Unmasked Mental Health - Removing the stigma of mental health one mask at a time.

We hope, as an employer, that this subject matter has piqued your interest. If you are looking to support your employees at work, then there are multiple steps you can take and programmes you can implement to help. If you are looking for a great way to complement your EAP (employee assistance programmes), support for managers or other specialist employee wellbeing services, why not consider implementing a workplace peer support programme? Peer support is a safe place for an employee to speak with someone who has experienced a similar issue.

Here at Unmasked Mental Health and Wellbeing in Halifax, we have noticed that Peer Support Programmes for employees have been growing in popularity in recent years, as more and more businesses are taking bigger steps to support their employees and promote employee wellbeing. But what exactly are the benefits of Peer Support you may ask?

The benefits of a Peer Support Programme are well documented and have become firmly embedded in the emergency services, NGOs, media organisations and other high-risk organisations. Though even the most comprehensive and considered peer-support programme should not replace or resemble your organisation’s professional or HR support strategy, a Peer Support Programme can help companies across various different sectors in encouraging and enabling staff to support each other.

• Staff may feel more comfortable Often: staff that are facing challenges with their mental health; personal or professional life; or have experienced trauma, may find it easier to talk to an understanding peer, rather than a mental health professional, doctor or line manager. Unmasked Mental Health & Wellbeing Ltd are well-trained, peer support services team, have had similar experiences to your colleagues and are ready and able to offer help and support from lived experience. 
• Someone who can relate: Struggling with your mental health can be lonely and isolating. For your employees, it doesn’t have to be, if you choose to implement a Peer Support Programme.  A professional, peer support services team, who have had similar experiences to your colleagues, can offer help and support from lived experience. Not only will your employees have access to advice and support from someone who has experienced what they are going through, but it will be a comfort to them that they are not alone, and that other people can truly understand and empathise. 

• A universal support: Peer support in the workplace isn’t exclusively for employees living with ill mental health, trauma or work-related stress. A successful and well-implemented peer-support programme should also support staff with stressful or upsetting circumstances, or everyday stressors in their life. 
• Build a resilient workforce: It can be hard for your employees to face a day at work when they feel that they have the weight of the world on your shoulders, however, with a Peer Support Programme, you can build a resilient team of workers who understand and support each other – reducing absenteeism and increasing a sense of self-worth across your workforce.

Well-being reviews are meetings which provide employees the opportunity to discuss any issues they have in relation to their mental well-being with a trained professional. These reviews focus on the following: 

• How employees are coping with the current pandemic, 
• How they are managing their personal and family circumstances 
• Whether employees are currently coping with their work commitments 
• Whether they have formed any social bubbles and how this may be working for them 
• Whether there has been any impact on an individuals physical health 
• What other support they may be currently receiving 
• What support they may need from their employer 

Following the meeting, the employee and employer will receive an overview of the discussion. This will contain details of any recommendations made by the person undertaking the review.