Planning for the unexpected
One of the biggest lessons in emergency response is that real incidents rarely behave the way we expect them to. You can have solid procedures, confident responders, and well rehearsed drills - and then something completely human and unpredictable happens, and suddenly the script goes out the window.
Take a situation many teams have faced: you’re responding to an incident and someone steps forward saying, “I’m a nurse,” or “I’m a paramedic - I can help.” It sounds reassuring, but in the moment you have no way of knowing their background, how current their training is, or whether their experience fits your environment. And when adrenaline is high, confidence can look a lot like competence.
The same thing happens inside
These backgrounds can be incredibly helpful, but they can also pull a situation in unexpected directions. That’s why scenario based training is so important. It gives people a safe space to practice the messy, human side of emergenciesthe judgement calls, the communication, the awkward moments, the “what now?” decisions.
And the more realistic the scenario, the better. Use expired lost property. Throw in obstacles. Practice removing clothing on manikins for CPR using real items - yes, even bras. These details make training memorable and help people think practically, not theoretically.
In the end, good emergency preparedness isn’t just about equipment and procedures. It’s about people - their instincts, their reactions, their unpredict-
The Right Conversation
On Wednesday 22 July we held the first episode of our brand-new webinar series, The Right Conversation.
This series is designed to explore the topics that matter most, share industry best practice and provide practical advice to help support your day-to-day operations.
In our first session, we focused on risk assessments. We’ll covered key statistics, discussed how organisations should manage risk effectively. We also discussed aspects of Martyn’s Law, and shared practical insights that can applied.
For all Right Directions’ clients, the webinar recording will be available on the Right Place next week!
Online Training
The Sexual Harassment Awareness for Managers course, launching in the coming weeks, equips leaders with the knowledge and confidence to create safe, respectful workplaces.
It raises awareness of what constitutes sexual harassment, strengthens understanding of legal responsibilities, and promotes effective prevention and reporting practices. Developed in response to recent changes in legislation, this online course features five modules covering key areas such as recognising concerns, responding appropriately, and applying the duty to prevent sexual harassment. It also supports managers in learning how to develop and implement a robust sexual harassment policy, helping organisations reduce risk, remain compliant, and build a culture of safety, respect, and inclusion.
Help Shape the Future of Health & Safety Training in the Leisure Industry!
At the heart of everything we do is a commitment to raising standards and supporting you in creating safe, compliant, and thriving environments.
That’s why we’re developing a Health and Safety Competent Person Training Course, and we want your views to help shape it.
This new programme is designed specifically for the leisure industry, combining flexible online learning, practical face-to-face sessions, and a final assessed project. It will equip professionals with the confidence and capability to manage health and safety effectively, from risk assessments and hazard identification to compliance and safety culture development.
But here’s the key: We don’t just want to build a course; we want to build a course that suits your needs!
So, we’re asking for your help, as your insight is incredibly important to us.
Please take a few minutes to complete our suggestion form, using the link below, or if you’d prefer, we’d be happy to arrange a quick conversation to gather your feedback HERE
We look forward to hearing what you think and appreciate you taking the time to share your views.
IFS Project
Sport England, Unify, 4Global and Right Directions are working on an exciting project called IFS (Integrated Facility Systems).
Data shows significant energy use occurs when public leisure facilities are not in use creating clear opportunities to reduce demand , even before major capital investment decisions are considered. 26% of Electricity, 34% of Gas and 32% of Water can used when there are no recorded bookings or in non-operational hours.
Too often, facilities look to implement expensive capital upgrades to address energy consumption. The evidence suggests operational and behavioural practices should be optimized first.
So what are the priority actions and how is Right Directions involved. The priorities are:
Operational Improvements
• Align heating, ventilation, and plant schedules with booking patterns
• Reduce overnight and low-occupancy system operation.
Targeted Capital Investment
• Use data to prioritise upgrades where they will have the greatest impact.
Behavioural Changes
• Switch off lighting and equipment and unused areas
• Increase staff engagement in energy-saving practices.
Right Directions will be completing IFS Energy Audits and Reviews (6 months later) at the selected sites over the coming months. The audits will look at operational improvements and behaviour changes, assisting facilities with how they can make simple fixes through processes, training and communication.
We have recently joined the Age-Friendly Pledge by the Centre for Ageing better. This is a nationwide programme for employers who recognise the value of older workers within the workforce.
The average age of our team is currently 45, ranging from our youngest team members being in their early twenties to our eldest team members being in their seventies!
Diversity helps our organisation improve, sharing ideas and experiences.
Age-friendly pledge Client Spotlights
Sandwell RoSPA Award
We are delighted to hear that Kore Sandwell have received the RoSPAAward 2026, for their 20th consecutive year!
They have also received the RoSPA Highly Commended in the Public Service & Local Government Sector Award for health and safety performance for 2025.
Congratulations to the team! We are delighted to be supporting them achieve their goals.
Cheltenham Leisure Trust achieves ISO 45001
Right Directions were approached to help The Cheltenham Trust achieve ISO 45001 accreditation. The process from start to finish took approximately 12 months.
Dan Brookes feedback to us was:
“When I first looked at the level of detail involved and the ISO terminology, although I was fully committed to achieving accreditation, it did leave me with a serious headache.
Caroline helped by clearly explaining what was required and simplifying the language used by ISO. Work targets were set for each clause over an eight-month period, followed by the Stage One Audit, which Caroline also attended and supported us through, with five venues assessed under one accreditation.
Caroline was always on hand to answer any questions and was extremely patient while I was trying to grasp the amount of detail required. It is not just one form; it is the layers of detail that sit beneath the relevant policies and procedures.
I have no doubt that working with Right Directions significantly sped up the accreditation process and saved me a great deal of stress along the way. I very much enjoyed linking up with the Right Directions team and, as they say, every day is a learning day!
I cannot recommend Right Directions highly enough for health and safety support.”
Jimmy 10 years at RD
Jimmy Pimblett is our Head of Mobilisation at Right Directions and celebrates his 10-year anniversary with us this year!
After spending 20 years within the leisure industry, going all the way up from Lifeguard to Contract Manager for a range of operators, Jimmy started at Right Directions in 2016. He began as a Quality and H&S Manager, focusing on supporting our clients with health and safety, quality and also with the Quest scheme before also delivering environmental support. Jimmy was one of our first Operations Manager (looking after and supporting clients) and has since further begun providing, fire and legionella risk assessments and mobilising our new clients. He has travelled across the majority of the UK, arching from the top of Scotland, all the way down to Cornwall & Jersey, supporting our clients along the way.
Jimmy became our Head of Mobilisation in summer 2025 and has taken an even bigger role of supporting our new clients whilst also supporting our existing ones too. Jimmy helped to support Kore Sandwell with achieving their RoSPA award, which they achieved for their 20th consecutive year this year, which is such an incredible achievement for all of those involved.
Jimmy is a core member of our team and brings a wealth of knowledge (and humour) along with him. We are so fortunate to have Jimmy at Right Directions, and we can’t wait to see what else he can achieve in the next 10 years.
Important Contacts
For existing clients who would like to get in touch with regards their support or new work, please contact our Client Services team clientservices@rightdirections.co.uk
For existing clients who wish to get in touch with your client lead or support, please consult your Welcome Letter where this information is held, or call our Support Office on 01582 840098
For any training queries, please contact our training team training@rightdirections.co.uk
For StaffMIS queries and support, please contact our StaffMIS team StaffMIS@rightdirections.co.uk
For Stitch queries and support, please contact our Stitch team stitch@rightdirections.co.uk
For any general enquiries or questions, please call our Support Office on 01582 840098, or email info@rightdirections.co.uk
For any queries surrounding Quest, please call our Support Office on 01582 840078 or email quest@rightdirections.co.uk
A lot of our email addresses are accessed by several staff so you will definitely get a response, this might no be the case if you ring the office as the team may be on Teams calls or out auditing and supporting clients.
