Case Study: Via Drug & Alcohol Addiction Charity

In: Case StudyDate: Feb 27, 2025By: Claire Lickman

Hydah Nawab, the Deputy Service Manager at Via Redbridge, took part in our Level 5 Leadership and Management Apprenticeship, where she was able to have fun while learning valuable skills that ensured she was able to launch Via's new wellbeing coaching programme, Re-new. 

Hydah is neurodivergent and has previously found that educational courses have not fit well into the way that she learns or have supported her in the ways that she needed support. As a result, she had not been in education for a while and had found the previous experience to be difficult for her. At Happy, we want all of our learners to be able to get the most out of the courses and look for ways to help those that might need a bit of extra support.

It was a really good experience. I’m neurodivergent and got lots of support from Happy tutors and staff including email contact, extra sessions with my tutor.Hydah Nawab, Via

During her time on the programme, Hydah did face multiple bereavements and felt that she wouldn't actually be able to finish the course, however her facilitator, Sarah, was able to provide support and encouragement to help her along the way. "She would help me review the content I missed, breaking it down into more manageable pieces," Hydah said, about her facilitator, Sarah. 

Happy wasn't the only support network she had. Within her workplace, her manager was very supportive and her team helped her with course projects. They were able to support her to better ensure she had the time she needed to take on the programme and complete it as well. 

Hydah also struggled with maths, but Cynthia and Anerie were able to be flexible with their time, changing around meetings to better accommodate work schedules and providing mock tests to support her learning. She also had support from her partner, son and colleagues. 

As a result, she wasn't the only person that benefited at her company from the Leadership and Management Apprenticeship, as the organisation was able to communicate more effectively through the new models and visual tools that she learned during her time on the course. 

Happy helped me learn and work in a way that supported my neurodiversity. The advice I’d give apprentices is to have open communication with their tutors, the support you need is there.Hydah Nawab, Via

Hydah had a very supportive line manager, who was able to assign her a study day and protect the time that she needed to dedicate to the programme each week. This meant that when she logged her off-the-job training, she wouldn't be creating a back log of activities, giving her more space to focus on learning. All of these different ways of being supported can ensure that you are able to get the most out of a programme like this.

When it came to the end of her apprenticeship, she had the following advice to share to people who are thinking of doing an apprenticeship with Happy:

Do it, it was the first educational experience I enjoyed. I’m even considering continuing my studies.Hydah Nawab, Via

Support your aspiring and current managers to be empowering and confident leaders with happy

Happy offers leadership programmes at Level 3, Level 5 and Level 7, from new managers/supervisor level all the way up to senior leadership teams and CEOs. These programmes are based on the ideas of trusting your people. They are practical and based on applying what yo've learnt. We aim to inspire and ignite change in your organisation, as well as giving you valuable management skills such as business strategy, decision-making, negotiation and project management.

We also offer programmes tailored specifically to people from Global Majority backgrounds. The content is the same, but have been designed to give new and experienced managers the skills they need to navigate organisational culture with a clearer perspective on their own potential, as well as building their confidence and expanding their professional strengths.

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