Hotel School organisational review is a “career highlight” for its programme manager
“We can’t underestimate the effect that trauma has on people who have experienced homelessness. Even spending one night on the street is traumatic, and that is often compounded by events in childhood or having experienced collective violence.”
Those are the words of Zoe Minihan (pictured far left above), who works as a programme manager at Hotel School in London. This award-winning charity empowers those with experience of homelessness to thrive in the hospitality sector through a ten-week programme combining theory, hands-on experience and industry visits. The course provides students with the skills and confidence they need to secure employment and make a success of their roles.
Organisational review
Hotel School came to Trauma Treatment International for an organisational review into their operations, to ensure that their approach was sensitive to the trauma experienced by their students. The charity was also keen to be able to identify and mitigate any second-hand trauma felt by its frontline staff.
During the project, which was funded by the City Bridge Foundation, two members of TTI’s clinical team held focus groups with eight service users and five staff members. Several policies and procedures were also reviewed, including the charity’s governing document and its safeguarding guidelines.
Data from the team’s research culminated in a list of strengths and recommendations for development in various areas of trauma-informed practice including safety, connection, empowerment and social justice.
Zoe says: “TTI made it very easy for us during the organisational review. It was a user-friendly approach both for our staff and our students, and we really felt that it was handled with care.
“Since Hotel School was founded in 2017, we have had no specific framework for being trauma-informed and our procedures weren’t official. So this was a chance for us to have an outside perspective on how we do things.”
Trauma-responsive
Our clinical team found Hotel School to be trauma-responsive, which means the charity puts trauma centre-stage in the design and implementation of its programme. This stage is just one away from the highest possible rating of trauma-transformative.
Zoe says: “It was a career high for me personally to receive that validation, especially from experts in their field like the team at TTI.
“When you work with people who have experienced homelessness, it is so important to have an understanding of what trauma is, what it means, and how you should respond to it. So knowing that we were already trauma-responsive was fantastic.”
Hotel’s School’s strengths included holding regular check-ins with students to ensure that their practical, physical and psychological needs were being met. Students reported feeling that someone was alongside them in their development, “like a family would be”. Meanwhile, staff said they were aware of strategies to support their own resilience and prevent burnout, compassion fatigue and second-hand trauma.
The report also included some recommendations for future development of the charity’s operations, such as recruiting board members with lived experience of homelessness. Zoe says: “We have included the recommendations in our strategy for 2026 and have started to implement them. One was around creating an ambassador programme for our graduates; this will help them move away from our service without re-traumatising them.”
She adds: “The organisational review has equipped us with a framework and a toolkit to work within. It has given us real confidence.”
Professional consultations
Trauma Treatment International also held a series of professional consultation sessions with the Hotel School team. These sessions helped staff to embed trauma-informed practices into their work, with suggestions around managing self-care, setting work-life boundaries, and managing a team in a trauma-informed way.
Employment and Progression Manager Dana Hallam (pictured next to Zoe above) says: “The professional consultations have given me valuable space to reflect on my personal development and my transition from frontline support into management and leadership. The TTI psychologist has been brilliant. She asks thoughtful, insightful questions that have helped me recognise how much progress I’ve made and reminded me that I already hold many of the answers.
“In a small, busy charity, it’s often difficult to find the time to pause and reflect in this way. These sessions create that space intentionally. I always leave feeling lighter, more positive, and more focused. The best way I can describe it is like a massage for the brain.”
She adds: “Working with TTI has been an incredible experience. From the outstanding support they have provided to our graduates to the thoughtful and engaging interviews and focus group process for the report, every stage has been handled with professionalism and care.
“We are excited to continue and grow our partnership together.”