Mental Health
Mental Health
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Mental Health Awareness Newsletter - Wellbeing Solutions. March 2024
Counselling & Advice & Helpline - covers a variety of personal and workplace issue such as;
🍇 Anxiety or depression
🍇 Everyday financial or legal struggles
🍇 Workplace stress
The service is paid for by us and is completely free for you to use as part of our KGA Community.
All calls / forms submitted are completely confidential.
24/7 freephone:
0800 328 1437
Newsletter - EAP - March.pdfThe Health & Safety Executive have produced an excellent tool to support managers in having conversations about stress and workload. Use this tool to help structure and record discussions with colleagues.
Men's Mental Health Workshop
Men's Mental Health Workshop
On Wednesday 29th November, KGA held a Men's Mental Health Workshop delivered by I-lan Hamilton, a life coach from Wellbeing solutions . The workshop was part of our Employees Assistance Program (EAP) to enable us to learn, grow and begin to understand some taboo subjects. The workshop touched on an overview of Men's Mental Health, the five common male mental health problems, recognising signs, taboos and societal barriers, tips on support, and much more. The interactive hours was very insightful and opened our eyes so we can begin to reframe perceptions.
If you were not able to attend but would like to read about the workshop. The presentation and handout has been saved here.
Trigger Warning: the following videos contain references to suicide and homicide.
Please note Bianca is not a registered Mental Health practitioner, her advise and opinions are based on her own experiences and knowledge.
WS - Christmas Poster.pdf5 tips for easing feelings of loneliness this Christmas!
Start Small: Engage in non-demanding social apps and platforms where sharing a ‘like’, a picture, or a comment can be a step towards interaction.
Volunteer Virtually: Many charities offer opportunities to help from home. It can be fulfilling to contribute to a cause, and it often comes with a built-in community.
Attend ‘No Pressure’ Events: Look for events that don’t require active participation, like live-streamed concerts or church services, where you can be part of an experience without the spotlight.
Create a Comforting Routine: Establish a holiday routine that includes simple pleasures like watching a daily vlog or following an advent calendar, providing a sense of anticipation and structure.
Use Our EAP Helpline: If you’re struggling, our helpline can be a great way to get some support and guidance. Our friendly team are here 24/7 to listen and support you.
Remember to use our access code: Kingsgroup
We have collaborated with Bianca Louise, founder of Mindset Maintenance, to help raise awareness of Mental Health across our KGA community. Bianca has recorded three short videos for us based on questions we provided. In the first video Bianca discusses who she is and talks about her personal journey with Mental Health, in the second video Bianca shares her tips on the cost of living and in the third video, Bianca shares how we can support one another.
Please note Bianca is not a registered Mental Health practitioner, her advise and opinions are purely based on her experiences and knowledge.
Trigger Warning: the video 'KGA - Mental Health - Who is Bianca?' contains references to suicide and homicide.
Mental illness affects everyone differently. It can range from subtle feelings that something is not right, through to overwhelming physical, emotional or behavioural changes and reactions.
In general, you should seek support for your mental health if:
You have been feeling worried, sad, down, angry, anxious, depressed, numb or ‘not yourself’ for several weeks or more, and/or
The way you are feeling is affecting your ability to cope at work, school or in your relationships.
If you are feeling any of the above or just need a chat, please reach out to Centralhr@kingsacademies.uk who will be able to support you with confidence.
How can we support ourselves and eachother with the cost of living crisis?
How can we support ourselves and eachother with the cost of living crisis?
Please note Bianca is not a registered Mental Health practitioner, her advise and opinions are based on her own experiences and knowledge.
What can we do when someone opens up to us and how can we support them?
What can we do when someone opens up to us and how can we support them?
Please note Bianca is not a registered Mental Health practitioner, her advise and opinions are based on her own experiences and knowledge.
Using your Headspace
As a KGA employee you have free membership to Headspace a leading app for positive management of our mental health.
To activate your account follow these instructions:
1. Visit https://work.headspace.com/educators-uk/member-enroll.
2. When prompted, choose “No, I do not have an account” if you are new to Headspace or “Yes, I have an account” if you have an existing Headspace account.
3. If you answer no, please go ahead and sign up for a new account. If the answer is yes, login to your existing account.
4. Enter your school email address - you will then receive a link to activate the subscription.
5. Click the "Activate" button in the activation email to activate your new membership.
Please note: If you are unable to enroll using the steps above, please clear your cache by following the steps HERE.
If you had an existing paid membership purchased directly through headspace.com, that subscription would be cancelled and replaced by your new membership.
If your subscription was purchased in-app via Apple (iTunes) or Google Play, you would need to cancel the subscription by following the steps HERE manually.
Help with Looking After Your Mental Health;
Education Support - offers lots of resources for individuals and managers on a range of mental health topics.
Mind - is a mental health charity offering advice and support.
Samaritans - provide a safe space for you to talk at any time.
ITalk - free treatment to people suffering from common mental health problems including depression, anxiety, and stress.
Mindfulness information from the NHS.
Resources for Line Managers
Part of the role of line manager is to support colleagues to work safely, this includes taking steps to protect their mental health. The resources below can be helpful for line managers to work through with team members who are experiencing difficulties;
Education Talking Toolkit - is produced by the Health & Safety Executive specifically for school leaders and managers, it contains helpful resources to work through with colleagues when discussing their mental health.
MIND - have produced this booklet for managers support staff with their mental health.
Mentally healthy schools - is an education specific resource.
The Cost of Living Crisis
Having (just about) come out of the pandemic, we are very aware that for many people, resilience has taken quite a knock and there has been little time to recover before dealing with the challenges of the current rate of inflation. The impact that this is having on energy and food costs is worrying for just about everyone.
KGA cannot claim to have all the answers, but we care deeply about our people and want to help by providing information and support. We aim to be a living wage employer which means ensuring that all our wages meet the recommended rate for everyday needs. KGA regularly reviews salary scales and take a range of factors into consideration, one of which is the level of funding that we receive from government. We also seek to provide benefits that compliment the needs of our staff. My Rewards provides a range of discounts to everyday shopping which we think is particularly helpful right now.
We recognise that times are still challenging and that some of our colleagues might be finding things exceptionally difficult. If this is you we encourage you to speak to a member of your leadership team who will be happy to listen and explore what can be done to help you. Please also consider looking at some of these links which have a lot of information:
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