This week is mental health week, raising awareness of the constant battle many of us face. At SJL we take on the responsibility of looking after staff and understand that everyone is human.
As the business has grown, we have put measures in place to support people mentally, whether that be internal staff or the work of our foundation.
On Site Mental Health Nurse
SJL have an onsite nurse visit every month. This is an opportunity for staff to book in a slot and have a chat about anything on their mind.
In addition to taking on Nurse Carie Workman, Two internal staff have been on a Mental Health First Aiders course to spot the signs of mental illness. This will give them the confidence to support a person who needs assistance. Jen, one of the staff who completed the course commented
“I have never worked at a company where they encourage the staff to talk openly about mental health. This is a refreshing change as a lot of businesses in our sector do not adopt this approach. The support they offer during your working day by allowing you to speak about any issues not just professionally but also personally, I myself have found this very useful.”
On mental health in the workplace, our CEO Simon Lancaster said
“Mental health problems come in many forms, ranging from issues like coping with stress levels in the workplace to more severe problems. Most people will be affected by issues within this range and our staff are no different, whether it be issues at home or at work talking about them with a professional should help. It is fantastic to see the stigma around mental health being blown away, if you had a physical health problem you wouldn’t hesitate in talking about it and seeking treatment, mental health should be no different. Since starting this initiative the staff have been overwhelmingly positive and upbeat, and many have benefited from the appointments which is amazing.”
Users Perspective
Carie has been with us over four years now, and has certainly had a positive impact on our staff. We caught up with Luke who utilises Caries monthly visits.
“From personal experience, SJL have been absolutely incredible when it comes to mental health. When I first arrived at the company in January last year and was advised that Carie, our mental health nurse, is booked to see us all individually every month if we so choose to, I initially thought in my head this would be a nice excuse to get off the phones for an hour!
Then, later in the year, my world came crashing down. SJL and Carie have been extremely supportive throughout the whole experience, and I’m honestly not sure where I would be if it wasn’t for them.
Carie is unbelievable at her job. She gives such great advice and just knows what to say. It’s hard to speak to people who may not understand mental health as it’s not something you can visibly see. Carie completely understands so was able to guide me to where I am today. It was heart-warming to see her smiling at me during my last session of the year with her, seeing how far I came.
The seniors at SJL have given me all the support I could have ever asked for, and I truly believe things would be a different story if I was working anywhere else.
I am truly grateful for everything SJL and Carie have done for me. More companies need to meet their standard!”
Remember
As a business, your staff should be your first priority. That’s why we offer a free mental health nurse, duvet days, as well as other initiatives such as working from home, socials and entry into the Worcester run supporting the SJL Foundation.
If you are ever struggling with mental health do not hesitate to talk about it. The following points of contact are professionals we recommend approaching:
Samaritans. To, you can contact Samaritans 24/7. You can call 116 123 for free
Mind. A source of advice, information and resources with an infoline and helpline. You can visit Mind or call 0300 123 3393
National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK. Supportive listening service to anyone with thoughts. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK on 0800 689 5652 (6pm to midnight every day).
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). You can call the CALM on 0800 58 58 58 (5pm–midnight every day) if you are struggling and need to have a chat. if you prefer not to speak on the phone, you could use the CALM webchat service.
