For the Public Sector
Public sector teams carry more than most. HST helps them carry it better.
Social workers, housing officers, case workers and emergency responders are among the most exposed to sustained psychological pressure of any workforce in the country. HST is practical, evidence-based training built for exactly this kind of work.
The reality
What public sector teams are actually dealing with
This is not a workforce that needs to be told work is stressful. It needs something more useful than that acknowledgement.
Secondary trauma & vicarious stress
Consistent exposure to distressing circumstances changes how the nervous system functions over time. This is not weakness; it is physiology, and it is rarely addressed directly.
Chronic demand without recovery
High caseloads and systemic pressure mean genuine recovery is rarely built into how teams operate. Capacity drains quietly, long before it becomes visible absence.
Burnout unrecognised until significant
Many have been signed off with stress or burnout, sometimes more than once, before the underlying pattern is addressed. The early warning signs are there; they are just not being read.
Emotional labour as baseline
Holding space for families in crisis, managing conflict, delivering difficult news; this is not occasional. It is the job, and its cumulative cost is poorly understood by most programmes.
Systemic pressure individuals can’t fix
HST does not pretend individual training solves structural problems. It gives people more capacity to navigate those structures, with self-awareness, better regulation and stronger relationships.
Real physiology, real cost, and almost always under-addressed.
What HST does differently
Why awareness training is not enough here
A social worker who has spent the day with a family fleeing domestic violence does not need a colleague trained to spot a crisis. They need the tools to understand what is happening in their own body and mind, and to do something about it.
HST operates upstream of crisis, across both professional and personal environments, which matters enormously in roles where the boundary between the two is constantly blurred.
In practice
London Borough of Newham: Social Care
In 2025, HST worked with a group of social workers and case workers from Newham’s social care team, professionals working daily with families experiencing domestic violence, abuse and child safeguarding. The commissioning lead had been considering Mental Health First Aid; she concluded her people needed practical tools to support themselves.
Such an incredible experience. The training already helped me respond well to difficult situations both personally and professionally.
Excellent training which integrated theory with practice in a very original manner. Informative, useful, holistic and quite brilliant!
Very good, thought-provoking training. It gives you different techniques to relieve stress that can be used in everyday life. I would 100% recommend this.
Awesome programme: it helps you understand yourself and how to manage your mental health and flow.
Great and insightful training! Ollie and Pete were well informed!
Not a group that needed convincing that mental health matters; they were living it. HST gave them the tools.
Who this is for
Suited across the public sector
Local Authorities
Housing, social care, safeguarding and community services: high demand, chronic resource pressure, and wellbeing challenges standard interventions rarely touch.
Social Care Teams
Social workers, case workers and family support workers, among the most exposed to secondary trauma, and among the least well-supported in building their own capacity.
Emergency Services
Police, fire and ambulance teams operating at the acute end of human experience daily. The nervous-system costs are significant and cumulative.
Housing & Community Services
Teams at the interface between complex social need and institutional systems, where relational strain, emotional labour and systemic frustration are daily realities.
HST is adapted to the context and language of each team. The underlying framework is consistent; the application reflects the reality of the job.
Outcomes
What commissioning organisations can expect
HST does not promise to fix systemic pressure; it builds the capacity to navigate it more sustainably, with measurable organisational consequences.
Earlier recognition of overload means earlier intervention: people catch themselves before they fall.
Staff more genuinely present and effective, even under sustained demand.
Shared language and the relational capacity to address tension rather than avoid it.
Managers who understand their own responses make better decisions and create safer conditions.
People who feel understood, equipped and supported are more likely to stay in demanding roles.
Pre/post evaluation maps to the HSE Management Standards: structured evidence boards and unions can engage with.
Commissioning & budget
We understand public sector procurement
We work within the budget realities of local authorities, social care commissioning and council wellbeing programmes. HST can sit within Health & Safety budgets as a psychological risk management intervention, not just a wellbeing line.
We support the commissioning process with documentation, evidence frameworks and the information needed for internal approval, including positioning within existing procurement frameworks.
Frequently asked questions
Is HST suitable for teams dealing with trauma?
Yes, the Newham Social Care programme is a direct example. HST gives people routinely exposed to others’ distress the tools to understand and manage what that exposure does to their own nervous system, rather than simply absorb it.
Can HST run alongside our EAP or MHFA?
Yes, and it typically strengthens both. HST operates upstream, reducing the likelihood people need crisis support, while EAP and MHFA remain available for when they do.
How does HST fit our H&S obligations?
Its evaluation framework maps directly to the HSE Management Standards, providing structured, measurable evidence of psychological risk management: documentation to demonstrate active duty of care, not just policy compliance.
Can we commission for multiple teams?
Yes. Many organisations begin with a pilot cohort and extend from there. We support phased rollout, cross-departmental programmes and longer-term organisational embedding.
What does it cost?
Pricing is structured to reflect public sector budget realities and is discussed in consultation. We can support internal approval processes with relevant documentation.
Ready to talk?
Let’s talk about what your teams are carrying
If you commission or lead people and performance in a public sector setting, we’d welcome a conversation about how HST can help.