Each year, around 1 in 4 of us experience poor mental health. Most of us know a family member, colleague, or friend who has struggled with their mental health. I know the power of conversation about mental health, following life-changing injuries sustained during my time in the Armed Forces. There is a parallel story to the physical recovery that highlights a somewhat harder journey. It was not until many years later that I began my full mental recovery, tapping into the valuable resources provided by my support network.
While I still find it sometimes painful to speak about, I know that my experience can help others and that is what I want to do. As a result of my experience, I know just how important it is to look after our wellbeing and to look out for each other too. There are a lot of things that we can all do - by staying active more, by spending time outdoors, and by being kind to each other. We must shine a spotlight on how vital mental health is to our overall wellbeing and talk about all aspects of our mental health. I want my constituents to know I am here to help and support them. My Mental Health Support Hub makes it easy to identify the support available.
External Support:
- The National Suicide Prevention Alliance is a coalition of public, private and voluntary organisations in England, supported by the Department of Health. Its aim is to get all parts of society working together to take action to reduce suicide and improve the support for those bereaved by suicide.
- Since 1949, the Mental Health Foundation has been leading the UK in building good mental health. Together, we can help everyone have better mental health.
- Mental Health UK works across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to support people affected by mental health problems.
- The Farm Safety Foundation/Yellow Wellies provides advice and information on how to identify potential mental health issues and provide tools for addressing them.
- Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) is the charity at the heart of farming, providing expert mental health and wellbeing support, as well as financial, emotional and practical help to farming people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- The Every Mind Matters campaign includes practical advice on coping with money worries and job uncertainty, and it provides links to a range of voluntary organisations that provide mental health support.
- Mind – The Mental Health Charity makes sure everyone can access the support they need, including organising finances, claiming benefits, and looking after mental health when worried about money.
- The Mental Health Forum is a peer support forum for people who experience mental health issues. It is a place where you can speak openly and anonymously about your mental health experiences.
- Use NHS 111 for urgent but non-life-threatening medical needs. A trained adviser, or if required a clinician, will ask questions to identify the most appropriate treatment..
- Support After Suicide - Help is at Hand provides people affected by suicide with both emotional and practical support. It offers a resource for people bereaved by suicide and other sudden, traumatic death in England and Wales.
- SOBS Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide exist to meet the needs and overcome the isolation experienced by people over 18 who have been bereaved by suicide.
- PAPYRUS UK - Prevention of Young Suicide is the UK charity dedicated to the prevention of suicide and the promotion of positive mental health and emotional wellbeing in young people. It provides information, training and support.
- Chasing the Stigma (CTS) has launched the Hub of Hope - a mental health database bringing together local, national, peer, community, charity, private and NHS mental health support and services in one place for the first time.
- The Zero Suicide Alliance (ZSA) aims to empower, educate, and equip individuals and organisations to support suicide awareness and prevention.
- Call the Samaritans to talk to a trained volunteer anonymously for free, confidential support 24 hours a day. They give people ways to cope and the skills to be there for others.
- Shout is the UK's first and only free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging service for anyone who is struggling to cope. You can text a trained Shout 85285 volunteer anonymously for free, confidential support 24 hours a day.
- If you’re a woman or child who has experienced domestic abuse contact Refuge for support. Refuge is the largest domestic abuse organisation in the UK.
- If you’re a man who has experienced domestic abuse contact Respect - the Men’s Advice Line for confidential advice, non-judgmental support and practical information.
- Galop is the UK’s leading LGBT+ anti-abuse charity. If you’re LGBT+ and experiencing abuse or violence contact Galop for support. Galop operates the National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline.
- Men’s Sheds have been established throughout England, bringing men together to reduce isolation and loneliness.
- The Lions Barber Collective is encouraging barbershops to create spaces where men can open up and be signposted to support.
- Mates in Mind is developing positive workplace mental wellbeing, including in industries with large male populations such as construction.
Government Support:
NHS Long Term Plan:
Published in 2019, the NHS Long Term Plan made a renewed commitment to improve and widen access to care for children and adults needing mental health support. The NHS forecasts that, between 2018/19 and 2023/24, spending on mental health services has increased by £4.7 billion in cash terms, compared to the target of £3.4 billion set out at the time of the Plan. Of this, £57 million has been specifically for suicide prevention and suicide bereavement services in all areas of the country. All areas of the country are seeing investment to support local suicide prevention plans and the development of suicide bereavement services. The Plan committed to grow the mental health workforce by an additional 27,000 staff between 2019/20 and 2023/24. We delivered two-thirds of this, or 17,000 additional staff, by September 2023. Over the 12 months to December 2023, 750,000 children and young people aged under 18 were supported through NHS-funded mental health services - a 31% increase since March 2021.
Suicide Prevention Strategy for England 2023 to 2028:
Published on 11 September 2023, the Suicide Prevention Strategy 2023 for England is a five-year strategy which sets out the Government’s ambition for suicide prevention in England. It sets out over 100 actions that will reduce the suicide rate within two and a half years as well as improve support for people who have self-harmed and for people bereaved by suicide. It seeks to address common risk factors linked to suicide at a population level, some of which will be factors relevant to agricultural and veterinary workers, to provide early intervention and tailored support.
Suicide Prevention Grant Fund:
Across England, 79 organisations, ranging from local, community-led organisations through to national voluntary, community or social enterprises, have been allocated funding from the £10 million Suicide Prevention Grant Fund and are delivering a broad and diverse range of activity that will prevent suicides and save lives. The Fund is particularly targeted towards supporting suicide prevention activity in geographic areas where demand for services is greatest and where there are disparities in provision and access to services, compared to other regions in England. The fund will run to March 2025.
Mental Health Support Teams:
We achieved our original ambition of covering 25% of pupils in England a year earlier than planned. Around 400 teams are now operational, covering 3.4 million pupils and learners in England in 6,800 schools and colleges, the equivalent to 35% of pupils. A further 100 teams are in training, taking the total number of operational teams to approximately 500 by spring 2024 - covering 4.2 million pupils, or 44% of the pupil population. We have plans to go further, extending coverage to at least 50% of pupils by the end of March 2025 with 600 teams. The NHS forecasts that, between 2018/19 and 2023/24, spending on mental health services has increased by £4.7 billion in cash terms, compared to the target of £3.4 billion set out at the time of the NHS Long Term Plan.
Senior Mental Health Lead Training:
The Government has offered all state-funded schools and colleges in England a grant to train a senior mental health lead (SMHL) by 2025, enabling them to introduce effective whole school or college approaches to mental health and wellbeing - including the consideration of the support interventions provided in school and the training needs of staff.. This training covers the range of mental health issues likely to be encountered in schools and colleges and the risk factors associated with specific groups.
As at 30 November 2023, 15,100 schools and colleges had taken up this offer and claimed a grant, which represents 63% of the total number of settings that are eligible to apply including more than 7 in 10 state-funded secondary schools. A resource hub signposts practical resources and tools to embed whole-school or college approaches, while a targeted mental wellbeing toolkit gives practical advice and tools to help schools and colleges identify the most effective targeted support options for their setting. They are both hosted on the Mentally Healthy Schools site at https://mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/whole-school-or-college-resources/. The new government has said that it will roll out 'Young Futures' hubs in every community, providing open access mental health support for children and young people in every community.
Farming Resilience Fund:
Defra’s Farming Resilience Fund provides free business support to farmers in England to help them adapt to the Agricultural Transition Plan. The expert business support available is intended to have a positive indirect impact on farmer wellbeing, with delivery providers operating signposting services to professional mental health and wellbeing support where appropriate. It has benefitted over 19,000 farmers to date. To help improve the service and support on offer to farmers we will make up to £500,000 available to deliver projects that support mental health in the farming sector. This will build on the support already on offer, focusing on farmer wellbeing - particularly those that help farming people struggling with stress, anxiety and/or depression and are in the most remote or hard to reach areas.
Op Courage:
Op COURAGE provides specialist care and support for people who have served in the UK Armed Forces and are experiencing mental ill health. Available across England, the NHS service also works with a range of charities and local organisations to provide help with wider health and wellbeing needs, such as for substance misuse and addictions. Op RESTORE provides specialist care and support for individuals who have served in, or are leaving, the UK Armed Forces, and have continuing physical health injuries and related medical problems attributed to their time in the Armed Forces.
Universal Support:
Universal Support is part of a £3.5 billion package of measures announced at the Spring Budget to get more people into work being delivered in two phases. Expansions to Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) and the Work and Health Programme (WHP Pioneer) are being rolled out for phase one. The aim is to provide help to up to 50 thousand more disabled people and those with health conditions who want to work, while learning more lessons about how to scale up support for these groups. The Government will expand access to Individual Placement and Support (IPS) for severe mental illness, an employment support service within community mental health teams in England, to reach an additional 100,000 people over the next 5 years.
NHS Talking Therapies:
The Government will expand access to NHS Talking Therapies in England, the flagship NHS programme for treating mild and moderate mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, to reach an additional 384,000 people over the next 5 years, and increase the number of sessions available to those that use the service.
Support in the Workplace
Reasonable Adjustments
Employers must make reasonable adjustments to make sure workers with disabilities, or physical or mental health conditions, are not substantially disadvantaged when doing their jobs. This applies to all workers, including trainees, apprentices, contract workers, and business partners. An adjustment is intended to level the playing field by removing a barrier to the job that is provided by the effect of their mental health problem.
Access to Work
Access to Work can help you get or stay in work if you have a physical or mental health condition or disability. The support you get will depend on your needs. Through Access to Work, you can apply for a grant to help pay for practical support with your work; support with managing your mental health at work; money to pay for communication support at job interviews.
Access to Work Mental Health Support Service (MHSS)
The Access to Work Mental Health Support Service (MHSS) has been established to help individuals with mental health conditions who are absent from work or finding work difficult. The Access to Work MHSS can provide up to 9 months of personalised, non-clinical mental health support for those in employment.
Disability Confident Scheme
The Disability Confident Scheme provides employers with the skills and knowledge to remove barriers that might be preventing disabled people, neuro-divergent people, and those with long term health conditions from accessing employment and allows them opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations. As of 31 January 2024, there were over 19,000 members of the Disability Confident scheme across the UK with an estimated 11.5 million paid employees working in their organisations.
Acas
Anyone who needs help determining their employment rights may wish to seek advice from the Advisory, Conciliation, and Arbitration Service (Acas), who deal with questions from employers, individuals, and others about a wide range of employment relations matters and provide free and impartial advice via their website (www.acas.org.uk/), helpline (0300 123 1100) or text relayservice to (18001 0300 123 1100). Acas also provides Early Conciliation to help them resolve/settle their workplace dispute without going to court, where they both accept their involvement and it is hoped that disputes can be resolved before progression to an Employment Tribunal. They have published guidance on handling bullying, harassment and discrimination complaints at work, which you may find useful to read and is available at www.acas.org.uk/discrimination-and-bullying.
Equality and Human Rights
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has published a statutory code of practice covering the law on discrimination and harassment at work, available at: www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/publication-download/employment-statutory-code-practice. The Equality Advisory and Support Service, provides free bespoke advice, in-depth support and alternative informal dispute resolution to individuals with discrimination concerns, available at: www.equalityadvisoryservice.com. Please also visit www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-guidance.