May has been a month of energy, reflection, and community at Big Picture Training. As always, we’re here to support housing professionals across the sector with practical tools, training, and stories that inspire action. Here’s everything we’ve been up to, and a few things you won’t want to miss…
🎓 Upcoming Training Workshops (Australia)
Spots are filling up fast, secure your place on these public training courses:
🗓 Having Difficult Conversations – 03/06/2025
🔗 Register here
🗓 Intro to the Residential Tenancies Act in NSW – 04/06/2025
🔗 Register here
🗓 Routine Inspections in Community Housing – 11/06/2025
🔗 Register here
🗓 Applying Nudge Theory – 11/06/2025
🔗 Register here
🌟 The Big Picture Community Has Launched!
Early May saw the official launch of our brand-new Big Picture Community.
It’s your go-to hub for CX excellence and customer service know-how in social housing, and honestly, it’s a tool no housing professional should be without.
During Learning at Work Week, we generously shared a whole series of FREE training resources with our followers, everything from bite-sized videos to practical tools you could use straight away.
🙌 Missed it? Don’t panic!
All those resources, and so much more, are still available inside the Big Picture Community.
🔍 Inside, you’ll find:
- ✅ Ready-to-go toolkits for training, team meetings & 1:1s
- ✅ Bite-sized eLearning & videos for on-the-go learning
- ✅ A supportive forum to ask questions & share ideas
- ✅ Early access to new workshops, events & exclusive content
Whether you’re in leadership, on the frontline, or somewhere in between, there’s something here for you.
👉 Join the Community and get everything you need to deliver training with purpose, confidence, and impact.
🔖 Behind the Scenes: What We’ve Been Working On
While we’ve been out there training, connecting, and sharing stories, we’ve also been deep in development mode behind the scenes. Here’s what’s been keeping us (happily) busy:
Creating new eLearning courses for BPT Community, Gamifying our learning resources so they’re engaging and interactive, Working on new customer experience frameworks to support social housing providers, Collaborating with sector leaders on content that meets emerging needs
We’re constantly asking, How can we serve the sector better? And everything we do is grounded in that question.
👣 A Moment from Jo
“3km into my 5km run. Country lane. No one around. A car pulls over ahead of me. A man gets out, walks round to his boot and opens it. My brain goes full Midsomer Murders. ‘This is it. I’m about to be bundled into the boot.’”
That was Jo’s unforgettable moment this month, and no, thankfully she wasn’t kidnapped. But the story sparked some important reflections on the lived experiences of women and how fear often rides alongside our routines.
“Do men worry like this? Do they instinctively look for escape routes or mentally rehearse how to get help if needed?”
It’s a powerful reminder that safety and mindset impact how we show up at work and in life. And as always, Jo uses those everyday experiences to bring humanity into the way we learn and train.
🧂 Smart Training (and Crisps on the Bed)
Jo went viral on LinkedIn this month after sharing the story of Rachel and her husband, Johnnie. Johnnie asked hotel staff to scatter 30 packets of crisps on their bed for a romantic surprise. Unfortunately, the hotel staff literally scattered the contents of 30 crisp packets all over the bed. Crunchy chaos!
😂 The moral of the story? Make your instructions SMART:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
Training should never assume clarity, spell it out and make it make sense!
🎮 Gamification That Makes Learning Stick
“Buzzers aren’t our thing.”
That was a recent comment from a client about gamification. And fair enough, because gamification isn’t about gimmicks. It’s about engagement.
We’re serious about fun, because fun makes learning memorable. It’s about curiosity, collaboration, and a sense of challenge. Whether it’s a quick quiz, a clever scenario, or a bit of healthy competition, we use play to make learning stick.
💬 Real Talk: The Struggles in Social Housing
Jo opened up this month about the fatigue in social housing. Many professionals feel disillusioned, unheard, and under constant scrutiny. But it’s not all bleak.
She shared a story about a housing officer who went the extra mile to support an older tenant in crisis, restoring her dignity, community connection, and financial stability. No cameras, no headlines. Just real impact.
We’re asking everyone in the sector to share more of these stories. Let’s rebalance the narrative and remind ourselves of the difference we do make.
🎂 Celebrating Ellie
Our wonderful MD Ellie celebrated her birthday in May, and we couldn’t let it pass without a shoutout. Ellie’s leadership in Australia is grounded in care, calm, and incredible integrity. She’s the heart behind our operations, and we’re lucky to have her. 💙
❌ Ending Social Housing Stigma
We’re proud to support the Stop Social Housing Stigma campaign. These stories matter. They challenge harmful stereotypes and amplify voices that need to be heard.
At Big Picture Training, we help organisations listen better, serve better, and challenge outdated attitudes. Campaigns like this are vital for creating long-lasting change.
🌈 National Reconciliation Week (NRW) 2025
Last week marked National Reconciliation Week in Australia, and we’re proud to be leading by example.
This year’s theme, Now More Than Ever, reminds us that reconciliation is an ongoing commitment. At Big Picture Training, we’re reviewing all our training content, ensuring it’s representative, inclusive, and reflective of First Nations experiences.
Because change starts with how we learn and what we choose to teach.
Final Thoughts
Thanks for being with us this month. We’re proud to be on this journey with you, championing better service, stronger communities, and meaningful change in housing.
Got a story to share? A win worth celebrating? Or a training idea you’d love to explore? Let us know, email us info@bigpicturetraining.com, we would love to hear from you.
Until next time, — The Big Picture Training Team 💙