Mick Ord Media provided intensive media training for Jigsaw Homes’ managers, enhancing their ability to handle media interviews with confidence and effectiveness, particularly in response to the new responsibilities introduced by “Awaab’s Law”.
“His expertise shone through… Mick’s incorporation of realistic scenarios allowed our team [to prepare for] real-life challenges… Mick’s media training was both informative and interesting, equipping our team with the skills and assurance needed to excel in media interactions.”
Caty Cartwright, Jigsaw Group PR & Communications manager
Jigsaw Homes is one of the largest housing groups in the UK with more than 37,000 homes across the North West of England and the East Midlands. They build, renovate and manage affordable housing for rent and sale. They employ 1500 people and have an annual turnover of £200 million.
The challenge for the PR team
In the wake of the heart-rending tragedy involving the death of 2 year old Awaab Ishak in Rochdale in 2020 due to prolonged exposure to mould in his home, the government introduced “Awaab’s Law.” This landmark legislation represents a significant shift in how damp and mould issues are handled in social housing, placing new responsibilities on both landlords and tenants to ensure safer, healthier living conditions. Responsible housing organisations like Jigsaw are acutely aware of their new responsibilities and are working hard to ensure that nothing approaching this tragic case occurs in any of their homes. Jigsaw reviewed their systems in the light of the new law including their crisis communications skills. Their head of PR contacted Mick Ord Media to commission a media training workshop to ensure that their managers know how to conduct media interviews.
Solution – about our workshops
I attended their head office in Greater Manchester having prepared an intensive media training workshop specifically geared towards their needs. This included creating 3 different mock-news scenarios increasing in complexity over a full-day’s session which required them to prepare their messaging priorities efficiently and respond to tv interviews in a calm and authoritative manner while under pressure.
Results
The response from the Jigsaw managers was extremely impressive. They ended the day’s session brimming with confidence and more than capable of holding their own, should they ever be required to conduct a tv or radio interview.
The Jigsaw Group PR & Communications manager, Caty Cartwright was delighted with the media training workshop and the way in which the managers responded to the challenges set for them.
