Promoting Positive Mental Health at Trefoil House

Working in social care has been extremely tough over the last year for care home teams throughout the country, and with this in mind we have introduced a new training programme for our Care Home Managers to help them identify and support members of their team who may be experiencing a reduction in mental health.

The Level 3 Supervising/Leading First Aid for Mental Health qualification provides the learner with the knowledge to recognise a wide range of mental health conditions and learn about the support and therapy provided by professional healthcare providers. The learner is given the skills to understand how to start a supportive conversation and when and how to signpost a person to seek appropriate professional help. The course also includes how to recognise and manage stress as well as learning about the First Aid Action Plan for Mental Health - designed to help Senior Managers promote a positive mental health culture in the workplace.

Following the successful completion of his training, Trefoil House Care Home Manager Simon Meredith has launched the It’s Okay not to be Okay campaign, in an effort to recognise and address the stresses and strains that working in a care home during the pandemic has placed on staff teams.

Simon has been raising the issue of mental health and well-being in team meetings with his colleagues. He said “We have been talking about mental health awareness and the fact that stress can become a regular feature of everyday life during the pandemic.

“As a way of promoting good mental health, we’ve created a wellbeing bandwagon for staff and invited them to get on board. The bandwagon is available for everybody and has a selection of treats including sweets, crisps, chocolate and bottles of water. The idea is for staff to take something from the wagon and have a quiet 5 minutes to themselves if they’re having a bad day or moment. I am so proud of my team and the way they have provided first class care for our residents during the pandemic, but I also know that it has not been easy, so this is an opportunity for me to give something back. My most important message to the team is this:

It’s okay not to be okay

As care workers in a pandemic we are under pressure like never before

It really is okay not to be okay

We need to communicate with one another. Listen with patience and compassion. Be kind to one another

Experiencing stress doesn’t mean you aren’t up to the job – it just means you are human