It’s World Mental Health Day! And this year, MHFA England are focusing on prioritising mental health in the workplace. Across Consensus we have many different ways in which we support our colleagues with their Mental Health. From our 57 trained and dedicated trained Mental Health First Aiders who provide support to those struggling across Consensus, to our Employee Assistance Programme, where colleagues can access online and telephone counselling alongside professional guidance on personal, legal, financial, and other topics to support them when they need it – we strive to ensure every moment matters not just for the people we support, but all our wonderful colleagues too.
But it’s not just the organisation-wide initiatives that contribute to supporting colleagues with their Mental Health in the workplace, it’s the small and everyday interactions and ideas that are born from our services, too. Whether that’s implementing an appreciation jar within a service to share kind words and make one another feel valued, or having ‘fruit Fridays’ for a health pick-me-up, here’s a small glimpse at some of the fantastic ideas on supporting people with their mental health in our services.
At Valley House, their FISH! Champion Steph has been embracing the ‘Play’ and ‘Make Their Day’ elements, hiding 4 rubber ducks around the service for her colleagues to find, with each winner being presented with a chocolate bar. Searching high and low around the service, filling the halls with tears of laughter and a few screams, the small act certainly left everyone with a smile on their face and cheering anyone up who might have been having an off day.
At Kingarth, colleague wellbeing is always being talked about. After noticing there were a lot of sweet treats to snack on, they decided to implement ‘Fruity Fridays’ – fuelling the brain with healthy and tasty snacks instead! And as the sign says at their fruit station “Research shows eating a variety of colourful fruit can boost serotonin and a sense of wellbeing”, showcasing small changes can have a positive effect on our mental health.
And finally, at King Edwards Grove the team have introduced their own ‘Employee of the Month’, recognising a colleague who has gone above and beyond – ensuring everyone feels valued at work. Crowning their first winner, Dami received her award for always going above and beyond to support one of the lovely gentlemen Russell – always swapping her shifts without hesitation to fit around Russell. This idea was suggested by the team at KEG following our Great Place to Work survey results, and what an incredible way to ensure wellbeing is at the forefront.
Small acts that brighten up colleagues days in the workplace, we love to witness the creativity and ideas flowing from our services, where every moment is ensuring colleague wellbeing is at the forefront.
