Southwark Council has signed up to the ‘Time to Change Employer Pledge’ and committed to raising awareness of mental health in the workplace, writes John Cowley…
The council has now created a plan for training courses about mental health, recruitment of health and wellbeing ‘champions’ and an employee health and wellbeing strategy to support its workers.
Its bosses have also promised to tackle the stigma surrounding mental health issues and provide support to employees, including taking part in camapigns such as Mental Health Awareness Week.
Councillor Evelyn Akoto, cabinet member for community safety and public health said: “Our staff are our greatest strength and they do fantastic things on a daily basis.
“We want them to feel confident and supported at work and have the tools to support their mental wellbeing and resilience.
“We want to create an environment where all issues are openly discussed and tackled. We see the Time to Change Employer Pledge as a highly visible and powerful demonstration of our commitment to employee health and wellbeing.”
Jo Loughran, Director of Time to Change, which is encouraging businesses to sign the pledge, said: “Everyone’s attitude makes a difference and it’s fantastic to see organisations like Southwark Council taking the lead.
“Many leading employers have found that making a strategic commitment to the mental wellbeing of their workforce not only benefits their staff but also their bottom-line, improving productivity and staff retention.”