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Episode 26 - Part 2- Who provides the support at LionHeart and how is it accessed with Parita Odedra & Melissa Gough-Rundle, LionHeart
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In this week's episode, we speak with Parita Odedra & Melissa Gough-Rundle from LionHeart. In Part 2, who provides the support at LionHeart and how is it accessed?
LionHeart is the independent charity for RICS professionals, past and present, and their families.
Their aim is quite simple: to be there for members whenever life throws them a curve ball, from the very beginning of their career as an APC candidate or apprentice, right through to retirement. In Part 2 of this episode, we discuss:
🙋 Who is your main point of contact
🫂 Are external consultants used?
🚶♂️ The importance of taking the first step in seeking help
🤙 The different ways you can seek help
⚠️ Are any topics off-limits?
🏢 Stress in the workplace
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Transcript
Introduction to Support Services
00:00:00
Speaker
I suppose it's really interesting in part one understanding what's provided, who can access it. But I suppose it'd be nice to delve into what it actually looks like practically. So who provides the support to people that are calling up or getting in touch with you?
00:00:17
Speaker
So actually we've got a really great team of support officers who are highly trained and experienced and we know that picking up the phone to make that first phone call is so difficult for some people but I think what's really important to know is alongside that our support officers have a wealth of expertise and they're very friendly and approachable as well
00:00:38
Speaker
And with every first call that our support officers take, they will then be the ROC's professional name support officer. So they'll always speak to the same person. They won't have to start again and share their story.
00:00:53
Speaker
So we understand that that's really important. The named support officer will then be, like I said, the main point of contact for the whole duration of the support that they receive from us.
Referral and Continued Assistance
00:01:04
Speaker
They may be referred to like another service. So for example, if you receive counselling support, you'll be speaking to one of our counsellors, but then you will then be passed back to your designated support officer when that particular service ends.
00:01:19
Speaker
And if you are referred to any one of our external partners, so for example, our back-to-work consultants, you'll have the support from them, but then you will then be passed back to the name support officer when that work is completed. And we just want to make sure that the maximum support and the right support is provided when anyone calls through.
Safe Space for Open Discussion
00:01:44
Speaker
For some people, if you're on a point in life where something's distressing, it could be financial, legal, whatever. At that moment, I suppose it's the most daunting thing that's going on for you. And you're worried potentially about being judged or whatever else it might be. I'm guessing you guys have seen everything. So actually the chances are it's
00:02:09
Speaker
you know, nothing new for you and so on. So are there any topics that are off limits or can you just get in touch about anything? And should you be worried about the type of topic you're bringing up?
Taking the First Step to Seek Help
00:02:19
Speaker
No, there's no topic that's off limits at all. We have had quite a lot of experience. I know the support team have taken many, many calls. So they are familiar, as I say, with what affects surveyors day to day. And we always encourage people to get in touch either through the website, on the helpline,
00:02:39
Speaker
because even if the team can't help or it's something which we're not able to help with immediately, we're really good at signposting. We'll talk through a situation. And I think it's just really important to impress on people that please pick up the phone. We will listen. We will be able to help in some way.
Addressing Stress Management
00:02:57
Speaker
So I think taking that first step is the most important one. Definitely. And it's daunting. And actually, I think quite often, once you've had the call, you go, actually, that was quite easy.
00:03:09
Speaker
in terms of now it's being dealt with and the main hurdles over now going through the support and the process. Yeah I think and that certainly if you look at our website look at some of the beneficiaries that have shared their experiences on there through the blogs and their stories. We do this comes up time and time again where people say we are so glad
00:03:31
Speaker
that we made that first step. It was hard, but we did it. But it was actually the best thing that we did. And without Lionheart, we don't know where we'd be at this point in time. Yeah. Yeah. One thing that we haven't discussed is off the call. So you
Counseling and Skill Development
00:03:46
Speaker
may not know the answer. But is there a more typical thing that people call up about? Is there a common type of issue that crops up? Or is it very varied?
00:03:58
Speaker
from, it can be very varied. And Parita, you'll probably be able to add to this. I think from, from my perspective with corporates, I think a lot of it is to do around stress management, and people getting overwhelmed at work. And we've just done a series of podcasts on sales, haven't we, Parita? And our top subject at the moment is overwhelm and burnout. And I think
00:04:22
Speaker
post pandemic where things started to get back to normal, people were going back out. I think the pressure's really on. I mean, I think it was on during the pandemic as well, but I think it's increased even more since we started going back to doing face to face interaction and the surveyors are out on the road again. Yeah.
00:04:42
Speaker
I think stress in the workplace is one of the number of things that always comes out. Even when we've done surveys in the past, it's something that is really impacted. It's always been a really big thing for them to deal with. I think because it's such a fast-paced industry, there's things that need to be done, projects that need to be completed. It can be very difficult. But yeah, I think, like Melissa said, in terms of the calls that we get, they are very varied.
00:05:12
Speaker
Our counselling service actually is one of the most popular services that we provide alongside our APC practice presentation sessions. So that's really grown in the last year. It's numbers have literally just over doubled from last year compared to this year, which is where an APC candidate gets the opportunity to practice through their presentation with a support officer.
00:05:37
Speaker
And we just kind of help them about their presentation style, you know, tricks and tips on how to kind of manage that. So we don't focus on the technical skills of their presentation. It's more about the delivery of their style and how we can support them.
Combating Isolation in Surveying
00:05:52
Speaker
But yeah, that's another kind of really popular service at the moment.
00:05:57
Speaker
It's really interesting, actually. And it's, I'm not surprised that stress at the moment is a big one, because it's there's so many factors going on. And I think on top of that, it's very easy. Everyone talks about this. But you know, you go on social media, and you've got the glossy, I call it the glossy Christmas cards, you know, you get the letter that tells you all the good things that have happened this year, but none of the bad. And so you can feel quite
00:06:16
Speaker
like what you're doing is very different to everybody else and it might be but often it won't be. But yeah, with all the financial pressures and housing markets constantly all over the place or the property markets all over the place. Yes, I can imagine. One thing that you can see in the industry sometimes and I don't know whether this translates into potentially how you see people feeling but obviously for a lot of surveyors, some will work in teams and offices and therefore they're sort of quite connected anyway and they might have their support group around them.
00:06:46
Speaker
But I suppose a lot of businesses are SMEs, sole practitioners, and they might be out on the road on their own or just working from home or from an office on their own a lot of the time. Does that sort of lead to a lot of pressure? And is that a common theme where people are calling up because they don't know how they're doing relative to others or they feel isolated? Is that a factor? Yeah, that is a common factor. And I think they
00:07:12
Speaker
When they don't have that support network around them, if they are from the smaller firms, perhaps they don't necessarily have an employee assistance program. And with a big firm, yes, it can weigh quite heavily on an individual. And I think at Lionheart, we want to let people know that they're not alone, that they can contact the helpline, whatever they think, even if they just think something's not quite right in their life. They've lost the balance, whether it's through work or family life. I think it's quite important to stress that
00:07:42
Speaker
You know, we're not just here with stresses and strains around work. It's here to do with family life as well and finances. Please, you know, do get in touch. And I think I said earlier about the website. You know, we do have a lot of individuals on there who shared their stories and their experiences. And they're there mainly for us to just demonstrate that they are not alone, that there are individuals who are just like them.
00:08:08
Speaker
that are going through particular challenges in their life as well and that it's really important to talk about it and contact Lionheart.
Encouragement Through Shared Experiences
00:08:18
Speaker
Awesome, I think it's a nice thing to do actually to share that story and it's a big step because
00:08:23
Speaker
You don't necessarily want people to know that you've had a difficult patch. So to put that out there is, I think, quite a brave thing, but important because it's relatable. People feel they can then get in touch. But that's been really interesting. Thank you for that. I think we'll tune in for part three and we'll look at what does support actually look like.