Case Study
Prison Service
BACKGROUND
CHALLENGES
Poor staff retention
Lack of safety
Team dynamics
Lack of support for staff
EF training was asked to run a number of training days for one of HMP. We had meetings with a senior manager prior to the training to better understand the specific challenges facing the teams. Management felt that the team were experiencing some difficulties which they attributed to Compassion Fatigue. In particular they were concerned about high staff turnoever, lack of safety within the workplace, poor team dynamics as well as how they could better support the staff.
PRE COURSE
FEEDBACK
“The training has had such a big impact on me at work and home. I feel I am better able to take care of myself, be responsibly selfish as well as help others. The team are also working well together and are more open when there are problems.”
RESULTS
EF Training being booked across the board
Better support from management
Team building days
The result of the pre-course questionnaire demonstrated that the work was having an emotional and physical impact on staff, both at work and at home. 74% indicated that work was making them stressed and anxious, leaving them feeling irritable and short tempered when they got home. This was often due to internal politics as well as juggling multiple commitments. Most of the staff admitted that they feel guilty when they have to take time off sick with many stating that they will go to work when they are ill so they don't let their colleagues down. Unfortunately over 60% said that they were considering finding alternative
emplyment.
POST COURSE
The results from the 3-month post-course questionnaire validate that although the majority of staff were suffering from symptoms of Compassion Fatigue, they were unaware of the concepts of either Compassion Fatigue or Vicarious Trauma. The majority of staff felt that since training they had not only noticed a difference within the way they felt about work but also within the team itself.
Positive changes within staff had also been noticed at home by friends and family as well as staff confirming that they were fulfilling the promises made to themselves during training. Overall, all the staff found the training a positive experience and felt that ongoing Compassion Fatigue training and reviews would be
beneficial for themselves and their teams, as well as being rolled out to the wider prison.