Contact Me
If you’re looking for practical, experience-led training that helps your team feel more confident, I’m happy to have a chat.
Practical training that helps organisations support mental health, disability and workplace wellbeing with confidence.
Grounded in real experience, not theory.
I work with employers, charities and employability services across the UK.
People trained in mental health and suicide prevention
Specialist in workplace disability and reasonable adjustments
Background in mental health, addictions and housing support
Direct experience working with organisations to support staff
I’ve worked across training, frontline support and employability, so I understand both the challenges individuals face and the pressures organisations are under.
My training focuses on what people can actually do differently in their role, not just what sounds good in theory.
Delivered Scotland’s Mental Health First Aid and SafeTALK training to over 1,000 people across Scotland.
Worked across mental health, addictions and housing support, supporting people facing complex challenges.
I started out running my own training business, delivering Scotland’s Mental Health First Aid and SafeTALK across Scotland. Over time, I trained more than 1,000 people, helping staff and managers feel more confident supporting mental health at work.
After that, I moved into frontline roles supporting people affected by addiction, homelessness and housing instability. This gave me a much deeper understanding of what people are dealing with day to day, and strengthened my ability to handle complex conversations with empathy and clarity.
More recently, I worked as an IPS Employment Specialist, supporting people with mental health conditions into paid work and working directly with employers to help them support their staff. During this time, I completed my Certified Disability Management Professional qualification and a PDA in Supported Employment.
What I’ve seen time and time again is that organisations want to do the right thing, but often aren’t sure how. That’s what led me back into training, focusing on practical, straightforward support that actually works in real workplaces.
I’ve seen first-hand how much of a difference the right support can make, and how easily people can be let down when that support isn’t there.
The areas I work in are often the ones organisations want to get right, but need clearer, more practical guidance on.
Helping managers and teams respond confidently to mental health in the workplace.
Clear, practical guidance on putting the right support in place for individuals at work.
Building understanding, confidence and inclusive approaches across your organisation.
Supporting IPS teams to deliver consistent, high-quality practice and improve outcomes for people moving into work.
Alongside my training work, I currently have a part-time role in volunteer coordination and continue to stay actively involved in supporting people and communities.
If you’re looking for practical, experience-led training that helps your team feel more confident, I’m happy to have a chat.
(0330) 1333 064
hello@forwardfocustraining.co.uk
Practical, expert-led training on mental health, reasonable adjustments and inclusive employment.
Led by Amanda O’Connell, Certified Disability Management Professional, with real-world experience in workplace wellbeing, disability inclusion and IPS/employability support.
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Registered Office Address: 5 South Charlotte Street, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH2 4AN
Company No: SC829882
ICO number: ZB963902