Independent & Trauma Informed Consultancy UK and Yorkshire

**Open for independent consulting and commissions. To discuss your project, programme or tender, including bespoke or tailored commissions, contact Candy Dowson on 07933 299 266 or via email**

Examples of Consultancy Services available from Arras Healing: 

• project, service or programme evaluation and management;
• trauma-informed leadership and evaluation/reviews; 
• support to Systems Change and Transformation reviews and implementation;
• independent reporting and insights gathering; 
• focus groups, seminars and workshops; 
• community engagement and qualitative reporting; 
• training needs development and delivery; 
• implementation of reflective practice and staff support/training to deal with exposure to trauma and traumatic incidents;
• holistic needs analyses or assessments; 
• feasibility studies and maturity matrixes;
• bespoke work and input themed around trauma-informed practice and trauma-responsive ways of working / evolution.

At A Glance

Arras Healing offers independent consultancy to businesses and organisations, with the added bonus of experienced and award-winning programme management. 

Due to her array of professional experience, Candy is able to provide a unique and holistic offer to businesses and organisations that is difficult to find anywhere else. 

Perhaps you are redesigning services to be more trauma-aware and trauma-informed... 

Perhaps you would like to feature co-production and Lived Experience more highly in your service user or patient pathways...

Maybe you would like a better understanding of the interplay between trauma and the dynamics of your organisation and aren't sure where to begin... 

Or perhaps you would like to centre trauma-informed leadership and principles in your recovery strategies and business planning...

Recent Projects

Arras Healing completed a trauma-informed service evaluation and report for the NHS Homeless Mental Health Service in Hull, East Yorkshire, in 2022. This identified good practice, emergent areas of work, and recommendations for future development of homelessness services. 

Candy also provided interim support as Consultant Programme Lead to the Trauma Informed City initiative in Hull, part of Changing Futures and Hull City Council (Nov22-Jan23).

Beginning February 2023, Arras Healing is supporting Hull City Council to complete a needs assessment for people and communities that are experiencing severe and multiple deprivation.

Candy is particularly keen to explore work with organisations around systems change, trauma-informed leadership, and the transformation of services. 

Consultant Bio

Candy Dowson, Independent Consultant and Facilitator at Arras Healing, has 5 years' experience of working within the NHS and Statutory Services at a senior level, responsible for contributions to operational planning and multi-year strategy development, as well as close-working with regional and national teams. She has an additional 6 years in other sectors (the voluntary/VCSE sector and local authority settings) and vast experience of designing cross-sectoral services for vulnerable communities and those from protected groups (per Equality Act, 2010). 

Candy has been working in a consultancy role with public sector organisations since 2022, following her departure from the NHS to set up Arras Healing. More generally known by her 'Sunday name' Candice in her corporate career prior to Arras Healing, Candy can offer strategic input into services and programmes coming from a partnership ethos and compassion-led approach. She is particularly passionate about how we can nurture 'healing communities' and bring trauma-informed leadership into mainstream awareness and systems transformation.

Well acquainted throughout North Yorkshire, York and the Humber, she can also provide insight into cultures and help to unlock innovative and creative "outside of the box" thinking for businesses and organisations.

Testimonials:

"Arras Healing undertook an independent review of an NHS commissioned service.  It has been a pleasure to work with Candy who has gone to great lengths to extract and draw out service user and stakeholder feedback and experience. She has done this in a compassionate way, taking the time to spend with the operational aspect of the service and speaking to service users.  The outcome report is very thorough, considered and thought provoking in terms of next steps and how we progress as a system to work together and what we may want to focus on.  I would recommend Candy to other organisations on such work and I am really pleased what she has been able to do on behalf of our local service."  ~ Toni Yel, Head of Integrated Commissioning, NHS Hull Health and Care Partnership 

"It has been an absolute pleasure from start to finish working with Candy. She is able to effortlessly combine sharp and well-honed programme management expertise with a trauma informed lens and insight - which provides an enriching, unique and transformational approach to her consultancy work. We would recommend anyone looking for someone to carry out consultancy work, be it specifically or not with this enriching insight, to consider working with Candy – we didn’t want to see her go."  ~ Dr Lucy Chiddick, Hull and Humber & North Yorkshire NHS Health and Care Partnership, Clinical Lead for Inclusion Health

If you would like to set up an exploratory discussion or meeting please contact hello@arras-healing.co.uk with some details or phone 07933 299 266.

Please note Arras Healing is the trading name of Candice Dowson, a registered sole trader.