The month of April marks Stress Awareness Month, a period where health care professionals and businesses across the country come together and raise public awareness about both the causes and support provided for those who feel stressed in their work and SAMpersonal lives.

At National Care Group, we would like to let you know what we are actively working to support all our staff with their mental health and well-being.

Our Mental Health Statement displays the commitment we are showing to being a supportive employer that is working together to ensure we are creating an environment that is non-judgemental and caring for all our staff.

Here at National Care Group we want to support our colleagues’ well-being, and this includes their mental health. We know that for some of us, talking about our mental health can be uncomfortable. But with research suggesting that 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health issue every year – it’s time we started talking more about how we’re feeling.

Just like physical health, we all have mental health. Sometimes we might experience mental health concerns that last a few weeks or months, or we might have more serious issues that are longer term. Our mental health may change over time, just like our physical health does.

Our commitment

We’re committed to taking all reasonable steps to make sure that we:

• Listen to our staff when they tell us about their mental health needs and concerns
• Keep information about their mental health confidential
• Support them if they are experiencing mental health issues, making reasonable adjustments where needed
• Treating them with respect, not making judgements or assumptions
• Help all our colleagues to be more aware about mental health
• Train line managers to support employees experiencing mental health issues
• Treat any issues of bullying and harassment in relation to mental health issues seriously

Telling us

If any of our staff are experiencing mental health issues, we know it can be a difficult step to tell people about it.

But we do encourage our staff to talk to their manager. Our Line Managers hold regular one-to-ones and supervisions, allowing our staff the opportunity to talk to someone about their issues.

Our managers won’t judge you! They’ll listen and understand what you’re going through and offer the support you need.

Staff are encouraged to seek advice and guidance from their managers, especially as it will be a non judgemental and confidential environment.

Workplace Pressure Support Plan

Our Workplace Pressure Support Plan can be used to help identify what keeps our staff well at work, what causes them to be unwell and the support they would like to receive to boost their wellbeing or to support them through their recovery.

Workplace Pressure Support Plan are a great way of helping everyone manage their mental health – whether you’ve got a mental health issue or not.

Employee Assistance Programme

We are working closely with Health Assured, one of the UK’s biggest employee wellbeing providers, in providing 24/7 and 365 days counsellor support to all our staff.

Whether it be advice on mental health, better ways to balance work and life commitments, or how to improve your physical health, we are able to give our staff the chance to gain the advice they need, and it is completely confidential and free.