Lack of training undermines client trust and support - Counsellor Optima Health Employee Review

Thank you for taking the time to share this feedback. We genuinely value colleagues speaking openly about their experience, particularly during periods of significant change. We would like to clarify that comprehensive onboarding support was provided as part of the mobilisation, including induction to Optima and structured training sessions, system demonstrations, and detailed guidance materials. However, we recognise that the transition timelines were very tight, and that this presented numerous obstacles which impacted some elements of the training for some individuals. It is also important to note that, under TUPE arrangements, the intention was to maintain continuity and stability for transferring colleagues by minimising immediate changes to processes and ways of working. This approach was taken to support both staff and customers during the transition and to avoid unnecessary disruption to established clinical and operational delivery. We fully acknowledge the strength of feeling around professional identity and terminology. The distinction between “advisor” and “counsellor” is aligned to the wider business structure rather than a reflection of professional capability or value. We deeply respect the expertise, dedication, and passion of our clinicians, which remains central to the quality of care we provide. This commitment to quality is evidenced through our external accreditations, including EAPA and SEQOHS, and our ongoing work towards BACP organisational accreditation. These standards require robust clinical governance, training provision, and clinical protocols, all of which our teams consistently demonstrate. We also appreciate the feedback regarding systems and IT. While training and support have been made available, we recognise that user experience can vary, and we will continue to review both the usability of our platforms and how we support colleagues in using them effectively. As such we boosted our server capacity recently due to the observations and feedback from colleagues. Finally, we want to reiterate how much we value the work of our clinical teams. The impact that colleagues have on clients every day is significant and demonstrated by the excellent feedback and satisfaction scores they receive. We remain committed to supporting our clinicians in achieving this with training and development opportunities, clinical supervision and managerial support.