Psychologically Informed Management

Who are these documents for?

• Line managers in homelessness service
• Frontline staff (vicarious trauma resources)

Why are they relevant?

Psychologically Informed Environments are services that are designed and delivered in a way that take into account the emotional and psychological needs of the individuals using them. A key part of the PIE approach is staff training and support, enabling workers to move away from crisis management and work in a more therapeutic and planned way. These resources were developed following a community of practice series held between October '22 and January '23 to think about ways managers can adapt their 1:1 meetings and inductions to enable staff to communicate their needs.

With individuals working in the homelessness sector often having to deal with very challenging situations in the workplace, resources outlining symptoms of burnout, vicarious trauma and secondary traumatic stress have also been created.

What are the key takeaways?

• To have a psychologically informed 1:1 meeting, it is important for managers to consider aspects like the physical environment, frequency, structure and ensure it is person-centred.
• Ensuring new starters are adequately inducted and have the space to communicate their needs from the get-go is essential to adopting a trauma and psychologically-informed approach.
• Individuals working in the homelessness sector often face challenges in the workplace and can be exposed to secondary trauma.
• There are key differences between burnout, vicarious trauma and secondary traumatic stress and staff should be aware of the symptoms of these to ensure support is offered to those affected.