Hampshire mental health charity Andover Mind, have signed the charter for ‘Employers Positive about Mental Health’ as part of the NHS Mindful Employer scheme.
In signing the charter, Andover Mind have committed to provide non-judgemental and proactive support to staff experiencing mental ill-health. They have also committed to ensuring they are fair in the recruitment of new staff in accordance with the Equality Act (2010) ensuring people who have experienced mental ill health will not be discriminated against, and that disclosure of a mental health problem will enable both the employee and employer to assess and provide the right level of support or adjustment.
As a charity who strive to break down the stigma around mental health, Andover Mind considered it an important step in the development of their workplace wellbeing plan to sign the charter, as Fran May, Senior HR Coordinator, explains:
“As an employer we recognise that in the UK, people experiencing mental ill health continue to report stigma and discrimination at work. Having signed the ‘Charter for Employers Positive about Mental Health’, we are committed to creating a supportive and open culture, where colleagues feel able to talk about mental health confidently, and aspire to appropriately support the mental wellbeing of all staff.”
Although based in Andover, Andover Mind actually delivers mental health support across Hampshire; with wellbeing centres in Basingstoke and Farnborough, and a field-based team delivering services within the community as far as Frimley, Portsmouth and The New Forest. They currently have over 100 staff and 80 volunteers.
Established in 2004, Mindful Employer is a UK wide initiative run by Devon Partnership NHS Trust. Providing employers with easier access to professional Workplace Mental Health training, information and support, the initiative aims to help empower employers to take a lead in supporting the mental wellbeing of their staff. By signing the ‘Charter for Employer Positive About Mental Health’, Andover Mind have made a public statement of their intention to support the mental health of all employees within the organisation.
To find out more about the Charter for Employer Positive About Mental Health please visit mindfulemployer.dpt.nhs.uk
To find out more about Andover Mind please visit andovermind.org.uk
