Mental wellbeing case studies and best practice guidance
Mental wellbeing case studies and best practice guidance
Helping staff to thrive at work
The UK government’s six recommended mental health core standards (gov.uk) lay the basic foundations to an approach on what employers can do to better support all employees, including those with mental health problems, to remain in and thrive through work. These are designed to be implemented at little or no cost.
Workplace mental health and wellbeing resources are numerous. However, the evidence-base behind some promoted interventions can be lacking; check who created the resource, who funded it, when it was written and if it applies to a UK workforce.
Resources
- Workplace Wellbeing (hants.gov) - collates some specific links around mental health and wellbeing and workplaces
- The Wellcome Report (Wellcome) - summarises learning on promising approaches for addressing workplace mental health
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) - guidelines for mental wellbeing at work
- Mental health at work (Mind) - advice for employees and organisations, including a guide for small businesses
- Supporting mental health at work (CIPD)
Mental wellbeing themes
To help focus your organisation’s action, here are some suggested key mental wellbeing themes.
Five Ways to Wellbeing
The Five Ways to Wellbeing are a set of evidence-based actions that benefit our wellbeing when built into daily life.
The Five Ways are:
- be active
- connect with others
- keep learning
- take notice/be curious
- give to others
Consider how your workplace can incorporate the Five Ways to Wellbeing into staff activity and communications.
Retirement planning
Help employees retire healthily and happily by encouraging them to:
- make plans beyond the bank balance
- wind work down slowly if they can
- find other ways outside of work to stay active
- stay connected with others
- share skills learnt over a lifetime of work and learn new ones
Bereavement
Bereavement affects everybody. Colleagues and managers may worry about saying or doing the wrong thing, not knowing someone well enough, or not having personal experience of death. Those grieving may worry about being a burden or being judged in a workplace environment.
Resources
Suicide prevention and postvention
Suicide prevention and postvention in the workplace can be a complex and distressing issue but it is essential to save lives.
Every member of your organisation should undertake the 20-minute, free online Zero Suicide Alliance training.
Resources
- Suicide Prevention: guidance for workers, volunteers and friends/family members - The Hampshire public health team have produced this suicide prevention and self harm employee guide with advice, guidance and signposting
- Postvention guidance (University of Surrey)
- NHS employee suicide - for NHS workplaces, a postvention toolkit to help manage the impact and provide support
- Suicide Postvention and Prevention in the Workplace (Mind) - Havant and East Hants Mind currently deliver a programme of support across Hampshire for employers on suicide postvention and prevention in the workplace
- Amparo.org - any employees affected by suicide, recent or historic, can speak with the Amparo: bereavement by suicide support service in Hampshire
- Grassroots Suicide Prevention - employers might consider accessing the fully-funded suicide prevention training delivered by Grassroots on behalf of Hampshire public health
Mental health and wellbeing champions and leaders
It can be valuable to have employees who role model good practice, challenge stigma and push for positive change in an organisation and its people.
They should not replace or duplicate the role of human resources or mental health professionals.
Resources
- Mental Health and Wellbeing Training Offer - produced by Hampshire's public health team to help non-mental health practitioners gain confidence and knowledge
- Workplace mental health champions (Mind) - Mind have produced a workplace mental health champions toolkit to get colleagues started in reviewing their current workplace offer
- Working Minds - a campaign aimed at helping smaller businesses and workers to address workplace stress and mental health
- Wellbeing conversations (NHS England) - guidance on how to have a wellbeing conversation
- Mentally Healthier Councils Network (Centre for Mental Health) - for those in local authority
Hampshire Mental Health and Wellbeing Guides
These guides provide information and resources for people working in the community but include advice relevant for all types of organisations:
- Mental Health and Wellbeing Guide for Staff and Volunteers
- Mental Health and Wellbeing Guide for Managers
You can find these guides and more useful local and national signposting at Mental Wellbeing Hampshire.