Award Nomination:
It has been clear for many years that our mental wellbeing is as important as out physical wellbeing, and they go hand in hand. For many years we have tried to engage with staff and not always been as successful as we would wish however following a campaign and engaging with staff, we have been able to put a programme in place which supports the employee without the need for them to feel uncomfortable and supports them to get the right help at the right time. It is important to mention that this programme does not just cover mental health wellbeing but they have access to financial and legal assistance which can also be a cause of poor mental health.
Additional Information
We had several incidents which directly impacted on individuals’ mental wellbeing and although we supported them as individuals what was needed was a joined-up programme that would support everyone. I believe it is well known that people can hide their feelings in such a way that will ultimately have a detrimental impact on them and those around them, this then leads to other issues including acting in a manner that can adversely affect others and especially within the workplace that makes it a safety issue.
We looked for volunteers who wanted to and could fulfil the role of mental health first aiders, just over a quarter of the workforce put their names forward and then underwent the mental health first aid course. Although this is a good starting point what was needed was access to specialist support and we found this through Wisdom who provide an anonymous 24/7 help system which is open to all is confidential and as employer we are advised twice a year that “X” amount of individuals have accessed the system.
The biggest challenge was scepticism and getting the buy in from staff that this was confidential, and they could trust what has been put in place for their benefit and not that of the employer, although indirectly we benefit as we have a workforce who feel supported and looked after. One of the ways we have achieved this is by “Work Force Ambassadors” who are championing this approach the advantage is that they can speak with one of their peers and not feel constrained or uncomfortable by needing to speak with a manager despite having an open-door policy and not being judgemental.
To make this viable we needed a platform to launch this programme and we worked with “Perk Box” who host the programme and an additional benefit is a one stop shop for other perks and rewards this includes our quarterly safety award which is administered through “Perk Box”.
To date 92% of the workforce are using the app through Perkbox and of those 30% have sought help through the counselling scheme and advisory scheme. I personally sought help with some counselling and from a personal perspective he helped me a lot. Anecdotal evidence gained through conversations indicate that this has been well received and they are being listened.
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