Improve Your Mental Health

Mental health difficulties are extremely common. Most difficulties, while unpleasant to experience,are temporary, remain manageable and are understandable as part of a reaction to something that has happened. Our natural human ability to adjust, adapt and recover following challenging times can be supported with information about what to expect, encouragement and care from the people around us, practical assistance to tackle problems and reduce the demands we are facing, and through the use of self-care activities and lifestyle habits that have been proven to help reduce the negative impact of stress on the mind and body.

While it is not always necessarily to seek specialist support for milder issues, it is important to always speak to your GP and local NHS services as soon as possible if your mental health is deteriorating and you are finding it increasingly harder to cope.

You should always seek professional support as a matter of urgency if you are struggling with thoughts of suicide.

In addition to the standard healthcare and support services that are available to everyone, there are a number of additional support offers available to all WMAS employees:

WMAS Mental Health Practitioner Service

If you have explored the above provisions but believe a different type of support is required, or if you would like additional advice, click the button to the right where you can make a self-referral via a structured self-assessment form with the Trust’s Mental Wellbeing Practitioners. Our mental wellbeing practitioners work in partnership with The Listening Centre. The Listening Centre is an award-winning specialist provider of wellbeing services, supporting WMAS care for their staff wellbeing needs including talking therapy, training, mediation, and trauma defusing. The Listening Centre is unique in its person-centred, trauma-informed approach.

Mental Heath Practitioner Service

The Black Country Therapeutic Centre (BCTC)

The Black Country Therapeutic Centre (BCTC) is dedicated to providing essential therapeutic interventions to individuals in need throughout the Black Country area. Mental health challenges are particularly prevalent here, with significantly higher rates of depression compared to the national average. These issues are exacerbated by many factors.

Their mission is to support quality interventions that promote resilience and wellness within local areas by collaborating with the community to enhance mental and physical well-being. They provide funded and affordable counselling with a 10-day turnaround. 4 pathways will be offered with therapeutic interventions being delivered in several ways, this includes individual and group sessions: in person, online, and via telephone. To find out more, go to their website here

Supporting Your Own Wellbeing

Your health and wellbeing should always be a priority yet it’s something that is commonly put on the backfoot. Use this sheet and it’s QR codes to choose one practical starting point for checking in with your wellbeing, understanding common signs of stress or emotional strain, and finding support options. These resources can be used before, during or after accessing other support. These are a good place to start, but if you feel you need further help go to our main website and find a vast array of helpful advice and signposts. If you feel you need urgent help call 999 or go to an A&E.

Click on the image to enlarge to a full document.

Student Minds

A great site for students containing lots of really helpful and reassuring information tailored towards the stresses and strains most prominent during training and educational courses. They also have student stories, advice with your money and making friends at university and so much more so you don’t feel alone in your journey.

Student Space from Student Minds

On the same note, from Student Minds there is ‘Student Space’ which offers more advice and support in areas that you might be finding most challenging during student life such as your general mental health, money and settling into student life.

Staffordshire & Stoke Talking Therapies

The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Wellbeing Service is a team of friendly NHS experts. We specialise in treating the kinds of common mental health problems that affect all of us at some time.

The therapies they provide are evidence based treatments in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance, which is a national recommendation of best practice. The therapists can offer appointments in a variety of ways, including telephone, video links and face to face in venues which may be in your GP practice or in one of their clinics in your local community. They can even offer video link therapy to those who haven’t got a computer or even have never even used a computer through their award winning use of KOMP technology. Their aim is to make treatment as accessible and as convenient as possible and therefore offer appointments via interpreting services and evening appointments are available.

NHS Counselling for student mental health problems

Anyone who has new challenges as a student could benefit from talking to someone. This includes if you have:

friend, family or relationship issues
low mood or are losing interest in things you enjoy
stress or anxiety about your work or anything else

Counselling can help you understand these issues and suggest strategies for dealing with your feelings.

Follow this link to see what help is available and suggested by the NHS.

Have you Explored Qwell Yet?

Qwell is your online mental wellbeing community and a place for all of the WMAS workforce to access. Qwell is an anonymous service, providing support to WMAS staff, to give help, guidance and support free of charge. Qwell offers confidential, timely and cost-free access to qualified counsellors and mental health practitioners, without thresholds and without waiting lists. It also has a vast library of self-help articles and podcasts, along with digital tools to help you track your mood, set your personal goals, and keep a private online journal. Staff can explore hundreds of articles on all aspects of mental health and wellbeing too!

Watch an introductory video about Qwell here Improve your mental health | WMAS Wellbeing. To find out more and to register for the site visit the WMAS dedicated login page qwell.io/wmas.

All WMAS staff are invited to take up the offer of a fully funded personal account on Qwell, an online mental wellbeing platform.

Secure 1-2-1 live text sessions with a qualified mental health professional available
between 12 noon and 10pm.
A series of online 1-2-1 counselling sessions (if identified as appropriate during initial assessment)
Access a wealth of wellbeing information, self-help tools, read and contribute to a moderated anonymous peer support forum.
Accessing Qwell is confidential and no personal information is shared with anyone at WMAS.
NO REFERRAL REQUIRED – Register now at qwell.io/wmas

Watch the introductory video:

Access to Work Mental Health Support

The Access to Work Mental Health Support Service delivered by Maximus, funded by the Department for Work and Pensions, provides confidential mental health support for stress, anxiety, depression, low mood and much more, in the workplace at no cost.

This service helps anyone:

In permanent or temporary employment (working or signed off sick)
With a mental health concern (diagnosed or un-diagnosed) that is impacting performance or attendance at work
With dedicated support for nine months, Maximus cover all the key things like coping strategies, workplace adjustments, practical advice and guidance, as well as a plan to return to work.

To refer to the service:

Please call Maximus directly on 0300 456 8114, email atw@maximusuk.co.uk or complete a 5 minute referral via our self-referral portal below:

Access To Work Mental Health Support Service | Get Help Today (maximusuk.co.uk)

Headspace

Headspace for NHS – You’re here for them, we’re here for you. Be kind to your mind with access to Headspace the world’s most science-backed meditation app – to all NHS clinical and non-clinical staff. Headspace is everyday mindfulness for everyone. Stress less, sleep soundly, and be more resilient. Your Headspace Plus membership will help you learn the life-changing skills of meditation and mindfulness, to use whenever you need it most. Click here to sign up.

MindEd

MindEd have selected the best advice and tips from our large panel of experts from the mental health, ambulance, fire and police services.

In addition to the tips, MindEd have developed 4 full elearning sessions for Blue Light Services Staff, available here on our main website. The aim of this content is to help staff to identify, better support each other and so to manage early distress and stress in its various forms. Click here to access the MindEd Blue Light Top Tips for Staff.

Counselling and talking therapies for our Ethnic Minority colleagues

Looking after you too: Coaching support for out Black, Asian Minority colleagues

This programme has been developed to support any NHS colleagues who identify as part of our Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic workforce in NHS and ambulance trusts, in maintaining their psychological wellbeing during this challenging time.

This individually tailored coaching support will focus on proactively supporting you to process experiences, offload the demands of whatever you are
experiencing, deal with difficult conversations, develop coping skills and be supported in developing practical strategies.

Find out more: NHS England » Support for our diverse colleagues

Supporting Loneliness

Loneliness is a universal experience that can affect anyone, regardless of age or circumstances. It often arises from a sense of disconnection, even when surrounded by others, and can impact emotional well-being and mental health,. Recognising loneliness is an important step toward addressing it, as reaching out for support can make a profound difference. Here are some resources to help take that first step. Click Here to view

Loneliness poster

ANDYSMANCLUB

ANDYSMANCLUB are a men’s suicide prevention charity, offering free-to-attend peer-to-peer support groups across the United Kingdom and online. We want to end the stigma surrounding men’s mental health and help men through the power of conversation. #ITSOKAYTOTALK

ANDYSMANCLUB has over 120 free support groups nationwide, running every Monday from 7PM except bank holidays. In these groups, men can open up about the storms affecting their lives in a safe, judgement-free and non-clinical environment. Our clubs are designed to be free of pressure, there is no obligation for men to speak, they can simply listen if they wish.

On average one man every two hours takes his life in the UK. It’s often said to be a factor is that men don’t talk. That’s why ANDYSMANCLUB was born. Established in 2016 by Luke Ambler, Andy’s brother-in-law, the aim of the club is to break down these stigmas, support men struggling, and lend a hand to suicide prevention.

That change starts with you… Andy’s Man Club | #ITSOKAYTOTALK | Andy’s Man Club (andysmanclub.co.uk)

TASC

TASC are able to support ambulance staff who meet one of the following criteria:

Worked for an NHS ambulance service or a CQC-registered independent/private ambulance service for at least 12 months (can be currently serving or retired)
A student of a Paramedic Science course from year two onwards whose request is linked to their placement
A current volunteer with a UK ambulance service who has been volunteering with the service for at least three years. This does not include event first aiders or people who volunteer on Medicar schemes

TASC wellbeing support offer can be accessed by completing an application form on our website.

Mental health support. – TASC has worked hard to develop a pool of counsellors who are not only qualified in a wide range of modalities they also have extensive experience working with ambulance staff.

Our counselling team assess each application for support we receive to identify and recommend the most appropriate treatment pathway for our clients. Due to the limited resources of the charity we sadly have a waiting list and at the moment, clients have a 15 week wait. However, we have just implemented a waiting well process so we can monitor those clients on our waiting list and if their mental health dips we can put in a check in call and some immediate support, so they are not struggling alone.

In addition to this we also have an Online Platform that has a wide range of articles, guides, find out more mini modules and full CBT modules (that are set up to work like formal counselling). To access the CBT modules requires someone to register but once registered they will have access to the modules for 12 months. The online platform include guides to understanding Burnout, Menopause, PTSD, and CBT modules that include Working with Trauma, Understanding my Drinking, Managing Drug Use.

A Self-Assessment Tool can also be found on the online platform, a short fifteen question survey that will, on completion, generate a personalised report with information and advice for the individual. A valuable tool to help support self-care and help someone to understand why they are feeling the way they do and what they can do to aid recovery.

Financial Guidance
Physical rehabilitation
Bereavement Support

The Ambulance Service Crisis Phoneline Tel: 0300 373 0898

This line is for ambulance staff who are at risk of taking their own life, a 24/7 service with all calls being answered by a qualified counsellor who will stabilise and if necessary, arrange for the caller to move onto the CAMS (Collaborative Assessment for Managing Suicidality) structured intervention programme. Since the launch in November 2022 there have been over 1000 ambulance staff supported by the line.

The Ambulance Staff Sexual Safety Support Service Tel: 0333 038 6573

This line is for ambulance staff who have experienced inappropriate sexual behaviour. The line is currently open from 10am – 3pm Monday to Friday.A listening ear service to support callers, with help, understanding and signposting to specialist services, to help them to take back control.

TASC general services

TASC Mental health support

TASC physical rehabilitation support

TASC financial wellbeing support