Emotional and psychological wellness
Our emotional wellness is summed up in our ability to manage day to day life and the challenges that we experience.
When we are emotionally and spiritually well we increase our resilience and are able to bounce back from any setbacks that occur: we build satisfying relationships with others and enhance our sense of confidence and purpose.
Growing your emotional and spiritual wellness can be something you do alone or with others, but looking after yourself is important to ensure you don't become emotionally exhausted. You can think of your emotional and spiritual wellness as a 'cup': the larger and stronger you make your cup, the more it can hold, meaning the more you grow and strengthen your emotional and spiritual wellness, the greater your robustness will be when things don't go to plan.
This is particularly important when working within a care setting, as one of the ways in which emotional exhaustion can express itself is as 'compassion fatigue', leading to you feeling overwhelmed, distressed and apathetic.
Self-care is one way in which you can grow your 'cup' and increase your resilience; perhaps by undertaking leisure or recreational activities, or by taking time to reflect, clear your mind and practise mindfulness.
Self-care is very personal, and you can pick any activity you enjoy that gives you a break and time to relax. This might be as simple as having a bath, reading a book, listening to music or going for a walk. You could repeat the same activity daily or try something new as you wish.
We've given you a list of self-care ideas to inspire you at the end of this section, and would like to share with you here the other ways we as a Trust may be able to support you with your emotional and spiritual wellness.
As individuals we find benefit from different approaches to sustaining our wellness levels, and not all of the offerings will be 'right' for us all. Do explore any that are of interest to you, and select the support which you feel will help you the most.
Employee Assistance Programme
With ever increasing pressures at work and home, there are times when we all need some extra support to balance the demands of everyday life.
Our Employee Assistance Programme is provided by an independent, leading provider of professional employee support services - 'Care first'.
The service is confidential and free of charge for you to use. It is accessible by telephone or online, and can help support you with a wide range of work, family and personal issues, and also individual counselling sessions.
You don't need to ask your manager, just call and you can speak to a professional counsellor or information specialist in confidence, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
0800 174319
carefirst-lifestyle.co.uk
Username: ouh
Password: employee
Centre for Occupational Health and Wellbeing
Our multidisciplinary team is dedicated to supporting all staff, offering our expert advice on managing work-related health, whether COVID-19-related or otherwise.
We offer specialist advice on work-related matters such as:
- skin care
- managing ongoing work-related health issues
- musculoskeletal issues
- COVID-19 testing signposting
- psychological health
- improving sleep and managing stress
- general hints and tips on taking care of yourself and each other.
We undertake all new starter health checks, including immunisations. We accept management and self-referrals and try to answer your questions.
Appointments
The majority of consultations are via telephone, but some appointments are available:
John Radcliffe Hospital
Monday to Friday 8.00am - 4.00pm
The service is confidential and anything you discuss will not be shared with your line manager, unless you give your consent.
Centre for Occupational Health and Wellbeing - JR: 01865 223325
Email: OccupationalHealthJR@ouh.nhs.uk
Psychological Medicine Centre
Our Psychological Medicine Centre has established a 'Support for Teams' offer from experienced psychologists and psychiatrists, and teams now each have a 'Wellbeing Lead'.
Wellbeing Leads
Wellbeing Leads act as a point of contact, encouraging discussion and/or requesting help for their team from Psychological Medicine or Occupational Health.
Approach your Wellbeing Lead for support on a team or individual basis.
For more information please contact Oxford Psychological Medicine Centre.
Email: russellcairns@nhs.net
The Centre works with Occupational Health to provide supplementary in-house psychiatric and psychological expertise for people who are assessed as benefiting from it.
You can access this support via the self-referral form on the internal staff intranet and email it to: OccupationalHealthJR@ouh.nhs.uk
Prof Michael Sharpe has produced a series of short videos which focus on support during COVID-19.
Videos
Working Together in our Teams - Part 1
Working Together in our Teams - Part 2
Working Together in our Teams - Part 3
NHS Wellbeing Service
To support your health and wellbeing, NHS People has brought together a range of useful guides, personal and team resilience tools and wellbeing support helplines into one point of contact.
Send the text 'FRONTLINE' to 85258 to start a conversation
Listening Line: 0300 131 7000 7.00am - 11.00pm
Bereavement and loss support: 0300 3034434 7.00am - 11.00pm
Our NHS People - supporting our people
Support for medical professionals
There are specific support services for medical professionals provided by the local Deanery and by the British Medical Association.
Oxford Deanery
Psychotherapy support for doctors in training: medic.support@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
British Medical Association
Confidential 24/7 counselling and peer-support services for all doctors and medical students (regardless of BMA membership), plus their partners and dependants.
Tel: 0330 123 1245
Counselling provision and available talking therapies
We are pleased at OUH to be able to offer you a selection of options for talking therapy, including our Employee Assistance Programme.
There are also local charities and organisations - you may find it helpful to contact a few and chat with them about what they offer before deciding which service to use.
Local links
Mind / Coronavirus and your wellbeing
Talking Space Plus (Oxfordshire Based)
Tel: 01865 901222
Restore - working for mental health
Adults: 01865 904997 / Children and young people: 01865 904998
Healthy Minds Bucks
Tel: 01865 901600
Berkshire Healthcare Talking Therapies
Tel: 0300 365 2000
Milton Keynes Talking Therapies (IAPT) Service
Tel: 01908 725099
Samaritans - contact a Samaritan
Tel: 116123
Shout - for support in a crisis - by text message
Text 'Shout' to 85258
Every Mind Matters
National support from the NHS in all areas of health and wellness
Includes free apps and links to services in your area
The Silver Line
Free, confidential helpline for older people across the UK, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Tel: 0800 4 70 80 90
Unmind
Measure and manage your personal mental health needs: topics include stress, sleep, coping, connection, fulfilment and nutrition.
Free access to NHS staff until the end of December 2020.
nhs.unmind.com/signup
Sign up with your NHS email address and download the Unmind app from the App store: organisation name: 'NHS'
If you do not see your NHS email domain, contact support@unmind.com and include your email address.
Project5
Project5 - Free Wellbeing Support Service for our Healthcare Workers
Liberate Meditation
Liberate Meditation offers culturally sensitive and diverse meditations and talks that have been curated for the BAME community - free subscription until December 2020:
liberatemeditation.com/nhs
Wellness and resilience coaching
Working one to one with a coach can help you consider your own needs and establish positive changes to your health and wellbeing.
Our coaches won't tell you what to do, but will help you to explore your personal aims and goals for your health and wellbeing in a holistic way; supporting you to establish a healthy mindset and a set of healthy habits that will enable you to accomplish your individual goals.
We are fortunate to have a number of locally-based, qualified coaches at the Trust and links with the Thames Valley and Wessex Leadership Academy that hold a register of coaches within the region.
If you would like to take part in a wellness and resilience coaching conversation please email the Culture and Leadership Team
Email: culture@ouh.nhs.uk
Bereavement support
Working in healthcare can open us up as individuals to additional stressors and emotional challenges, particularly when dealing with loss of life. As well as potential for bereavement within our family and friends, we can also be affected by the loss of those we help care for.
As well as the services provided by the Trust, the following national charities offer free support.
Our NHS People: bereavement support during COVID-19
Cruse Bereavement Care
Freephone: 0808 808 1677 / helpline@cruse.org.uk
The Good Grief Trust
National COVID-19 Bereavement Helpline: 0800 2600 400
Support Around Death
Support for health and social care professionals
WAY Widowed and Young
Way Up
Peer support for those who have experienced the death of a partner
Safeguarding / domestic abuse
We support our staff as much as possible and this includes situations inside and outside work. For some, home and family is not always a safe place to be. In the UK, one in four women and one in six men will experience domestic violence during their lives, and there are reports that this number is rising.
If this is you, or you know of a colleague who is facing difficulties at home, please visit our Domestic Abuse intranet page or contact our Designated Safeguarding Officers:
Oxfordshire Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0800 7310055
Reducing the Risk of Domestic Abuse (contains further links for local and national helplines)
Chaplaincy
Please see Chaplaincy
Oxford Council of Faiths
Representatives and members from many different faiths, promoting good relations and respect between people of different faith communities in Oxford.
Oxford Council of Faiths: Links
Self-care
Looking after ourselves is an important part of building our resilience to help us manage through the hard times.
If you would like support with designing your personalised self-care plan and to think through the choices available to you, please contact Here for Health.
Ideas to inspire you
Action for Happiness 10 keys to happier living - at work
The Moodzone
A series of free, self-help guides which you can use at any time.
iResilience Tools
Free resilience tools to review and build your personal resilience levels
Main menu
Guide to health and wellness - In this guide