Workplace Wellbeing
Workplace Wellbeing covers a range of things which make our time at work more pleasant and productive. It will come as no surprise that a workplace where staff feel valued, respected and where stress is controlled tend to be more productive, experience lower levels of absence and higher staff retention. What may not be so widely considered is what employers can do to influence and effect this.
Dr Jan Hill-Tout is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist who has developed specialist expertise in Employee Well-Being from working in the NHS. Jan is now keen to offer the experience and resources gained through her work to the 3rd sector, where organisations could not afford to employ such specialist staff.
To the right you can access back-copies of Jan's newsletters, whilst below is a collection of useful links and articles.
Please visit this page regularly, as it is being constantly developed and new information added. An online version of Jan's workshop will be added shortly.
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.