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A sweeter way to offer support
Staff at a Nottingham-based sweets wholesaler are feeling happier, healthier and more productive after the company joined a free mental health support programme. TTK Confectionery signed up to
mental health charity Mind’s Mental Health at Work Commitment. It consists of six mental health “standards” it must uphold to help improve staff wellbeing, which has been placed under strain during the pandemic. The commitment is one of many free mental health programmes offered by the Mental Health and Productivity Pilot (MHPP) - an initiative run by Midlands Engine that aims to support employers across the region to improve the mental health of their workforce and boost their bottom line at the same time, with no financial cost.
After signing up to the
commitment, TTK Confectionery has reported a significant improvement to attitudes towards mental health, with employees feeling more confident in talking openly about the subject.
‘Signing up to the Mental Health at Work Commitment has made us more confident as a business in speaking up about mental health’
Absences have dropped as a result, and the changes have made the workforce happier and healthier.
TTK Confectionery director Jess
Barnett said: “Taking care of our employees’ needs and finding the right support for them came down to guesswork really – it was hard to know when to step in. When Covid- 19 was thrown into the mix, we realised it was time to implement something new.” Before signing up to the
commitment, TTK Confectionery had always tried to intervene whenever an employee showed signs of poor mental health, but felt it was being reactive rather than proactive. After hearing about MHPP
through the University of Derby, one of the programme's partners, Jess got in touch with project manager Kate Wood and discussed the challenges facing the business. She she was advised to sign up
to the Mind Mental Health at Work Commitment and the company has since made several changes in its work environment. These included training staff to
become “mental health champions” and spot signs of workers who need help, pairing up staff to talk about anything that might be troubling them, having regular mental health briefings, and using Public Health England’s free “Every Mind Matters” resource. Jess added: “Signing up to the
Mental Health at Work Commitment has made us more confident as a business in speaking up about mental health. “I would tell other businesses
unsure about signing up to a mental health scheme to go for it – it’s definitely worth a firm’s time to make a difference in its workplace.”
Western Union puts mental health needs first
Mental health first aiders, regular drop-in sessions and a “walking for wellbeing” challenge are some of the activities Western Union has adopted during the pandemic to promote mental health. After an employee engagement survey showed staff
wanted the company to train up mental health first aiders, the international money transfer services firm funded 10 people across the UK to attend a two-day accredited course. Since completing the training, the team has delivered
a range of activities to support colleagues throughout lockdown, including mental health presentations, the walking challenge, and signposting people to additional support and resources where needed. Vice president of payment products Karen Penney is
16 business network April 2021
one of Western Union’s mental health first aiders. She said: “The mental health first aider training has
given us the knowledge and confidence to support our colleagues and regular catch ups within the mental health first aider group have enabled us to identify developing mental health and wellbeing themes and quickly address them.” Western Union, which helps its global client base
move money internationally, also focused on activities to boost staff engagement to help its workforce transition to remote working. Each day, the company starts with a virtual, UK-wide morning briefing to make sure staff are aware of key updates and achievements from colleagues in other departments.
Karen Penney
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