WELLBEING
Support – Liz Thompson , Lisa Whitfield and the team at Thirteen have been careful to implement a range of support services to help members of staff understand how they fit into the organisation .
Eighteen months on , and the topic is front and centre of the work Thirteen does with colleagues .
The organisation has instituted a range of new ways of working which recognise that staff can best carry out their roles from non-traditional bases . This approach is now embedded in the organisation and the establishment of roaming , operative , home and hub-based roles will continue for the foreseeable future .
Alongside these new ways of working , Liz and the team have been careful to implement a range of support services to help members of staff understand how they fit into the organisation and provide practical support to help them get the most out of their time at work .
One of the most innovative support measures of the past couple of years has been the implementation of mental health advocates ( MHAs ).
MHAs are members of staff who volunteer to provide information , sign-posting and a listening ear for colleagues who might need a little support .
The group now has over 50 members who regularly run events to highlight the importance of mental health among Thirteen ’ s staff .
Lisa Whitfield organises the MHAs , who have seen growth from a small idea into a thriving and capable group . Lisa said : “ The volunteers undergo regular training to give them the skills to help colleagues with a range of issues .
A lot of advocates volunteered as they have personal experience of mental health issues . They know how difficult things can sometimes be and they want to support their colleagues whenever they might be experiencing something that just isn ’ t right .
“ We encourage members of staff to speak to their managers about any issues they ’ re facing , but sometimes people want to speak to someone on their own level , or even someone they don ’ t know very well , so the advocates offer something a little different .
“ We have brilliant support from the very top of the organisation and some of our directors even write about their own experiences of mental health in their blogs , and we know that things like this are very much appreciated by people from across the business .
“ We ’ ve also produced a lot of videos over the past 18 months where colleagues share their experiences of working from home or tackling new ways of working .
“ Whether it ’ s sharing the problems or positive aspects that arise , it ’ s the personal stories that people really relate to and they ’ ve meant so much to our colleagues throughout the pandemic .”
As well as the work of the mental health advocates , Thirteen has a range of practical support which every member of staff can access to improve their mental wellbeing .
The organisation works with Simplyhealth to provide a 24 / 7 advice
and counselling service .
Additionally , as part of a colleague reward programme , members of staff have access to an online wellbeing centre which provides support for mental and physical health , and financial matters .
Liz says it ’ s the practical things that are really important to help people tackle any issues they might face .
“ Thirteen also runs regular mindfulness courses that colleagues can join to understand how their brains work and explore different techniques to manage their thoughts and feelings . “ We ’ ve also implemented a new performance review process that gives colleagues time and space to meet their managers and talk about their role in an open and honest way . We want people to stay with us and our processes help them think about how their role at Thirteen can have a really positive impact on their lives .”
As Liz and Lisa gear-up for activities around another mental health awareness-raising day , they ’ ll be encouraging members of staff to get out and enjoy the natural world .
“ It ’ s important we remind people of their value to Thirteen and to the wider world ,” says Liz .
“ In our work to support mental wellbeing at Thirteen , we ’ re constantly evaluating the success of our activities and implementing innovative projects to help our colleagues thrive in the modern world – both at home and at work .”
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