Mental Health and Wellbeing

Mental Health and Wellbeing

In these unique and challenging times, it is important to look after ourselves and be aware of not only our Physical Health, but our Mental Health and Wellbeing.  We do have a Mental Health at Work Level 3 course available to do at the Corporate Learning Centre – the course is over 2 days and costs £160 (free to Sefton staff). There is also a Mental Health at Work online course which takes approximately 45 minutes to complete and costs £30pp.

However, we have developed this web page which contains some practical tips to support Mental Health and Wellbeing.  Here you will find out about the support that’s available from Occupational Health and our Health and Safety teams.  There’s also a selection of Mental Health and Wellbeing learning resources which includes eLearning, signposting to useful mobile phone applications, mental health related helplines and reports that we hope you find useful.

Resources will be regularly reviewed on a regular basis however if you have any suggestions as to what else needs to be included please let us know by emailing Anne Hawksworth, Learning and Development Office Manager.

Mental Health

One in four people in the UK will have a mental health problem at some point. While mental health problems are common, most are mild, tend to be short-term and are normally successfully treated, with medication, by a GP.

Mental health is about how we think, feel and behave. Anxiety and depression are the most common mental health problems. They are often a reaction to a difficult life event, such as bereavement, but can also be caused by work-related issues. Work can also aggravate pre-existing conditions, and problems at work can bring on symptoms or make their effects worse. Find out more on mental health. 

Stress

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) define stress as “the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other type of demand placed on them.” This makes an important distinction between pressure which can be a positive state if managed correctly and stress which can be detrimental to health.  More background information can be found on the HSE website.

Use the support that’s available

Support with looking after your mental health

Sefton employees wanting support with their mental wellbeing can now contact one of two organisations.

Staff working in adult and children’s social care can use the specialist support services provided by the Cheshire and Merseyside Resilience Hub

The rest of the Council workforce can access support through the national Able Futures service.

Cheshire and Merseyside Resilience Hub

Among the services provided by Cheshire and Merseyside Resilience Hub or Health and Social Care workers are support with:

• stress, anxiety and self-care;
• coping with trauma;
• avoiding burnout;
• resilience well-being and peer support.

Resources available include free apps covering meditation, sleep improvement, relaxation, managing worries and improving wellbeing.

Social care staff can self-refer to the Cheshire and Merseyside Resilience Hub here.

Able Futures

Through Able Futures, those in the wider workforce can access advice and guidance from a mental health specialist to help them learn coping mechanisms, build resilience or access therapy and make adjustments to help your mental health at work.

Able Futures can provide support with

• anxiety;
• stress;
• depression;
• bereavement;
• coping at Christmas.

Eating and drinking issues, getting a good night’s sleep, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and general mental wellbeing are also covered.

You can find details of other support around mental health issues across Sefton and beyond.

Whether we are at work or not many employers provide support.

• Many employers offer Employee Assistance Programmes, and wider benefits. Use these wherever you need – many have dedicated apps and websites and they aren’t just about counselling. 
• Sefton Council Occupational Health Service – offers a range of services which includes Occupational Health Nursing and Physicians, Health Promotion, Counselling, Physiotherapy and Psychotherapy.  For referrals, questions or queries, call 0151 934 3650 or email.
• Listening Ear – a telephone support line for member of staff concerned about their emotional wellbeing, mental health, and current situation.  The service is available to all Sefton Council employees including anyone who works in primary, secondary or an Academy within Sefton. Listening Ear has set up a telephone support line on 0800 048 5224.
• Kooth – are safe and confidential online counselling and emotional wellbeing services for Sefton Schools and Children and Young People.  These services can be accessed through a smartphone, tablet or computer.  
• Kooth is for Children and Young People.

When creating an account choose Sefton from the drop-down menu and the most appropriate role on the second drop down window from the options. After signing up, you will have access to online counsellors every day until 10pm via drop-in sessions or scheduled text-based sessions; self-help materials; moderated forums and personal goal-based journals.

• Corporate Health and Safety Team are concerned with the physical and psychological health, safety and wellbeing of staff and managers at work, or external factors affecting work. They can advise on changes that may be required to the way we work, the environment and the work itself and can signpost managers and staff to support and tools available where anyone is, or could be at risk of experiencing poor psychological wellbeing, poor mental or physical health.

The team have developed a Psychological Health Risk Assessment guidance and template to enable Managers to carry out a robust risk assessment in the workplace. Find out more on risk assessment's in the workplace.

For further information please contact healthandsafety@sefton.gov.uk

• Active Workforce is a Staff Health & Wellbeing Service, which offers opportunities to improve their health in and around the working day. The programme not only encourages staff to increase their activity levels but also offers opportunities to relieve stress and gain knowledge to help them achieve a healthier lifestyle. The activities range from Exercise Classes, Walking Groups, Monthly Challenge’s, Gym Memberships, Weight Management Courses, Sport Events, Health Seminars to Health Checks, Menopause Groups and a Book Club. All aspects of the programme can now be accessed virtually. Find out details of the full programme. To register for regular updates about what is on offer for you, please complete the Registration Form

• It’s quite likely that we will need to accept a certain amount of distress and anxiety relating to the outbreak, in the short and medium term. If you have self-care techniques that work for you, try and make sure that you have what you need. You may need to think differently – for example doing exercise workouts online instead of attending classes. Active Sefton have a wide variety of free exercise classes on their YouTube Channel which can be accessed at any time. Active Workforce also offer 20 minute online Health Seminars including topics such as Stress, Sleep, Back Care and Menopause. You may also want to consider looking at mindfulness practice or finding ways to help others in your community. Self-compassion, and support for others is going to be very important. For access to the Health Seminars or Mindfulness, please email: active.workforce@sefton.gov.uk

• The NHS website provides a range of ‘free’ and ‘paid-for’ resources for anyone concerned about theirs or someone else’s Mental Health and Wellbeing. Further information can be found here

• Staff Health and Wellbeing Toolkit – Sefton Council’s Public Health Team and Communications have put together a Health and Wellbeing Toolkit to help staff navigate this unusual time.  The toolkit contains practical hints and tips whilst working at home, in the community and in the office. The document can be downloaded from here.