Employee Mental Health and Wellbeing

Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy Staff and Students

Our Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy is in place to support both staff and students.  The vision of the strategy is to have an extraordinary whole-organisational approach to the Mental Health and Wellbeing of all Lincoln College staff and students.  Our leadership, policies and procedures seek to minimise the triggers for poor mental health, promote wellbeing and equip our College community to build confidence, resilience and knowledge, enabling them to be mentally healthy and exceptionally well prepared for work.  The mental health and wellbeing strategy is supported by an action plan, which is monitored by the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy Group.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy Staff and Students. 

Mental Health First Aiders(MHFA’s)

One of the key strategic aims of the college’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy - Staff and Students was to achieve a cohort of Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs) that support both staff and students.  The MHFA scheme was first launched during the summer of 2019 and we now have over 72 MHFA’s

The role of a MHFA is to be a point of contact for an employee or student who is experiencing a mental health issue or emotional distress. This interaction could range from having an initial conversation through to supporting the person to get appropriate help. As well as in a crisis, MHFAs are valuable in providing early intervention help for someone who may be developing a mental health issue.Our MHFAs are not trained to be therapists or psychiatrists but they can offer initial support through non-judgemental listening and guidance.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Toolkit for Manager

We have a dedicated Mental Health and Wellbeing toolkit (which brings together a variety of mental health related resources from organisation such as Mind, Remploy, Mindful Employer and CIPD) and is designed to support managers to promote wellbeing for all staff, tackle the cause of work-related mental health problems and support staff who are experiencing mental health problems.

The toolkit incorporates Wellness Actions Plans and supports the core standards of the Lincoln College Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy - Staff and Students by:

• Promoting good mental health of all staff and an open organisational culture.
• Developing mental health awareness among staff by making information, tools and support accessible.
• Encouraging open conversations about mental health and the support available when staff are struggling and provides advice to managers on offering appropriate workplace adjustments to staff who require them.
• Promoting effective people management to ensure all staff have a regular conversation about their health and wellbeing with their line manager/supervisor and support line managers and supervisors in effective management practices.
• Routinely monitoring employee mental health and wellbeing by understanding available data, talking to staff, and understanding risk factors.

Aims of our Employee Assistance Programme

• To develop comprehensive and co-ordinated support and assistance mechanisms for all employees.
• To ensure that all employees of Lincoln College are aware of the availability and scope of the college’s Employee Assistance Programme.
• To ensure that those staff involved in the provision of the Employee Assistance Programme services are seen by employees, unions and management to be both confidential and impartial.
• To provide specialist skills and knowledge through appropriate staff. To arrange for referral to specialist providers as and when necessary.
• To identify and assist in the solution of problems, thereby reducing absenteeism and improving morale.
• To help managers with their basic responsibilities for the welfare of their employees providing confidential assistance, training, advice and guidance, where appropriate.
• To alleviate anxiety in respect of problems which employees may encounter both inside and outside the working environment, through arrangements for help and advice.

View our Employee Assistance Programme for more information

AoC Mental Health and Wellbeing Charter

We recognise that our college has a responsibility to create an environment that promotes and proactively supports staff and student wellbeing.  That is why during Mental Health Week 2019 we reaffirmed our commitment to staff and students by signing up to a brand new national Mental Health and Wellbeing Charter, created by the Association of Colleges, in conjunction with mental health experts.

The 11-point document includes commitments to:

• Promoting equality of opportunity and challenging mental health stigma;
• Providing appropriate mental health training for staff;
• Providing targeted individual mental health support where appropriate

Mindful Employer

Lincoln College are among the hundreds of employers who are signatories to the Charter for Employers who are Positive About Mental Health.

The Mindful Employer Charter is for employers who are positive about mental health.

The Charter is a voluntary commitment. It's not an accreditation, award or a set of quality standards but is about working towards the principles of it – signing up is a step along a journey not the end of it. 

View our Mindful Employer Certificate to find out more about our commitment to mental health

Contacts

If you have any queries or would like any further information regarding our Mental Health and Wellbeing initiatives, then please contact:

Claire O’Hara (Head of HR) via email CO’Hara@lincolncollege.ac.uk or connect with Claire on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-o-hara-b04a922b/

Kerri Robson (HR Manager) via email KRobson@lincolncollege.ac.uk or connect with Kerri on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerrirobson/