Case Studies
Real work. Real clients. Real results.
Here is some of the work we have done with organisations that needed more than a wellbeing event.
Highbourne Group / City Plumbing
Getting the MHFA network back on the rails
Highbourne Group needed to rebuild confidence in its Mental Health First Aid network.
The group had good people in it, but the structure around them had weakened. Support had become patchy, visibility had dropped, and people were being left to work out too much on their own. Boundaries were starting to blur, and there was a real risk the network would lose credibility or run on goodwill until the goodwill ran out.
That was the point Duncan came back in.
The challenge
Highbourne didn’t need another generic wellbeing provider or a one-off awareness talk. They needed the MHFA network to feel stable, visible and properly supported again.
The main issues were clear:
- Inconsistent support and follow-up
- Blurred boundaries in the MHFA role
- Limited visibility across the wider business
- Too much emotional weight sitting with a small number of people
- No clear escalation route when situations became too complex or too heavy
- Little in the way of joined-up insight or continuity
There was also a practical challenge. This is a business with branches, warehouse settings, office teams and frontline pressure. Any support offer had to work in the real world, not just look good in a slide deck.
The approach
The first step was to relaunch the MHFA network properly. That meant bringing existing and new Mental Health First Aiders together, resetting expectations, clarifying what the role is and isn’t, and making the support structure visible again.
The relaunch session focused on role clarity, realistic boundaries, support and escalation pathways, protecting the wellbeing of the MHFAs themselves, and making the network feel active and backed again.
From there, the wider programme was built around four things.
1. Clearer boundaries. MHFAs needed to know where their role starts, where it stops, and how to avoid becoming someone’s only outlet.
2. Better support around the network. Regular sessions, one-to-one support routes, clearer escalation pathways, and practical tools people could actually use.
3. Greater visibility. Profiles, internal comms, support pages and awareness-week activity all helped make the network easier to find and understand.
4. A more joined-up structure. Rather than relying on goodwill and memory, the programme brought back consistency, theme tracking and a clearer route for future development.
What changed
The relaunch gave the network a proper reset. People left with a clearer understanding of the role, stronger language for setting boundaries, and a better sense that they weren’t expected to carry difficult situations alone.
It also helped the wider business. Managers and colleagues now have a clearer picture of what an MHFA is for, how to access support, and where the role sits alongside the EAP, leadership and other support routes.
The programme no longer feels like something that might quietly drift off. It feels active, supported and worth trusting again.
Early results included:
- Stronger engagement from the MHFA group
- Clearer role boundaries
- Better visibility of the network across the business
- A more credible and consistent support offer
- Practical next steps around profiles, comms, refreshers and future sessions
- Stronger backing from leadership
Why it worked
The biggest difference was that Duncan didn’t need to be brought up to speed on the business. He already understood the culture, the pressure points and the reality of the environment. That meant the work could be practical from day one. No waffle. No generic wellbeing language. Just useful structure, clear boundaries, and support that fits the business as it actually is.
Highbourne didn’t need a wellbeing showpiece. It needed a network that works.
“What we value most is that his work is practical. He doesn’t overcomplicate things, and he doesn’t make wellbeing feel fluffy or disconnected from the real world. He helps us deal with what is actually happening in the business and gives us sensible ways to respond.”
Emma Barry and Nick Hinchliffe, Highbourne Group / City Plumbing
Durham SCITT
Supporting trainees with hidden difficulties
Durham SCITT brought Feel Good Works in to run a session for their team on supporting trainee teachers with hidden difficulties.
The brief covered how to spot when someone is struggling, how to ask better questions, how to make reasonable adjustments without lowering standards, and how to know when concerns need escalating. That last part matters more than people usually expect.
What the session covered
The session used Feel Good Works’ Spot, Ask, Adjust, Act model to give the team a clear and practical framework. Rather than focusing on labels or diagnoses, the approach centred on noticing what is actually happening, asking the right questions, making adjustments that give people a fairer chance to meet the standard, and acting when escalation is needed.
What people took from it
Feedback showed the team left feeling more confident recognising hidden difficulties, asking better questions, making reasonable adjustments and knowing when to escalate. The Spot, Ask, Adjust, Act model was rated very or extremely useful.
The comments that stood out were about giving trainees agency, the value of better questions, and the importance of letting the trainee lead rather than telling them what is wrong.
Why this work matters
Hidden difficulties don’t disappear when people enter training, employment or leadership. They often become harder to name because everyone is trying to look capable. When organisations get this wrong, people burn energy pretending to be fine while the system quietly makes things harder than they need to be.
Good support isn’t soft. It’s useful. And useful support usually starts with better questions.
Session delivered for Durham SCITT, led by Pippa Procter.
Want to see what this kind of work could do for your organisation?
Get in touch to talk through what is happening and whether we can help.