Valuable training put into practice

Feeling confident in your job involves being equipped with the right skills for the role.

This was recently evident when Customer Service technician Megan Gleed was immediately able to put into practice the skills she learnt from Waltham Forest Council’s Make Every Contact Count (MECC) training course.

Megan works in the electrical department, planning work and spending most of her time on the phone dealing with tenants. Megan undertook the council’s MECC training where she gained knowledge and skills on how to effectively interact with members of the public who require council support.

During the 90-minute course, Megan and her fellow participants learnt the MECC principles and core skills, discussed resources that support good conversations, including signposting information, and they went through various work scenarios looking at how MECC can fit into their day-to-day role.

Shortly after completing her training that same day, Megan received a call from a tenant initially calling to request an appointment date change. Immediately, Megan was able to put her training into practice. The tenant explained that she had both physical and poor mental health.

Megan said: “Straight away this triggered alarm bells and what I had learnt in training that morning - that people need to be more empathetic and listen out for signs that tenants are in distress and to try offer support. I kept calm and allowed the tenant to express her feelings so that she didn’t feel hurried to end the call.”

Megan clearly identified the tenant’s poor mental health and referred them to a range of support services such as the Samaritans, Papyrus and Every Mind Matters. The tenant was extremely grateful for the information Megan provided and by the end of the phone call seemed more at ease.

Megan said: “It was uncanny that 30 minutes after finishing the training I received a phone call from a tenant and realised that all the things I had just learnt came into use. I felt very proud that I had provided a safe space for the tenant to open up about her feelings and happy to know I have provided her with contact information for professional organisations.”

Taking part in the MECC training empowered Megan and gave her the confidence to implement her skills and knowledge to support a customer in need. Megan said: “I would 100% recommend the course. People don’t think about the skills you need until it is offered to them.”

Making Every Contact Count is for everyone, it is not restricted to one person, profession or organisation. The MECC programme is freely available to access here.