Recognising the vital importance of supporting our staff during the second wave was a major priority and a number of new initiatives were introduced.
New in-house staff counselling service launched
A dedicated in-house psychology service for individual members of staff or whole teams, was launched early in 2021. The service is led by Dr Debbie Ford, consultant psychologist, and supported by five highly experienced psychologists.
Debbie said: “I trained as a psychologist over a decade ago and started in the NHS in 2004, and from the very beginning I have been interested in staff health and wellbeing. Being in patient-facing roles has also given me valuable insight to our staff, their roles, challenges and pressures.
“While there are brilliant health and wellbeing resources available to staff, having an internal service has tremendous benefits – we know the culture and experiences so we can provide tailored and confidential support.”
Lis Allen, director of human resources, said: “The wellbeing of our staff has always been paramount, but given the pandemic, we wanted to make sure that our people have access to our own experts on-site. It is a real privilege to have a team of this calibre providing such a comprehensive psychology service.”
Psychological First Aid available to all staff
All staff were offered the opportunity to attend a Psychological First Aid session, via Microsoft Teams.
Psychological First Aid is a supportive and crisis-focused discussion that looks at the pressures of working in an emotionally demanding environment or the experiences of a traumatic event, for example COVID-19.
The sessions, run by a specially trained team, aim to help reduce distress by exploring experiences and feelings and to help staff build short and long-term coping strategies.
Lis Allen said: “The Psychological First Aid sessions are for any staff member who may feel overwhelmed or anxious from a pressurised situation. The past months have been challenging for all of us and this is just one of a number of options we have put in place to support staff with their mental and emotional wellbeing. The sessions are a great way to support each other and find constructive ways to cope.”
< Contents