This World Mental Health Day (Thursday 10th October) has a theme of mental health at work. To mark that, we are talking about how we support our staff team’s mental health in the workplace.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, around 15% of workers in the UK are estimated to have an existing mental health condition. With this in mind, we have taken a number of steps to help support colleagues’ mental health.

First aiders

Several of our colleagues have been fully trained to become mental health first aiders. This involves being able to speak to someone if they are struggling with their mental health and need to reach out.

They are available for support in-person in the office and remotely, via Teams, email or phone. The first aiders work across our teams, including advocacy, our learning disability projects and Autism AIM.

Peer support

We also have an extensive peer support offering for staff. This comes in the form of:

  • Regular peer support meetings for service/project teams. In these meetings, colleagues share their thoughts and feelings, reaching out to one another
  • Peer support chats on Teams. We have chats for colleagues in minoritised groups, including staff who are:
    • LGBTQ+
    • Transgender, genderfluid and/or non-binary
    • Disabled and/or chronically ill
    • Going through the menopause

Access to therapy

As an employer who recognises the value of supporting a proactive approach to colleagues’ health, we invest in a health service provider package that is open to all employees. Staff can access a range of support including therapies and payment towards costs for dentistry and eyecare.

Colleagues can also access therapies including counselling and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). This is available as and when needed, where support can be provided in-person or remotely over the phone or via video call.

Staff have access to a 24-hour information and advice helpline. The line covers both physical and mental health.

Mindful Employer

To help make sure we try our best to support colleagues’ mental health, we signed up to the Mindful Employer scheme. Member organisations abide by the Mindful Employer Charter, which involves upholding these values:

  • To provide non-judgemental and proactive support to staff with experience of mental ill-health.
  • To avoid making assumptions about a person with a mental health condition and their ability to work.
  • To be positive and enabling toward all employees and applicants with a mental health condition.
  • To support line managers in managing mental health in the workplace.
  • To ensure the fair recruitment of staff in accordance with the Equality Act (2010).
  • To make it clear that people who have experience of mental ill-health will not be discriminated against.

The Advonet Group first signed up in 2015 and renewed our commitment to the charter in 2022. If you are interested in working for us and want to know what else we do to support colleagues’ mental health, please click here: Careers.