MD Kate Jackson says she has been encouraged by the large uptake of businesses seeking advice on how to set up their own mental health policies and how to support staff at work
The new training facility at Wellbeing Therapy Solutions’ new premises which can hold up to 12 delegates.
Just over four years ago, the ‘Thriving at Work’ paper was published – the Stevenson/Farmer Review of mental health and employers.
The document was produced after a request from the then Prime Minister, Teresa May who wanted to find out how employers could better help employees with ‘mental ill-health or poor wellbeing’ in all kinds of employment, ‘to remain in and thrive through work’.
The fascinating 84-page review made a series of recommendations which encouraged and urged companies to implement measures that would aid and improve the mental health and wellbeing of their employees.
In light of the Covid-19 pandemic that has made the last two years incredibly testing for everyone, those recommendations seem even more prevalent now.
Recommendations
Wellbeing Therapy Solutions (WTS) have experienced a large uptake of businesses seeking advice on how to set up their own mental health policies at work and also supporting members of staff to complete Mental Health First Aid courses, all of which can now be held at WTS’ wonderful new premises near Leicester.
The recommendations of ‘Thriving at Work’ still offer excellent advice for any company, particularly small ones or SMEs, who are looking into how they can provide support for their staff.
They say that even the smallest of companies can…
- Produce, implement and communicate a mental health at work plan
- Develop mental health awareness among employees
- Encourage open conversations about mental health and the support available when employees are struggling
- Provide your employees with good working conditions
- Promote effective people management
- Routinely monitor employee mental health and wellbeing
Those suggestions can not only help make staff more aware of how to help themselves and their colleagues but can also provide the impetus to help keep more members of staff at work – and not sadly off work with mental health difficulties.
Mental health support
Wellbeing Therapy Solutions MD Kate Jackson said: “It has been very encouraging to see so many businesses, schools, charities and other organisations make positive moves to offer more mental health support to their staff and members in recent times.
“The pandemic has hit all of us and more and more people are struggling with their mental health as a result. Unfortunately, we cannot just switch off from mental health worries when we enter the workplace.
“So, measures that are put in place by employers to support their staff are crucial and, as we have found, very welcomed by the workforce too. Statistically, they are likely to have less days off work if resources are investment are there to provide support for staff’s mental health.
Training room
“Wellbeing Therapy Solutions provide a whole range of training and education to employers to help them to help their staff – and our new premises now have a specific training room which can host up to 12 delegates for various courses and workshops.
“WTS also offer a flexible employee assistance programme whereby our experienced team of occupational therapists can offer assessments and interventions for employees experiencing mental health challenges. Our team can support a person to remain in work by making recommendations for reasonable adjustments and also develop return to work plans for anyone who has needed to take time off due to their mental health.
“We don’t offer packages, we work with each individual business to create services that meet their needs and budget. Examples of current services to businesses include group wellbeing workshops, Mental Health First Aid training, 1:1 therapy sessions, mental health awareness sessions, consultancy for development of a mental health strategy/policy and assessment and recommendations for return to work plans.
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