
  • Resilience
  • Empathy
  • Contentment and acceptance

There are 3 parts to this, considered to be ‘hologrammatic’ i.e. each is a whole in itself! I trust that it will recommend itself to both newcomers as well as crusty old meditators who might find the light and brief exercises to bring new insights into old practices.

Apology, Photographs: Using Google images I have endeavored not to use copyright if I have I apologies. This book is freely available and I know for those who have got this far that your images will have been inspirational. Thank you. If perchance I have please let me know and I will remove them immediately

How to use this e-book There is much information in this book from a wide range of belief systems and practices. Using your reflective diary dip in and out as you will, let the labyrinth of your mind connect with the internet and wander where it will. Create your own creative web and experiences and practice, enjoy the adventure and trust the process.

Part 1: Message in a bottle

you will find a playful dialogue that is both welcoming and offering an overview of the ideas within the whole. It can be downloaded or you can listen to it as a form of relaxation.

Please click here to listen to the playful dialogue

Part 2:

A more formal book design that gives a background perspective, whilst essentially secular in approach, the techniques have usually been developed from various religious belief systems, these will be looked at briefly from a historical context.

This book is intended for everyone to learn to tap into their inner resources.
Consisting of words and pictures and filled with beautiful photographs of nature it will offer simple exercises designed to nurture spirit in your own unique way.

Click here to download the PDF

Part 3:

A month by month guide to personal development and meditation. Designed to be a personal journey throughout the year it can be used on your own or maybe as part of a new or existing group who may gather together to practice the techniques. Initially it may be much easier to have the support of a group and then continue with relaxation exercises at home in the intervening time.

There will be a guided visualisation to listen to and then discuss creative ideas as you keep a reflective diary and watch in wonder as your creative imagination is offered the right conditions to blossom.

This gentle approach to self reflection is based on the experience of the author, a practising yoga teacher for 30 years as well as a single parent and full time worker. The approaches are for all of us, without necessitating any belief system but the beginning of understanding the phrase know thyself as a being of great value in itself, as opposed to simply being and existing in relationship to others.

Get to know yourself as the wonderful golden being that you are, shimmering with light and expectant with possibilities and potential. Yes I do mean YOU!

Possibly?

A day to meet together and who knows a weekend to experience a quiet place in the future.

Message in a bottle