The following have been supplied by the PCS DWP Group :

 

Mental Health First Aiders in DWP

Members may be aware that the DWP is keen to set up a network of Mental Health First Aider’s across the Department to support staff experiencing mental health issues and to promote and raise awareness of mental health.

Background

The Mental Health First Aider (MHFA) role includes:

• Providing help on a first aid basis
• Signposting to the right support
• Helping with faster recovery
• Promoting awareness
• Reducing stigma attached to mental ill health
• Providing support and guidance

Mental Health First Aiders are NOT trained counsellors. The role has been introduced to deal with the rising number of employees who suffer with mental ill health, to support affected staff enabling them to remain in work and to create healthier workplaces. It is widely accepted, by both medical professionals and experts in the Mental Health and Wellbeing field, that being in work is good for employees with mental health issues and is beneficial to their long term well being. For these reasons the GEC supports in principle the idea of the MHFA role. That being said the Group Executive has a number of concerns about this particular initiative and is clear that it is imperative the role is done correctly if we are to avoid the potential worsening of an individual’s condition and the potentially devastating consequences this could have. PCS have already been made aware of incorrect diagnoses being made on individuals and a lack of support for some MHFA volunteers. We are pressing DWP for urgent talks to ensure that proper training, guidance and support is put in place.

Pilot

The DWP has set up a pilot in the NE Region, volunteers have been sought and training provided. PCS has seen the terms of reference for the pilot and has raised a number of concerns. These concerns include needing to ensure the training being used is the most up to date and regularly refreshed; the provider of the delivery of training; confidentiality issues, such as what records will be kept, where and for how long?; support for MHFA’s; sight of the evaluation of any pilots; the need for a DWP wide policy, ensuring the parameters of the role are understood by everyone and consistency is achieved; line management issues; and obviously the need to identify the underlying causes of stress, and mental illness, and ensure that policies on dealing with stress are robust and implemented with the individual’s needs a priority.

Talks continue

It is clear that the pilot in the NE is not the only place where MHFA’s are being used, we understand that there are MHFA’s in the Corporate Centre, CMG and Debt Management. We have received some feedback, both positive and negative, from these areas and we would ask that members continue to feed this in.

Due to PCS concerns at the piecemeal approach to this important issue we will continue to press for a DWP wide policy and for urgent talks. PCS will update members further in due course.