Training & Tea: Mental Health and Wellbeing- Kate Wood
We are thrilled to be welcoming Kate Wood, Project Manager of the Mental Health & Productivity Pilot at the University of Derby, to deliver a series of online bitesize Training & Tea sessions looking at supporting positive mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.
These sessions will explore how organisations can create a culture that promotes positive mental health, enables supportive conversations, and helps prevent people from experiencing mental ill health and helps them better manage mental health challenges. Book your Place Here.
Kate has worked in the mental health field for over 20 years. She began her career in the Prison Service, working with vulnerable people struggling with addiction and mental health. She then moved into community mental health services 10 years later, focusing on supporting individuals and their families, experiencing mild to moderate mental health issues.
As Kate moved into more business development and managerial roles, her focus moved to the wellbeing of the workforce and how poor mental health can impact on performance.
Right now, 1 in 6 employees are dealing with anxiety, stress, depression and this can stop them performing at their best (MIND, Introduction to mentally healthy workplaces).
The world of work is changing, with employee engagement, flexible working, resilience, and talent management now common currency. Positively managing mental health underpins these approaches and can reap rewards in terms of staff morale, productivity, and loyalty. (People Manager’s Guide to Mental Health, Sept 2018, CIPD).
Smart employers know that organisations are only as strong as their people – they depend on having a healthy and productive workforce. They also know that people perform better when they feel secure and valued, enabling them to gain confidence, learn new skills and be motivated.
Good mental health underpins this. By positively managing and supporting employees’ mental wellbeing, employers can ensure that staff perform to their potential – and this allows the business to achieve peak performance.
Kate’s sessions can be booked individually, to attend all three as a series or a one-off session. All sessions will take place on Wednesdays 9:30am-10:15am:
29th March- Stigma and Mental Health in the Workplace
This session explores the stigma and discrimination associated with mental health and how this has changed over the years. We will pay particular attention to stigma in the workplace and how this can impact on productivity, staff morale, sickness, absence and presenteeism.
“Stigma is often the biggest barrier preventing individuals from seeking mental health care. There are still stereotypical beliefs in existence that suggest people with mental health disorders are dangerous, incompetent, or in some way to blame for their problem. Despite awareness around mental health rising, we still have a lot of work to do with organisations to support them in nurturing an inclusive and transparent culture and to ensure they feel confident to start conversations around mental health, support their workforce”- Kate Wood, MHPP Project Manager
19th April- Stress and Resilience
This session explores the impact stress can have on our mental health and how we can boost our own resilience to getter equip us to deal with stressful situations. The session will look at individual and team resilience, and strategies to enhance both for a better working environment.
“Work is one of the most stressful factors in people’s lives but often people don’t feel able to ask for help when they’re struggling. This silence feeds misunderstanding and prejudice which can make it harder for people to be open. Therefore, it’s vital that managers routinely ask staff how they’re doing and discuss their mental health – it helps build up people’s confidence to speak up earlier on and get the help they need sooner” – Kate Wood, MHPP Project Manager
3rd May- Conversations around mental health
This session will explore how to start a conversation about mental health, from an individuals' point of view and that of a manager. We aim to bust some of the myths that are still out there regarding how to navigate this conversation and focus on how you can effectively support staff, colleagues, and friends.
“No matter how well employees are managed, some people will experience poor mental health in the workplace. Spotting the signs of stress or poor mental health at an early stage means managers can hopefully nip problems in the bud before they escalate into a crisis or sickness absence. The causes of unmanageable stress and mental health problems are often complex. Spotting the signs of stress early on, either within yourself or in a colleague or staff member, means you can hopefully nip problems in the bud before they escalate into a crisis or sickness absence” – Kate Wood, MHPP Project Manager
At the University of Derby, Kate is leading on the Mental Health and Productivity Pilot (MHPP). The pilot aims to reduce absence, presenteeism and stigma associated with mental health in the workplace. Working closely with businesses of all shapes and sizes, Kate supports them in rolling out key mental health initiatives, breaking down barriers to accessing support and to help individuals who may be struggling with mental health issues, to remain in employment.
If you want to prioritise the mental health and wellbeing of your workforce, the Mental Health and Productivity Pilot (MHPP) can support you every step of the way. Fully funded, via the Midlands Engine and the Department for Work and Pensions, the pilot guides you through all elements of the Mental Health at Work Core Standards to ensure the wellbeing of your workforce. Find out more about the Mental Health and Productivity Pilot here.
Additionally, Kate and her team at the University of Derby will be launching an exciting new initiative on the 26th of April 2023 called ‘The Work Health Hub’. The Hub is a new online membership, platform, dedicated to mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. The hub pulls all the latest research, resources, tools, and experts together in one place, to ensure positive mental health and wellbeing is the golden thread that runs through your organisation. Register your interest in the Work Health Hub here and receive an invitation to the official launch event, and 50% off your organisations’ annual membership.
For more information about the training that we offer, visit the training page on our website. We hope to see you in March for the first session!
Places are FREE for staff or volunteers of community, voluntary & third sector organisations or groups in Derbyshire* AND staff or students of the University of Derby. *£20 for everyone else.