3,500 Berkshire staff helped by Wellbeing Matters
If you work in health and social care in Berkshire, did you know you can get free, confidential support for your wellbeing and mental health, with Wellbeing Matters?
Wellbeing Matters is one of 40 staff mental health and wellbeing hubs across the UK, set up during the pandemic to give health and care staff much-needed mental health and wellbeing support.
We’ve helped over 3,500 Berkshire staff since we set up Wellbeing Matters in 2020 and we want to help many more.
Watch: What is Wellbeing Matters? Elizabeth explains (15 sec)
Why do staff need support?
Research tells us many working in health and social care are reluctant to ask for help. Some feel the support is for others. Or, they want to keep going for the sake of their work and family. They may worry about confidentiality, being judged, not having time, or not knowing where to start.
But people are facing real issues. The staff we help report issues such as high workload, staff shortages, rapid change and the impact of Covid on work. As well as isolation, exhaustion, burnout, pressures on relationships, family challenges, health problems and the financial difficulties so many in the country are facing. They want support and tips to help them get back to feeling they can manage.
If I need help, where do I start?
If you’re not sure what help you need, contact our Wellbeing Line. You’ll get a friendly, confidential chat about how you are, a rapid assessment if needed, and referrals to the right support for you. We often hear staff are baffled by the range of helplines and websites on offer. We can help with that!
We'll work out an individual support plan to suit you, whether that's:
- SHAPE wellbeing coaching to provide strategies and help with managing trauma
- Online therapy programmes to help with stress, sleep, money worries, anxiety, alcohol misuse, or mindfulness and your general wellbeing, with SilverCloud for staff
- Practical support with financial issues, family issues, or signposting to local services.
- A referral to confidential mental health support, such as Berkshire Talking Therapies
We’ll also contact you later to follow up, see how you’re getting on and ask if you need more help.
Not sure if you qualify for the help?
Our support is available no matter what role you do, as long as you work in health or social care and live or work in Berkshire. As well as frontline roles, we support admin, managerial, facilities and temporary staff working in health and social care. (Find out more in Who can access the support).
Support for you - and your whole team
Research shows an important part of helping a workforce recover from challenging times, is to support whole teams. One way Wellbeing Matters does this is with our team wellbeing hubs.
Dr Claire Husbands, Clinical Psychologist, Wellbeing Matters, says
“A team wellbeing hub is a meeting for a team, or a group of people, in their workplace or online. A trained facilitator guides the team through a set of questions to discuss as a group. They can share their experiences in a supportive environment and talk through ways of coping.
You can have just one session, or up to four, depending on the team’s needs. Our hubs help staff see their reactions to situations they’ve faced are normal and there’s hope of feeling better over time.”
We also offer wellbeing presentations and workshops on topics like stress and burnout, at workplaces across Berkshire, for free. We connect staff with popular REACTMH training courses, to help them spot when colleagues are struggling and hold supportive wellbeing conversations.
Happy birthday, Wellbeing Matters website - one year old!
Since the Wellbeing Matters website launched in summer 2021, it has been visited by thousands of staff for free apps, self-help, financial help and support resources.
New pages
- Wellbeing resources - posters, newsletters, slides, videos and more
- Relationship support - resources and free workshop
- Supporting you through the menopause
- Support for our LGBTIQ community
- Support for our veterans and reservists
- SilverCloud for Staff - free online therapy
- REACTMH Training - free training course
- Mental Health First Aid Training - free training course
These join popular existing pages, including:
- Assess your Wellbeing
- Support for managers and teams - book free team wellbeing hubs and wellbeing workshops
- Support for our BAME colleagues
- Financial support - new support resources added
- Free wellbeing apps
Have a look around and if you would like any support or more information on support available for health and social care staff, get in touch.
Get support with Wellbeing Matters
Do you work in health or social care and live, or work, in Berkshire? We're here to help you. Get free, confidential support from our friendly team today.
Support for you
- Call our Wellbeing Line: 0300 365 8880 (9am–4pm, Mon–Fri, except bank holidays)
- Email: WellbeingLine@berkshire.nhs.uk to ask for a call back from a mental health practitioner.
- Try SilverCloud for staff online self-help. Learn new coping strategies, to help with stress, sleep, anxiety, depression, money worries, alcohol misuse and more. Choose to do courses as self-help, or supported. If you choose to complete this as self-help, please note that any clinical information supplied will not be monitored.
Important: SilverCloud is not a crisis intervention. For urgent mental health support, see: Wellbeing crisis page
Support for your team
- Book a wellbeing workshop or informal consultation: staffsupportservice@berkshire.nhs.uk
- Book a team wellbeing hub now to share difficult experiences and ways of coping with your colleagues, facilitated and supported by a psychological practitioner.
- Visit Support for managers for more resources to help you and your team.
The Wellbeing Matters service is delivered by Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, a mental and community health service provider rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The service is funded by NHS England.