Your Feedback Matters

At C.A.S.T we are driven by the aim to make the wider community suicide safer.

We value the feedback that our clients and course attendees share with us. Read some of our testimonials below.

Katie was very professional and welcoming to all who attended, her knowledge of the Mental Health subject area was outstanding...

“Katie was very professional and welcoming to all who attended, her knowledge of the Mental Health subject area was outstanding. Katie made sure she engaged with all and offered support throughout the 2 days of training. She made the delivery fun and exciting, she got people out of their chairs so participants could network with each other, there were many different people from companies, roles, ethnicities, and Katie made sure inclusivity was paramount. Everyone enjoyed the opportunity to meet other people outside of their daily roles. The evaluation feedback that Kirklees Council received from attendees was fantastic.
We have completed 16 cohorts and enabled 193 participants to become mental health 1^st aid trained in the Kirklees community and wider. The training has enriched so many lives in the communities with family, workplace colleagues and friends.

I have enjoyed my time working and supporting, getting to know Katie on a professional and personal level. I will miss working and supporting her and hope in the near future we can support Mental Health 1^st Aid training again. I know for sure the feedback and experience was great. The Mental Health 1^st Aid Training has helped to make people more aware and saved lives so far which is an amazing achievement to have been a part of.”

Rebecca Armitage
Apprentice Engagement Officer
Kirklees Apprenticeships for all – Kirklees Council Employment & Skills

I would urge anyone working within this field to take the training, and couldn’t recommend Katie as a trainer enough.....

“I attended Suicide First Aid training delivered by Katie Marlow (22^nd July 2021) in July. The course was delivered delicately yet boldly. I used to be a volunteer crisis volunteer, and the course reminded me of some of the training I went through to fulfil that role, but also provided me with so much more information and importantly, information that I could share easily and quickly with my team.

I work for a team within the council that works regularly with the communities across North Yorkshire. I lead on suicide prevention within the team and others have a role to play in terms of community mental health, yet none of us had been on this or similar training.

Katie made the training cohort feel at ease with a subject matter that is definitely not easy. We were all encouraged to give the exercises a go, rather than let others do it and bypass the opportunity. Katie made the course feel incredibly interactive and lively despite it being an online zoom course due to the pandemic. Safety was promoted from start to end, Katie made sure to check in with us regularly for questions, comments, or welfare issues – I felt comfortable to question and to talk, and felt that the information was delivered and relayed in such an accessible way, I would urge anyone working within this field to take the training, and couldn’t recommend Katie as a trainer enough.

She does fantastic work for us in North Yorkshire and course by course is ensuring that the county is safer. Suicide First Aid is often a popular course we find though our training hub, and if individuals know Katie is delivering – they know it is going to be a good course. North Yorkshire has huge confidence when Katie Marlow is involved! Brilliant course, brilliant trainer. Thank you.”

Amber Graver
Stronger Communities Development Officer

Our engagement and self-reflection was hugely promoted...

“I have attended the MHFA training from the 17^th-20^th August 2021. Together with a comprehensive and well-organized learning material, Katie provided us a general understanding of the diverse nature of mental health illnesses as well as practical and applicable tools to apply in our workplace and interpersonal relationship. Our engagement and self-reflection was hugely promoted and I am confident most of us completed the course with a greater awareness of well-being and empathetic listening.”

Mara Goleme
UK Dementia Research Institute (UKDRI)

She listens, is easy to talk to and has great knowledge on different ways of helping you...

“I attended the 4 hour course for mental awareness presented by Katie Marlow.

I have to say it was excellent! She has a appealing manner which you feel comfortable with and is clearly in a profession that suits her talents. I personally have bipolar/unipolar disorder and have dealt with many psychiatrists and psychologists along with counsellors. I feel from my experience that she is at the top of her profession and any individual or company who uses her skills would be getting the best possible help.

She listens, is easy to talk to and has great knowledge on different ways of helping you. I have done much self help with cognitive behavioural therapy and have pretty good coping mechanisms but if I do fall I wouldn’t hesitate to give her a call/email.

She is a star

️! “

Jamie Gathercole
Selby District AVS

I came away from the course feeling much more equipped to help and support other people....

“I wanted to send you an email to say how much I enjoyed the training on Tuesday.

Zoom worked really well, as did the break out rooms for pairs and groups. I think more group discussion / exercises would be really good but appreciate that this is probably a bit harder virtually thank in the classroom.

I came away from the course firstly feeling much more equipped to help and support other people, but also better skilled to help and look after myself.

Some of the topics are difficult and emotional to discuss but I came away feeling very uplifted and positive.

Thanks again, it was really nice to ‘meet’ you!

Best wishes, Vicky”

Vicky Coombes
Deputy Departmental Manager
Electronic & Electrical Engineering
University College London

Designing and delivery of high quality training and learning programmes...

“I worked with Katie in a large public sector organisation. Katie led on developing a new training strategy and approach for the children’s safeguarding board.

Katie successfully delivered a challenging and complex portfolio of change, operating at both board level, engaging senior stakeholders and at an operational level by designing and delivery of high quality training and learning programmes that were not only highly regarded by participants also increased the delivery reach significantly across the sector.

Katie is a talented and engaging learning professional, she is passionate and focused on ensuring her delegates have a fantastic learning experience.”

Jenny Baynes
Head of Business Change – Cabinet Office.
Director – Yorkshire Collaborative Trust.

Katie not only knows her stuff, she delivers it in a professional and engaging way...

“If I ever get an opportunity to work with Katie in the future I will grab it with both hands. Katie not only knows her stuff, she delivers it in a professional and engaging way which makes some really difficult subject matter easier to understand.

I have seen Katie deliver training in some extremely challenging areas of work and without fail she does this with professionalism and humility. She has presentation skills which make you think and question established thoughts on complex […] issues.”

Dallas Frank
North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Board Manager (August 2012 – February 2018)

Some Of Our Clients

University College London – Bradford & District Foundation Care Trust – National Utility Service – Construction Industry Partners
SELFA – The Isle of Man Police Force – Gilead Sciences

More feedback for our courses...

“A fantastic 2 day course, dealing with heavy subject matter in a really good, appropriate way. Think this should be a compulsory course for all staff members. Thank you.”

“An excellent course, thank you. I have learnt so much to be used both in the workplace and in my personal life.”

“Excellent! Pitched perfectly with ‘light’ moments to balance some of the ‘dark’ ones.”

“Fantastic course expertly delivered with much thought and concern for the group that were delivering for.”

“Fantastic delivery, personal experiences helped the content feel real. Hope suicide reduces because of this course and others like it. It’s good to talk but also to listen.”

“I loved this course. Engaging and informative. All new teachers/school based staff would benefit from this. Thank you.”

“I’d love to deliver it myself it was so informative, interesting and relevant.”

“It has been amazing, inspirational at many times. Made me want to get more involved in every aspect of this work. Thank you.”

“Outstanding! Thank you. Probably the best course I have been on. Excellent delivery.”

“Sensitive, lively, funny and real delivery. For 9 hours (18 over 2 days) in 1 room I was amazed how the time passed especially considering the content. Superb Instructors. Thank you.”

“The delivery of this course has been excellent.”

“This was one of the best course I have ever been on. Very fortunate and thought provoking. The instructors delivered the course with humor and compassion.”

C.A.S.T Learning Solutions Course Attendee Feedback