Creating organisational cultures that foster psychological care
All newly recruited staff should receive induction training on psychological safety, Trauma Informed Care, looking after ourselves and each other in the workplace and on how to thrive in our NHS career.
Useful Links
Offer Schwartz Rounds (or an appropriate equivalent) and promote information about the national staff virtual common rooms that include culturally diverse sessions to increase psychological awareness and facilitate peer support
Useful links
Virtual staff common rooms summary
Accessing virtual staff common rooms and other national support
Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber – guidance for 20min care space
Facilitate staff networks including for staff of Black and Asian heritages, LGBTQ, Women’s, and Disability networks to help build strong supportive collegiate connections.
The Networks can provide people with the following:
- An opportunity for people to be heard
- Volunteering opportunities
- Access to better and more appropriate healthcare
- Access to a network of people of shared vision.
Examples of London networks:
- ELFT Staff Networks
- SLAM BME Network
- SLAM LGBT Network
- Barts BME Network
- NHS BME Network
- CNWL Equality and Diversity Initiatives
- Oxleas LGBT+
Free faith-based mental health counselling support for Muslims working in the NHS
Inspirited Minds and the Lateef Project have partnered with our NHS Muslim Network and our Health and Wellbeing team to provide a confidential and Islamic-based counselling service for our NHS people, delivered by qualified counselling therapists
Trauma Informed Care webinar
Develop links between psychologists and staff Black and Asian networks to develop appropriately engaging wellbeing approaches for staff.
Offer Restorative Practices to assist in the safe and healthy resolution of conflict in mental health team business and “Just Culture” workforce ethics.
Restorative Resolution looks to repair harm to all those affected by an offence or wrongdoing whereby parties with a stake in a harmful or inappropriate incident collectively resolve how to deal with the next steps, and its impact for the future. It can be used as an alternative to initiating a formal process under the trust’s Disciplinary, Grievance or Dignity at Work policies. It also can be used as a tool after a formal process has taken place.
A ‘Just Culture’ encourages managers to treat staff involved in a patient safety incident in a consistent, constructive and fair way.
Useful links
West London Restorative Resolution Process
Develop clear communications for all NHS and care staff promoting psychological services (e.g. IAPT) and how to access them. Routine distribution of information to facilitate a culture of looking after ourselves and our colleagues’ psychological wellbeing.
Case Study: Greater Manchester resilience hub
Useful links
Greater Manchester – We are here for you leaflet
Mental Health First Aid training – Charlie Waller Memorial Trust
Barts Health and Wellbeing leaflet
Accounts from experiences of people working in health and social care
IAPT Guide – WHICH talking therapy for depression?
NHS Relate Hub – Free and confidential 30 minute WebChats or phone calls
Distribute information about psychological care through local chaplaincy and community organisations that are utilised by staff.
A Chaplain is a member of the care team who recognises and responds to the spiritual and religious concerns or needs. Chaplains are trained to provide centred support which include the principles of dignity and respect, information sharing, participation and collaboration through experience.
Case study: Kingston Hospital chaplaincy service
Useful links
Bereavement practices – including guidance for different religions
Create roles of Psychology Staff Wellbeing Leads that focus on staff psychological wellbeing and at-risk groups.
Training for managers and seniors to become wellbeing champions
London Examples
NCL hub – identified wellbeing leads from organisations across the ICS to both support comms dissemination through local channels and provide a mechanism for gaining real-time feedback and insights as to what is required to meet local needs. This has included representatives from acute trusts, local authorities, social care providers, CCGs and primary care.
NEL hub – will include persistent and proactive outreach to BAME staff through trained wellbeing champions who will network with organisations and be able to provide in reach support to BAME staff that identified as being vulnerable and /or at risk of mental and wellbeing ill health.
SEL hub – scaling up wellbeing champion service, which has a diverse representation.
SWL hub – provide proactive outreach to BAME staff members; seek to support staff to engage with mental health care; identifying BAME staff who could be at heighted risk and contacting individuals to offer assessment and brief intervention support.
South West London Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs flow chart
Initiative at Barts Health, All Staff Support Space – is an area that was created away from the from the work place to aid rest and relaxation, offer refreshments, creative activities, engagement, information and services like psychological support and have a place to come to and relax, receive information regarding services that are available during this difficult time. More information can be found here.
Staff Support Lead at SLaM
Staff Support Lead: Leads on the provision of staff support at SLaM. Support is provided across a range of projects (including Critical Incident Staff Support Service, Schwartz Rounds and Reflective Practice) from within corporate psychology and psychotherapy, and available to staff of all disciplines across the organization. They also lead on the Staff Support Covid-19 response including in-reach work (team Leader training, team support plans etc), support for those working remotely and trust-wide communications projects encouraging staff wellbeing. The Lead works collaboratively with colleagues across the Trust to develop staff support for at-risk groups, for example developing Reflective Practice and Emotional Emancipation Circles for black staff.
Use internal communication to share stories of leaders and peers who benefited from psychological interventions, with emphasis on how this helped them to thrive.
Useful links
Offer and prioritise mentoring and coaching for people who are from minority ethnic groups. Offer mentoring to leaders and managers from staff who are from minority ethnic groups.
Case Study – Coaching for Inclusion Programme
Useful links
NHS Employers Coaching and Mentoring
Coaching for Inclusion Programme