It’s World Mental Health Day

10th October 2017

Blog by Sarah Nicholson, Corporate Partnerships Manager, SAMH
 

Today (10 October) is World Mental Health Day, and I’m really pleased that the focus this year is on workplace wellbeing.

Many of us spend a huge part of our day at work, so it’s important that we’re in an environment that is open and supportive, and that encourages employees to look after their mental health.

I have the pleasure of working with a fantastic group of corporate partners who really make workplace wellbeing a priority. From running one of our Lunch and Learn sessions; to providing mental health and wellbeing training for staff; or introducing quiet zones, taking steps to create a more supportive culture leads to staff feeling more confident to speak about mental health and to get help when they need it.

Scottish Qualifications Authority recently selected us as their partner charity, and it’s great to see how enthusiastic they are about their employees wellbeing.

Maidie Cahill, Director of Corporate Services at the Scottish Qualifications Authority, said: “The health and wellbeing of our staff is of the utmost importance to us. We have a number of initiatives in place that support our colleagues’ mental health, including offering courses in stress management, and mindfulness.

“We work with SAMH to provide our managers with the skills needed to identify potential mental health issues in the workplace, so they are better placed to help colleagues who are experiencing any difficulties. We promote positive behaviours around the office too; simple things like encouraging colleagues to get away from their desks when they can. Regularly taking a brisk walk or even going for a run over a lunchbreak can really help improve someone’s mood and have a positive impact on their health.

“Earlier this year staff at our office in Glasgow chose SAMH to be our partner charity. We’ll work closely with them over the next two years to highlight key campaigns and we have already began fundraising on their behalf. We hope our support will benefit many of the vital local projects SAMH delivers across the country.”

SQA is just one of many organisations we’re working with. So if we’re already working with you, thank you for everything; and if we aren’t… why not? Get in touch and take the first steps to a becoming a mentally healthy employer.