To mark World Mental Health Day that took place last week, we hear at first hand how a staff member at an unnamed college was guided through a mental crisis, and we catch up with provision for staff at Reaseheath College - one of a dozen featured in a special AoC brochure on wellbeing services in colleges published pre-pandemic in 2018
"I began to struggle in my first main full-time job, which offered no mental health support - and I didn’t feel I could tell my employers either,” says Julie. "I used to have quite a few days off as it was a real struggle to get into work; I ended up getting into trouble for having taken time off as I didn’t feel I could reveal the real reasons. It was pretty horrible.
"It was a high-pressure job advising customers in a very busy firm that had got itself into a mess because of lack of adequate staff. Things worsened when we got taken over and were forced to time and tape-record all our work with clients! I stuck it out for several years as I loved the people I worked with, but in the end I realised I couldn’t go on.”
Julie started looking around for another job and applied for her current college post - a move that couldn’t have come soon enough. She started off well but a few months in, a long-term relationship had ended, she’d had to sell a jointly-owned house and was then hit by lockdown. “It all got a bit too much,” she says.
This time, though, Julie did tell her line manager. What made her ask for help? “I remember the college advertising its mental health provision in a job ad. I'd tried using NHS counselling provision in the past but I didn’t like it - it took ages before it started. But at college, I knew they could start instantly. I’d also met the college wellbeing team - really nice people - as part of my normal work."
Julie approached the team’s manager who quickly arranged some counselling sessions that helped her relax. Unfortunately, the stress of having to sell her home during lockdown was taking its toll on her and on her capacity to work. “I felt so awful I had to call in sick and went off with stress. The college said I should take a month off and that I might like to have more counselling with the same lady as before. They arranged it for that week so I was having weekly, hour-long counselling sessions face to face at the start - and then we went online because of a covid lockdown that left me working from home.”
So how did it help her? “They’d get you to talk and say what you’re feeling and thinking and they’d help you figure it out - it’s not like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) where you’re given homework and so on - you basically discuss what’s bothering you and, as the receiver of counselling, you lead the conversation and they help you figure it out.
“A lot of my issues are quite irrational. I get anxious but there’s not any real reason why - it’s hard to explain. When one thing seems to be causing me a lot of anxiety, I ask myself is this actually a real issue or is it just me making it up in my mind? Then, once you have figured that out, you need to tell yourself it’s not real, you’re dreaming it and so try to realise that - and then the worrying kind of goes away.
“Counselling did help me overcome things in my own mind - like talking about coping mechanisms when you need help and what to do when you feel a particular way - it really helps just talking about things but it’s much more than a conversation.”
The counselling sessions helped her ease herself back into work. Yes, at times she found herself thinking she didn’t want to attend a session on certain days, but then she’d go along and afterwards would “feel so much better”. It was about unburdening herself and being reassured that everything was confidential - even her managers wouldn’t know.
Taking a month off work and receiving massive support has left Julie feeling “a lot better and productive now. My circumstances have settled down - I’ve finally moved house and am getting through on the other side now.”
She does, however, wish she’d sought college advice sooner because it’s really helped her. “When help is there, people should use it and not be afraid,” she says. She strongly advises newcomers who may have had issues in the past and/or worry they may arise in the future to make the most of their college support services, given the FE sector is one of the most supportive environments around for mental health issues. “Here are people who can and want to understand and help you. No one judges or treats you badly. You won’t get penalised for admitting to the problem, so don’t be afraid to use your college services.”
Are there ways of asking about mental health services but not mentioning anything you might have suffered in the past? Sometimes interview candidates may find it awkward to ask their interviewer direct, because they don’t want to risk labelling themselves. The advice is to visit the staff wellbeing page or equivalent on the college intranet, which will often carry tips on how to look after yourself. Or visit the college wellbeing hub or equivalent where you’ll find many of those working in mental health are based and say you’d like to talk to somebody. It’s all completely confidential.
“I have ongoing issues and they’ll probably always be there in the background but with help I’m managing and it’s under control,” says Julie. “I’m able to be normal and go to work and I can now find ways to deal with them better.”
College mental health services were just one more activity heavily affected by covid - but unlike many employment sectors, FE has for a long time been building up its mental health and wellbeing services and numerous colleges were able to up a gear when the pressure grew.
Reaseheath College in 2020-21 has been no exception. According to Trudie McGuinness, assistant principal, performance and progress, staff supported by the college’s wellbeing team out of over 600 staff totalled 58, and of those only 10 had issues directly related to covid, and just 20 who suffered from extreme work stress. “That’s not bad in an incredibly demanding year!” says Trudie. “It’s hopefully testimony to our management’s support (both from the college management team but also from individuals’ line managers).
There have been several factors behind Reaseheath’s impressive levels of staff wellbeing. “We’ve been building on building blocks that were already there. Every week our principal sends out an update to all staff that cover items linked to strategic objectives that week but he also includes funny anecdotes and is constantly appreciating everyone in our community and letting them know how valued they are. But he’s always done this.” Likewise, the leadership team has constantly issued covid-related updates and always encouraged line managers to communicate clearly with staff at all times.
“We relentlessly remind colleagues to take care of themselves,” says Trudie. Reminders to look after your own well-being are crucial, particularly for the college’s well-trained wellbeing team, many of whom have also worked in charities and other organisations in the wellbeing field as counsellors. Talking regular walks in breaks and between lectures around Reaseheath’s stunning campus environment set in the countryside;
Just some of these Reminders to st and students were really critical in keeping people afloat during last year.
At Reaseheath the emphasis is on the individual and maintaining a personalised approach because, as Trudie points out not everyone has the same experience of lockdown at the same time.
The Reaseheath approach respects the fact every individual has their own unique set of circumstances. “We cannot assume that, just because we are coming out of lockdown, everything will be fine. It’s critical among all the turmoil to be able to constantly check in with colleagues ‘and ask them ‘How are you at this point in time?’”
“Some may feel real anxiety - that may be because they have not wanted to re-emerge into the world as the same version of them as they were before. So a personalised approach to both staff and students is vital.” Fortunately Reaseheath has developed a successful resources section before covid struck called ‘Be well’ for students and it’s been relatively simple to tweak it to work for staff as well.”
A key strategy at Reaseheath is being one step ahead of the game. College health mentors do ongoing work with individuals - not just when people start to feel wobbly. “You have to keep asking how to get ‘topped up’ as much as possible,” says Trudie. “Taking screen breaks, exercise, connecting with others whatever that looks like and remembering to find your own joys - we all have particular delights in life and need to focus on them and talk things through.”
Reaseheath has also amended some of its normal management monitoring and development processes during the last year, eg discontinuing full lesson observations - “We felt it was not supportable or helpful for staff” - and cancelling its equality health check week ‘deep dive’ as it was not what people needed at that time.
“Instead, Covid led us to hold ungraded learning talks instead as part of staff training - we sought to work supportively with colleagues on their development rather than using observations focusing on grading. It was not something done to an individual but with them.”
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