USEFUL LINKS
ANXIETY MANAGEMENT
The Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice is committed to the promotion of wellbeing through the application of mindfulness-based approaches. This is achieved by teaching the general public, training professionals and researching the clinical applications of mindfulness. This web site provides comprehensive information about mindfulness and the research and training being undertaken in Bangor.
BULLYING
This link takes you to the Andrea Adams Trust which was the world's first non-political, non-profit making charity operating as the focus for the diverse and complex problems caused by bullying behaviour in the workplace. Sadly the Trust is in the process of closing down its charitable status and the Helpline has ceased operating. However there are still some useful tips, downloads and links on the site and the Training and Consultancy services offered will continue.
Unite the Union is heading this collaboration with BT, BAE Systems, the Chemical Industries Association, Legal and General, Remploy and Royal Mail, and it aims to encourage employee representatives and employers to build cultures in which respect for individuals is regarded as an essential part of the conduct of all those who work in the organisation. Specifically the aim is to increase awareness and knowledge of 'dignity at work' issues, and encourage the development of partnership working in the workplace through the promotion of joint working on dignity at work. Some useful tips and downloads are available on the web site.
COUNSELLING AND THERAPY
The CBT Register for the United Kingdom gives you details of all officially accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapists.CBT is an evidence-based psychotherapy recommended for the treatment of depression and anxiety and a whole range of mental health conditions. www.cbtregisteruk.com
The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy aims to enable members of the public to access to ethical and effective psychological therapy by setting and monitoring of standards. The BACP have a ‘find a therapist’ facility which is available through their website: www.bacp.co.uk
DEPRESSION
www.depressionalliance.org
The Depression Alliance works to relieve and to prevent this treatable condition by providing information and support services.
EXERCISE and MENTAL HEALTH
NICE to Exercise: Guidance has been produced by NICE to advise employers on workplace health promotion which encourages employees to be more active: www.guidanace.nice.org.uk/PH13
The Mental Health Foundation has produced a booklet to help people get started on exercise called how to look after your mental health using exercise and you can download this from their website as well as an exercise podcast and a booklet explaining how exercise can help beat depression. www.mentalhealth.org.uk
FOOD and MENTAL HEALTH
The Mental Health Foundation has commissioned Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming to look at the research on the impact of food on mental health. Called 'Feeding minds.' Go to www.mentalhealthfoundation.org and search for 'feeding minds.' As well as the report you will find recipes, top tips and a 'nutrients table' showing which foods may be helpful for a range of mental states including anxiety, depression, poor memory and irritability.
PSYCHOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
This section contains information on the application of Psychology to the management of organisations.
Implicit Leadership Theory (ILT) suggests that we all have our own ideas about what makes a good leader and there might be a problem when a person's leadership style does not fit that of their staff. Read more about ILT and how to measure it.
MINDSPACE-full.pdf is a report produced by the Cabinet Office which gives an overview of the psychological research on behaviour change and how it might be incorporated into government policy. These insights could also be helpful for employers who are considering policy development and change management at work.
WELL-BEING
NICE has produced guidance on promoting well-being at work. It focuses on interventions to promote well-being through productive and healthy working conditions: www.nice.org.uk/PH22
The New Economics Foundation have reviewed the interdisciplinary work of over 400 scientists and have identified 5 evidence based actions that we can build into our daily lives to improve our well-being: www.neweconomics.org.projects/five-ways-well-being
TRAINING
Business in the Community have developed on-line learning materials for managers who want to improve resilience and well-being in their teams. There are 6 modules as follows:
What is good work? Understand what emotional resilience is and how it can be promoted at work: (15 minutes) What about me? Take a pro-active approach to maintaining your own emotional wellbeing: (30 minutes) What can I do proactively? Explore the impact your behaviour can have on the emotional wellbeing of your team: (20 minutes) Should I be concerned? Understand what stress is: (15 minutes) What do I do now? Help you think through the role you will play and some top tips for taking action: (15 minutes) Where does absence management fit in? Explore the actions you can take in dealing with short and long term sickness absence: (10 minutes)
www.managingemployeewellbeing.com/bitc
COUNSELLING AND THERAPY
It is a big decision to seek the support of a therapist and it is important to find a therpiist who is right for you. The Mental Health Foundation booklet ‘Talking Therapies Explained’ will tell you all you need to know about the process and the types of therapy available.
www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications
PSYCHOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
‘Manager support for return to work following long term sickness absence’ has been produced by the CIPD to give an overview of the impact of long term sickness absence and explains the role of managers in supporting staff to get the best possible result when they return to work.
Keep it in the Sector
Links-Wales supports a network of charities, Social Enterprises and Social Services Departments, all of whom support people with Learning Disabilities, and who have recognised the benefits of learning from one another. As Director of Links-Wales, I spend a great deal of my time advising and linking together other organisations who support people with Learning Disabilities on setting up trading projects, Community Enterprises, and ultimately Social Firms. Much of what I do is a simple matter of putting people in touch with others who have trodden that path before to share learning, best practise, lessons learnt and most critically, the mistakes to be avoided. Links can also be made to develop new business connections:
- Recycled wood furniture manufacturer with Garden Centre
- Craft producer with retail outlet
- Buffet supplier with events organiser
One key point links so many of these introductions: encouraging trade and business within the sector. It is so easy if we need a buffet for a meeting to simply use the most local firm, but so much better to see if there is an emerging Social Enterprise who could provide as good or better service, thereby re-circulating the limited money that comes into the sector.
It was with this in mind, that when the time came for me to select a logo and get business cards etc. printed, I approached Every Link Counts in Maesteg. Amongst their projects, they have a graphics and office productions business. I approached them with a vague (OK very vague) brief, of a symbol that represented both Wales and Links. They then held a competition amongst their members to come up with a design. The three best of these were forwarded to me, and I had the privilege of choosing the winning entry.
Using this logo, Every Link Counts then produced business cards for me, of a standard and quality as good as I could have ordered from any other commercial supplier, and with an agreed price for any re-runs. In addition they have granted Links-Wales full rights to use this logo on our stationery, brochures etc. without further charge. I feel that Links-Wales have benefitted in three ways from this:
- We have built closer links with a member organisation
- We have demonstrated our commitment to doing business within the sector
- At an instinctive level, it just feels right, telling people that the logo of an organisation that supports learning disabilities, was designed by a learning disabled person.
Whilst we all need to look outwards for customers in the endeavour to become sustainable, we can all help each other by also looking inwards for suppliers. In my experiences this can often lead to not just an equivalent service or product, but often a better one and represents excellent value for money.
Should anyone wish to join Links-Wales or contact me, please either email links-wales@btconnect.com or phone Rob Symons on 07796 173300
Note to Editors:
Throughout Wales there are many groups striving to improve the lives of people with learning disabilities. These organisations recognise that people with learning disabilities are first and foremost people; not patients, customers or clients, and they should have the same rights to self-determination, paid work and the highest quality of life they can achieve as other people.
Many of these organisations are working in partial or complete isolation from others. Links-Wales aims to improve the effectiveness of these organisations, by including them in a network that shares and learns from best practise, knowledge and information. Links-Wales will further develop a directory of member products and services that will be shared amongst the membership and other organisations, encouraging mutual support and development. Links-Wales will also work with up to 5 organisations at any one time, to assist them in developing ideas and projects into trading entities and ultimately Social or Community Enterprises.
The above mission statement will be underpinned at all times by the following principles –
- The need to build a more socially inclusive economy
- The need to maximise a person's potential for independence.
- The need to promote people with a learning disability as having the ability to become citizens.
- The need to improve the definition, delivery and dissemination of best practice
Contact: Rob Symons
Telephone 07796 173300, email links-wales@btconnect.com