Support for Staff this Christmas 2023 🎄❄️🎁⛄🌨️💳🦃❄️🎄
As we approach the festive season, it’s essential to acknowledge the array of emotions that accompany this time of year. Many staff members might feel the pressure to conform to societal expectations, from extravagant gift-giving to meeting idealised notions of a perfect holiday! Financial strain, resulting in debt, can add an extra layer of stress during this period. Moreover, some may find themselves without the comforting presence of family or missing loved ones no longer with us, experiencing a profound sense of loneliness, while others may be missing friends and family who are geographically distant. It’s crucial to recognise these challenges and create a workplace atmosphere that fosters understanding, compassion, and support. Our shared commitment as HR professionals is supporting one another, encompassing the well-being of each individual within our School communities. The resources below are aimed to provide guidance support and signposting during this season, acknowledging the diverse experiences our staff members navigate during the holidays.
On the 6th December 2023, I attended a free webinar, delivered by 2 fabulous speakers from ‘Everymind at Work’, Paul McGregor, the Founder of Everymind at Work spoke about how Employers, including HR Professionals and Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs) can support staff and themselves this Christmas Festive Period. This session was incredibly impactful and thought provoking.
Having worked in the Education Sector myself now for nearly 10 years and in HR for nearly 28 years, Paul’s message in his webinar reinforced my own beliefs in that our community genuinely cares about supporting one another, especially during difficult and challenging times. This webinar was attended by over 700 delegates (not an exact figure) and proved to be a really vital forum to enable HR Professionals and Mental Health First Aiders hear from Paul, who wanted to share his story of a personal family event that led him to where he is today. Paul’s vision and insight is to share his resources far and wide with a potential to create lasting change, even saving lives!! Everymind at Work offer a wealth of amazing resources, a few of which we are sharing below (with Paul’s permission):
Everymind Winter Toolkit: A comprehensive guide tailored to navigate the unique mental health challenges that the winter season may bring.
🎅🏻 Christmas support digital badge
Christmas Support Digital Badge: A symbol of unity and support, ready to be shared across your professional and personal networks.
Webinar Replay: For our convenience, the webinar replay has been made available. This resource is at your fingertips.
The impact of such information can be immeasurable, especially during the holiday season.
Additionally, explore their signposting directory, a valuable tool designed to help you find the right support for yourself or someone you are assisting. The directory uses a traffic light system to identify the level of support needed.
Everymind-at-Work-Mental-Health-Support-Directory.pdf (everymindatwork.com)
In addition, Schools can signpost their staff to the Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP).
Education Support, supporting teachers and education staff
leedscc: Welcome! (vivup.co.uk)
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