Caring for care staff has never been more important with so many challenges facing the sector.
After the stresses of COVID, which are slowly returning this winter, and now the cost of living crisis for a low-paid industry, there are also the pressures of staff shortages with a record increase in the number of vacancies in adult social care in England.
Providers need no statistics to tell them how important supporting the mental health of their staff is but those who need it most are often the hardest to identify and the least likely to ask for the help they desperately need.
It’s an issue we’ve been looking closely at here at PJ Care. We run three specialist neurological care centres where our residents live with a range of progressive conditions, acquired brain injuries and complex behaviours.
Days for our care staff can often be more emotionally and physically challenging than in many elderly care settings that have a mix of residential and nursing needs. It’s not just about staff retention, which of course we want to see, but being a responsible employer and caring for the needs of our staff just as we would those of our residents.
We’ve long had a peer support programme of ‘Wellbeing Angels’ who provide a listening ear and emotional support via email, face to face sessions and at arms’ length through our internal Facebook page.
But we’ve seen some people slip through that net of support. We knew we needed to do more.
Our ‘Angel’ scheme is being developed into formalised roles that give staff training in how best to support their colleagues. We’re building relationships with external partners such as the charity, MIND, to give us specific training in spotting the signs support is needed and responding accordingly.
Lived experience is something we’ve also drawn on, inviting Army veteran, Nick Wilson, to host sessions on mental health issues. He gave us first-person insight into what people could be experiencing and the indicators of poor mental health. As we have seen at PJ Care, those most in need are often the ones who won’t ask for help so it’s vital for us to be proactive.
We have created an environment where we hope staff feel able to be themselves and feel valued for the individuals they are. We have an LGBTQI+ group, an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and a menopause support group, all of which work to raise awareness, understanding and offer shared experience.
We now also have created a process of escalation for managers to follow if they have serious concerns about a team member’s mental health. This includes directing staff to a source of professional support such as Samaritans, Papyrus UK, MIND, the NHS First Response service or visiting the nearest hospital.
Open and honest conversations with our teams are essential to ensuring support is given to those who need it but we recognise that for some, colleagues are too close to the problem. Free confidential counselling services are part of our employee benefits, as well as financial advice as money worries can play a significant part in people’s feelings of wellbeing.
We’ve introduced measures to ease the financial strain this winter will bring, including winter fuel bonuses and a wage-drawn down app to help cover life’s emergencies, but our mental health support is year-round.
We will continue to work on reducing the stigma that still surrounds poor mental health, encourage conversation and create a culture of safety and support so when we ask “How are you feeling today?” we’re ready to act.
