Emotional and psychological wellbeing
We are emotionally and spiritually well when we are able to manage and adapt to day to day life, and bounce back from the challenges that we experience.
This page contains a range of support for helping increase resilience, emotional balance and psychological wellbeing.
Employee Assistance Programme
Provided by an independent, leading provider of professional employee support services - 'Care First'.
The service is confidential and free of charge. It offers help with a wide range of work, family and personal issues, including legal, practical and emotional.
It is accessible by telephone or online, and also offers 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, every day of the year.
Tel: 0800 174319
Care first login page
Username: ouh
Password: employee
You Matter
Wellbeing and psychological guidance for health and care staff in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire West.
Monday to Friday 9.00am - 4.00pm (except Bank Holidays)
Tel: 0800 145 6568 (answerphone out of working hours)
Email: youmatter@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
You Matter Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub
Occupational Health
Occupational Health looks after all workplace health concerns for Trust staff.
Core services
- Health checks for new employees, including advice on reasonable adjustments and immunisations
- Advice on rehabilitation and reasonable adjustments following sickness absence
- Referrals to the staff psychology service
- Physiotherapy triage and/or treatment service for staff who sustain work-related musculoskeletal injuries
- Referrals to counselling services
- Assessment and support following exposure to blood-borne viruses through needlestick/sharps or splash incidents
- Immunisations required for the workplace
- Night workers' health assessment
- Health surveillance programmes
- Statutory medicals
- Health and wellbeing
- Advice on preventing ill health at work
Contact us
Centre for Occupational Health and Wellbeing
John Radcliffe Hospital site
Tel (JR): 01865 223325
Monday to Friday 8.00am - 4.00pm
Email: OccupationalHealthJR@ouh.nhs.uk
Mental Health First Aiders
A Mental Health First Aider (MHFA) is someone who has been trained to act as a point of contact and reassurance for a person who may be experiencing a mental health issue or emotional distress. Their role is to listen non-judgementally, reassure and respond in a crisis. MHFAs can also provide signposting to professional help and other sources of support.
To find out more about the MHFAs within the Trust, visit OUHi > Growing Stronger Together > Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs).
Staff Support Service - Psychological Medicine
The service works alongside Occupational Health, and offers assessment and evidence-based therapy to OUH employees or partner organisation staff who:
- are experiencing difficulties due to challenges or events that have happened at work, e.g. work-related anxiety, depression or traumatic experiences
- are not currently working due to their mental health, and would benefit from psychological support to return to work being the primary focus of their therapy sessions.
The service does not see individuals who are actively under the care of another mental health service. This is because it can be unhelpful to have concurrent input from different teams.
To access individual support, visit OUHi > Growing Stronger Together > Staff Support Service on the staff intranet, and download and complete the Occupational Health Self-Referral Form.
Please email the completed form to Occupational Health, who will be in touch.
Email: OccupationalHealthJR@ouh.nhs.uk
Mindfulness
'BreathE' daily ten-minute mindful meditations are available on MS Teams.
Monday to Friday 9.00am - 9.10am
To access the sessions, visit OUHi > Growing Stronger Together > Leading Self.
Chaplaincy
Chaplains are integral members of the healthcare team, offering confidential professional support and pastoral counselling to individuals and teams in a friendly and unhurried manner.
The Chaplaincy team includes representatives from Christian and Muslim faiths, but equally supports people of any faith or belief group, and also those without faith.
Chaplaincy
Coaching
Working one to one with a coach can help you develop skills and personal strategies to address, manage and bounce back quicker from challenges and difficult situations.
Contact the Culture and Leadership Team to access support from one of our qualified OUH coaches.
Email: culture@ouh.nhs.uk
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:
Bereavement Service
The Bereavement Service is here to offer practical and emotional support to the immediate family or next of kin of anyone who dies as a patient of the Trust.
Bereavement Service
Freedom to Speak Up (FtSU) Guardians
Freedom to Speak Up (FtSU) Guardians - Social wellbeing
Main menu
Guide to health and wellbeing - In this guide
Last reviewed:17 June 2022