Blog: How to build a culture of prevention
By Sam Downie, Managing Director at Mates in Mind
At Mates in Mind, we advocate for change – working with organisations and government to influence and embed system change, to ensure that everyone is able to achieve positive mental health in and through work.
However, if you own, or work for, an SME it can be hard to find the resources (time, materials, expertise, and finance) to access solutions. Therefore, in this blog we provide some practical steps that can enable employers of any type and size to achieve their legal duty of care to ensure the health and safety of their employees, as well as benefit the workers, the business and the wider community.
Spot the signs
As humans, we are all unique. We have different jobs, and our ability to tolerate and manage stressors varies, as does how we exhibit the impact of stress. However, the infographic below shows some of the most common signs that you, a colleague, friend, or family member may need support. You can download this free poster from our website: https://bit.ly/MinMresources:
Build a culture of prevention
We believe that implementing a continuous and comprehensive approach can help reduce the likelihood of individuals reaching a crisis point, as supporting positive mental health in and through work becomes an integral part of everyone’s role. Therefore, we recommend the following steps:
- Management: gaining management buy-in is an essential first step in ensuring that mental wellbeing is integrated into the organisation. Through open, collaborative, and inclusive communication, management can achieve wider organisational buy-in and manage any resistance to change.
- Assessment: assess the current situation, identify any gaps in provision, and determine necessary changes. This can involve desk research (reviewing existing policies/health support, analysing sickness records, staff turnover rates, and reasons for leaving), as well as consulting with employees. Anonymous surveys (e.g., using an online tool like Survey Monkey) are recommended for employee consultation, as many UK employees do not feel comfortable disclosing mental health or psychological conditions.
- Targets: define your vision and plan how to achieve it.
- Education: provide the entire workforce with the skills, knowledge, tools, and confidence to create a peer support network, which will contribute to building a safer workplace for everyone.
- Support: offer relevant provisions to enable employees, supply chains, and contractors to access the support they need when they need it. For SMEs, reaching out to main contractors or trade bodies to extend support provisions is encouraged. Several Tier One construction organisations are already implementing this for their supply chains. Additionally, there are various charities that can provide support (please refer to the ‘Signpost support’ section below).
To ensure the success of your strategy, it is important to:
- Communicate: provide relevant, timely, and accessible communication materials to the workforce, demonstrating an open and supportive culture to address the stigma of mental health and encourage conversations. Free posters and resources are available on our website: https://bit.ly/MinMHowWeHelp
- Progress: review the above stages at least every two years to evaluate the current situation, demonstrate progress, and identify new targets for the future.
Signpost support
As much as we aim to eradicate stressors (e.g., through reasonable adjustments to the role) and the stigma that surrounds mental health (e.g., through education and culture change), it is unfortunately still the case that some people will reach the point of crisis. If this happens, it is important to remember that there is always someone who will listen.
This is why we offer a free, confidential text service available 24/7 which can be accessed by texting ‘BeAMate’ to 85258. You can also find a full list of support services on our website: https://bit.ly/MinMhelp
Next steps
Working together we can create a movement that drives positive mental health in and through work to ensure that all workers, in every sector, are supported both professionally and personally.
If you would like to find out more about how you can be the change in your organisation, as well as through your supply chain and across your sector, please visit our website: www.matesinmind.org
About Mates in Mind
Mates in Mind charity exists to improve the mental health and wellbeing of workplaces across the UK and is a campaign partner of Working Minds.
Initially established to support the UK construction and related industries, they can now offer our support and guidance to organisations from a range of sectors including transport and logistics.
