May 14th – 20th was Mental Health Awareness week – an annual event hosted by the Mental Health Foundation in the U.K. Each year, a different theme is explored to raise awareness of mental health, break down the stigma surrounding these issues and bring about lasting positive change.
May 14th – 20th was Mental Health Awareness week – an annual event hosted by the Mental Health Foundation in the U.K. Each year, a different theme is explored to raise awareness of mental health, break down the stigma surrounding these issues and bring about lasting positive change. This year the theme was Stress, something that often seems synonymous with complaints and complaint handling. It is an issue that has been on my radar for some time and that I am committed to addressing within my office, as I share with you in my latest blog.
Ombudsman’s offices, like any other workplace, can often be stressful environments. Workloads are high, complaints often concern sensitive (and sometimes quite distressing) matters, there aren’t enough hours in the day or enough hands to get the job done as quickly as we would like. The complainants and respondents involved in the cases are often anxious or stressed about the complaints process, and on top of all of these factors is the reality that complaint handlers are first and foremost people – some of who may be experiencing their own personal issues. Added together, this creates the perfect environment for stress to take hold.
However, at the OSCO we have a strong focus on employee wellbeing to try and combat this. We want to ensure that everyone who works here feels supported and that we are actively working to break down the stigma that surrounds mental health.
You may have already seen these statistics reported in the media, or in other blogs, over the last week but they bare repeating. As reported by Time to Change.
- 1 in 4 British workers are affected by conditions like anxiety, depression and stress every year
- Mental ill-health is the leading cause of sickness absence in the UK, costing an average of £1,035 per employee per year
- 95% of employees calling in sick with stress gave a different reason
- 4 out of 10 employees are afraid to disclose a mental health problem to their employer
On Monday 14th May, I signed the Time to Change pledge as a demonstration of the commitment my senior management team and I have toward changing the way mental health is viewed and talked about.
As part of this approach, we also recently appointed 3 staff to act as Mental Health First Aiders for our workplace. While not trained therapists or counsellors, they are a point of contact for any member of staff who is experiencing a mental health issue or emotional distress. They can offer initial support through non-judgemental listening and signposting to the appropriate support services and are an additional resource if someone feels unable to speak to their line manager or a member of the senior management team. All are qualified in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) and volunteered to take on the role. In explaining why he put his hand up for the role, Jamie Hirst, one of our first aiders, said:
“I’ve seen the devastating effect of mental health concerns left unspoken and unaddressed, both personally and professionally, and so I wholeheartedly support the initiative to encourage those conversations. The MHFA course has given me the confidence to listen and the knowledge to impart useful information.”
These are only two examples of the work we are doing to ensure that the OSCO is a safe and supportive place to work and I would encourage others to also look into MHFA training and the Time to Change pledge. We all can and must do more to address these issues and eliminate the stigma that surrounds mental health.
If you are experiencing mental health problems or need support, there are places you can go for help including:
Samaritans
Telephone: 116 123 (24 hours a day, free to call)
Email: jo@samaritans.org
Website: www.samaritans.org
Mind
Telephone: 0300 123 3393 (9am-6pm Monday to Friday)
Email: info@mind.org.uk
Web site: www.mind.org.uk/help/advice_lines