Support for staff

Today (Monday, May 13) is the first day of Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW). You may have seen or heard about it on Facebook, Twitter or the TV and radio.

The fact that you might be aware of it suggests how far the UK has come since 2012 when the Time to Talk campaign first started. Mental health is discussed much more than ever before.

However, according to research, a significant proportion of people in the UK think there is still stigma attached to talking about it.

This is changing, slowly but surely, and South Derbyshire District Council is playing its part with a range of initiatives in place for its employees.

A series of training sessions were organised for managers earlier this year, comprehensive information is now available to everyone on the intranet and staff have been invited to train as mental health first aiders.

As a result of the latter, four employees from across the organisation are now available to provide confidential support to colleagues.

For Mental Health Awareness Week, a series of blogs is appearing on the staff news portal. These are providing information and practical tips on ways to feel better and how to help others.

A series of social media posts, available to everyone, is being posted on SDDC’s Facebook (@southderbyshiredc) and Twitter accounts (@SDDC) and posters are being put up through Council premises.

13 May 2019