Support for the Practice Team
Wessex LMCs are here to help you however we can. There are plenty of resources out there, you may find the following helpful for the practice team...
Apps & Websites
Headspace: App based around teaching mindfulness meditation principles to improve wellbeing.
Mood: Web-based mood tracking and management platform
Wellbeing Podcasts: A series of free audio podcasts to improve wellbeing, including guided relaxation, mindfulness and overcoming fear and anxiety.
Sleepio: App for sleep management, combining cognitive behaviour principles and the latest in sleep research.
Unmind: Unmind is a mental health platform that empowers staff to proactively improve their mental wellbeing. Using scientifically-backed assessments, tools and training you can measure and manage your personal mental health needs, including digital programmes designed to help with stress, sleep, coping, connection, fulfilment and nutrition.
Daylight: A smartphone-based app that provides help to people experiencing symptoms of worry and anxiety, using evidence-based cognitive behavioural techniques, voice and animation.
(with many thanks to Julia O'Mara. Mental Health First Aider for the information above)
Bereavement Support Line
There is a confidential bereavement support line, operated by Hospice UK and free to access from 8:00am – 8:00pm, seven days a week. A team of fully qualified and trained bereavement specialists are available to support you with bereavement and wellbeing issues relating to loss experienced through your work. You will be offered up to 3 sessions with the same counsellor and onward support to our staff mental health services if you need. Call 0300 303 4434.
After engaging directly with colleagues from the Filipino community, a new NHS bereavement and trauma line, supported by a team of fully qualified and trained Tagalog speakers is now available. The confidential, free to access line is available seven days a week from 7.00 am – 11.00 pm. You do not need a referral. Call 0300 303 1115. Tagalog speaking specialist counsellors and support workers are available if colleagues:
- have experienced a bereavement
- wellbeing has been affected by witnessing traumatic deaths as part of your work
- need to discuss any other anxiety or emotional issues you may be experiencing as a result of the coronavirus pandemic
Coaching
Helping NHS staff manage personal stress and burnout. Access Three FREE Confidential Psychological support sessions at https://www.project5.org/
Locum Support for the Practice Team
Click here to find a list of GPs, PMs, Nurses and Practice Staff who are advertising their capacity to work as locums. (please note you must be logged into the website with your email and password to view). It's recommend that practices and individuals using our jobs pages undertake their own due diligence, before entering into an agreement.
Looking After You Too
www.people.nhs.uk/lookingafteryoutoo
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Click here to find out more. |
#LookingAfterYouToo is an individual coaching support offer for primary care staff. Recognising that frontline staff are facing many challenges, a support programme was launched on 24 April 2020. |
Social Media graphics with quotes from Practice Managers that can be used to promote the offer:
LookingAfterYou Twitter Graphic
It’s an easy to access, individually tailored coaching support service for the frontline primary care workforce, proactively supporting people through COVID-19. It’s a space for staff to offload the demands of whatever they are experiencing and be supported in developing practical strategies for dealing with this is available 7 days a week, 8:00am – 10:00pm Monday to Friday and 10:00am – 6:00pm Saturday and Sunday.
Coaching sessions will continue throughout the COVID-19 pandemic until at least March 2021.
Take a look at some of the positive feedback form those who have already participated:
"The best 45 minutes I have had invested in me in a long time. I felt listened too and confident to share my thoughts and concerns for the future. Thank you to all for the opportunity to do this"
"I felt the sessions helped with a break through with my issues. My concerns were well listened to and the advice and understanding given was excellent"
"I find these sessions allows you protected time to focus on an area that is concerning you in a protected supportive environment. My coach has allowed me to desensitize the situation and be proud of my behaviour throughout a difficult time"
Looking After You: new free virtual away day for primary care teams
Staff working in primary care can now book a free two or four hour virtual away day for up to eight team members on NHS England’s Looking After You coaching programme . A highly skilled coach who has extensive experience of working with and supporting teams will support you to design a session to suit your objectives and to ensure the session focuses on your team needs. Your coach will also provide a free, one hour follow up session to discuss how the day went and to focus on next steps. Register your interest and the Looking After You team will be in touch to arrange your first session.
Looking After Your Team
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Following the success of the #LookingAfterYouToo coaching offer, NHSE have expanded the health and wellbeing offer to include coaching for leaders and managers in primary care settings. |
The new #LookingAfterYourTeam service will create an opportunity for individuals who lead, manage or organise teams, groups, services or networks, to access coaching about their team. The coaching conversations will centre around compassionate and collaborative team leadership to support psychological wellbeing and resilience.
The free and confidential #LookingAfterYourTeam service is now open for bookings for 2021, with further information in the attached poster.
Please also see an email banner and social media graphic which can be shared with your networks and on your channels.
Looking After Your Career - Coaching Opportunity
Coaches are on hand to support people take practical steps over career direction and to proactively advance it. Conversations may include: Looking After You - Primary Care Coaching Toolkit To find out more take a look at this information poster or visit the Looking After Your Career website Mental Health at Work
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Mental Health & Wellbeing Hubs
The staff mental health and wellbeing hubs have been set up to provide health and social care colleagues rapid access to assessment and local evidence-based mental health services and support where needed. The hub offer is confidential and free of charge for all health and social care staff. NHS England » Staff mental health and wellbeing hubs
BSW
BSW Wellbeing - Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (awp.nhs.uk)
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In this podcast , Emma Clack, Team Manager of Wellbeing Matters, talks to our Medical Director, Dr Edd Rendell about the BSW staff support hub offer for staff in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire. This support offer is extended to all clinical and non-clinical staff who work across BSW. |
Dorset
The ICS staff wellbeing service – Here For Each Other (joinourdorset.nhs.uk) Here For Each Other is supporting GP Practices and other primary care staff and teams across Dorset to look after their wellbeing while prioritising others. Staff can access support on the website or from the Enhanced Wellbeing Hub via an online referral or by calling 01202 130130 (Mon-Fri, 08:00 – 16:00).
Hants & IOW
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In this podcast Phoebe Roberts and Hayley Wall (HIOW Wellbeing Programme) discuss supporting all members of staff via the HIOW Health and Wellbeing Hub. With Louise Greenwood (Wessex LMCs) they outline three key areas of support. |
The People Portal which is an open website full of resources, videos and signposting NHS Wellbeing - Idea Spotlight (hiowpeople.nhs.uk)
Secondly, the Health and Wellbeing Support Service offers 1:1 consultations with a Health and Wellbeing Advisor who can explore how people are feeling and offer advice and guidance by way of a personalised plan. These consultations are bookable via email at HWSS@hhft.nhs.uk or via calling 0300 772 7099 Monday – Friday, 9am-4.30pm.
Finally, we have the Employee Assistance Programme which all colleagues working in general practice across HIOW can access free of charge by calling the confidential helpline on 0800 028 0199 which is available 24/7. It is an external and confidential service where individuals can discuss their concerns and seek advice and support on a range of matters such as legal issues, relationship issues, financial information, housing concerns, stress and anxiety, low mood, domestic abuse, family issues and much more.
North East Hants
Here for you Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (hereforyousurreyneh.nhs.uk)
NHS Talking Therapies
Talking therapies, or psychological therapies, are effective and confidential treatments delivered by fully trained and accredited NHS practitioners. They can help with common mental health problems like stress, anxiety and depression.
You can access talking therapies for free on the NHS. A GP can refer you, or you can refer yourself directly to an NHS psychological therapies service (IAPT) without a referral from a GP. Find out more here: NHS talking therapies - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Psychological First Aid Training
From 21st February 2021, people who care for or work with children and young people aged up to 25 who have been affected by COVID-19 (or other emergencies or individual crises) will be able to access a new online Psychological First Aid (PFA) training course: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/psychological-first-aid-for-children-and-young-people
Podcasts from Wessex LMCs
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We are continuing to develop relevant podcasts. Do subscribe via your podcast app on your phone to access our complete range of podcasts, and catch the new ones as we release them: |
Self-Care & Stress Management
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Ongoing news reports can contribute to increased anxiety and stress. Set a limit on how much time you spend checking the news. The World Health Organization's director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus encouraged people to check the news from reliable sources only once or twice a day. |
Other ways you can manage your stress include:
- Adequate sleep – ensure you’re getting 6-8 hours of sleep a night
- Up your vitamin C intake – citrus fruits are the best way to boost your immune system
- Meditation – even three minutes of meditation a day can have positive effects on your health
- Light exercise – take a walk around the neighbourhood; fresh air and sunlight are great for your immune system and can increase your mood and decrease your anxiety levels
- Alternative methods to Socialise – check in with friends via FaceTime or give them a call
- At-home hobbies to give your mind some respite from work –puzzles or just catching up on TV shows
- When it’s all feeling a bit too overwhelming, it may be helpful to focus on what you are grateful for. Some people find it really therapeutic to make a daily "gratitude list" in order to build psychological resiliency.
Support for GPs
- Wessex LMCs have some particular support for GPs via our GP Support and Development Scheme here https://www.wessexlmcs.com/gpsd
- The NHS England commissioned service Practitioner Health details which are available for GPs are here: https://www.england.nhs.uk/gp/the-best-place-to-work/retaining-the-current-medical-workforce/health-service/
- Helping you manage your own health and wellbeing whilst looking after others: https://people.nhs.uk/
- Available now via the Knowledge and Library Services website is a selection of uplifting, digital resources which include apps, podcasts and other online resources. The Health Education England national NHS Knowledge and Library Services team has worked with the Reading Agency to crowd-source these resources. They have been chosen by NHS staff for NHS staff and are ideal for boosting your mood.
- The government have produced an excellent guide for looking after your mental health here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-public-on-mental-health-and-wellbeing
- There is more guidance and assistance on the NHS employers website for what is available for NHS staff to access: https://www.nhsemployers.org/news/2020/03/free-access-to-wellbeing-apps-for-all-nhs-staff
- Confidential staff support line, operated by the Samaritans and free to access from 7:00am – 11:00pm, seven days a week. Call: 0800 069 6222 or Text: FRONTLINE to 85258 for support 24/7 via text
- Mental Health Toolkit for GPs. https://www.rcgp.org.uk/clinical-and-research/resources/toolkits/mental-health-toolkit.aspx
- ‘Working Together to prevent Suicide’ https://www.rcgp.org.uk/clinical-and-research/about/clinical-news/2019/september/working-together-to-prevent-suicide.aspx
- 10 Top Tips for Financial Wellbeing from the Cameron Fund
Support for Practice Nurses
- COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and your mental wellbeing: https://www.rcn.org.uk/get-help/member-support-services/counselling-service/covid-19-and-your-mental-wellbeing
- Helping you manage your own health and wellbeing whilst looking after others: https://people.nhs.uk/
- Available now via the Knowledge and Library Services website is a selection of uplifting, digital resources which include apps, podcasts and other online resources. The Health Education England national NHS Knowledge and Library Services team has worked with the Reading Agency to crowd-source these resources. They have been chosen by NHS staff for NHS staff and are ideal for boosting your mood.
- A confidential staff support line, operated by the Samaritans and free to access from 7:00am – 11:00pm, seven days a week. Call: 0800 069 6222 or Text: FRONTLINE to 85258 for support 24/7 via text
- The government have produced an excellent guide for looking after your mental health here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-public-on-mental-health-and-wellbeing
- There is more guidance and assistance on the NHS employers website for what is available for NHS staff to access: https://www.nhsemployers.org/news/2020/03/free-access-to-wellbeing-apps-for-all-nhs-staff
Support for Practice Managers
- Training for line managers to support you in having safe and effective wellbeing conversations.
- Conflict resolution training to support you in managing challenging behaviour www.e-lfh.org.uk
- The NHS England commissioned service 'Practitioner Health' details what is available for PRACTICE MANAGERS as well as GPs: https://www.practitionerhealth.nhs.uk/
- Wessex LMCs are running regular webinars (details here). Our Directors of Primary Care will be giving an update to our PMs and will be answering questions. It will be a chance for PMs to share good practice and vent frustration! For those unable to join us live, we will have an audio podcast available for anyone to listen to after the event (accessed here)
- Our Practice Manager Supporters, who are working as PMs right now, are brilliantly placed to sympathetically understand exactly what you are going through and what pressure you are under. Do contact them via our webpage https://www.wessexlmcs.com/practicemanagersupporters
- Don’t forget that Looking After You Too is for PMs too!
- Space to Thrive for PM's. Would you like:
- head space?
- space in your day to think?
- a safe space to share and discuss?
- space to develop, thrive and flourish?
Then join a space to thrive! Find out more in this short video.
And finally…..
The Wessex LMCs team is here to support you - do not hesitate to contact one of our Directors via office@wessexlmcs.org.uk if we can help in any way.
