We know that not all standard sleep advice will apply to health and social care workers who are doing shift work. This resource details some top tips from Dr Michael Farquhar, consultant in sleep medicine at Evelina London Children’s Hospital, specifically designed for shift workers.
KeepingWell NCL have also recorded an interview with Dr Michael Farquhar. Together with one of our Senior Practitioners, Rachel Stephen, Michael discusses topics such as the importance of sleep to health and wellbeing, breaking out of negative loops of sleeping and getting to the root cause of sleep problems. They also talk about the challenges faced by NHS or social care workers who work night shifts and how you can establish a good sleep regime as a shift worker. Finally, Michael shares some helpful strategies to improve sleep including CBT-I, mindfulness, apps and online resources.
This guidance helps NHS organisations, line managers, and those working in the NHS understand more about the menopause, how they can support colleagues at work and those experiencing menopause symptoms.
We all bring our own histories, current contexts and difficult experiences to work and to our interactions with colleagues and service users. These include personal experiences of adversity and trauma which are frequently unspoken and yet so much more common than we think. They shape the lens through which we experience our work and our interactions with colleagues and service users.
By recognising the prevalence and far reaching impact of trauma, trauma informed organisational practice creates safe environments for service users and staff. Trauma informed organisations understand the risks of re-traumatisation and promote empowerment, collaboration and connection. Trauma informed practice is central to maintaining healthy organisational functioning and to staff wellbeing and retention.
Keeping well NCL is pleased to be able to offer introductory Trauma Informed Organisational Practice workshops to our NCL colleagues on the following dates.
These Intercultural Awareness workshops are a partnership between Nafsiyat Intercultural Therapy Centre and KeepingWell NCL. The 3-hour workshops will be facilitated by a Nafsiyat therapist and held online using Zoom.
Health and care organisations are becoming increasingly aware of the role they can play in responding to the specific needs and experiences of racially minoritized staff and patients. These workshops will support staff to promote intercultural awareness and practice, exploring issues such as:
Institutional racism and oppression
Self-awareness and empathy
Interculturality in health and social care
How to implement intercultural awareness day-to-day
Participants will be invited to share their own experiences to enrich the conversation and discover new contexts in which intercultural awareness can be applied in health and care settings. We will also consider external factors such as current political events in the UK and how they impact intercultural relationships.
These sessions are free and open to all health and social care staff in North Central London.
About the Facilitator
Kemi Omijeh is an MBACP Registered psychodynamic and CBT trained Therapist and Clinical Supervisor with over a decade of post qualification experience working in mental health as a Therapist, Clinical Supervisor, Trainer, and Speaker. Kemi works currently works in private practice as a supervisor, trainer and speaker as well as working in large school overseeing pupil well-being. Kemi passionately believes that prioritising and normalising looking after our mental health should be on everyone’s agenda, as well as addressing the barriers to receiving mental health support.
Nafsiyat provides accessible psychotherapy and counselling to people from diverse religious, cultural and ethnic communities in London.
Nafsiyat’s team is made up of experienced psychotherapists and counsellors from diverse backgrounds who are sensitive to the particular therapeutic needs of cultural minority groups.
When we feel that difficult situations at work are caused by others’ perceptions of our culture or race, our feelings and frustration can feel really hard to manage or express.
To support racially minoritized staff, KeepingWell NCL staff wellbeing Hub is providing dedicated reflective group sessions facilitated by therapists from Nafsiyat Intercultural Therapy Centre. These sessions are a safe, confidential space to process and reflect on difficult work situations, organisational issues, and the feelings they evoke.
Some of these sessions explore specific themes. Given the current climate and multiple pressures e.g. cost of living, other sessions are open for participants to explore any topic that feels present in a safe and confidential space.
Themed group sessions:
Islamophobia – Monday 24th October 2022, 11:00am-12:15pm
Micro-aggressions – Monday 13th February 2023, 12:30pm-1:45pm
Antisemitism – Thursday 16th March 2023, 10:00am-11:15am
If your team would benefit from a reflective group space to discuss specific intercultural issues, KeepingWell NCL and Nafsiyat may be able to facilitate a bespoke event or group.
Nafsiyat provides accessible psychotherapy and counselling to people from diverse religious, cultural and ethnic communities in London.
Nafsiyat’s team is made up of experienced psychotherapists and counsellors from diverse backgrounds who are sensitive to the particular therapeutic needs of cultural minority groups.
Have you supported staff or patients with Long Covid, or experienced it yourself? How can employers and managers best support you at work?
KeepingWell NCL are developing a support webinar and resources for health and social care staff managing different experiences of Long Covid – so we need our staff to help make sure we provide the support they need. Have you:
Worked in a Long Covid service or with Long Covid patients?
Managed or supported with staff with Long Covid in your team(s)?
Experienced or recovered from Long Covid yourself?
Help others like you get the support they need by participating in our Experience-Based support project.
“There’s so much we don’t know about Long Covid – people who have experienced it really are the experts. That’s why it’s vital that staff and managers themselves shape their Long Covid support, so that we support you as you want to be supported.’
Emily Kenworthy, Hub Practitioner and Occupational Therapist
Get involved
To participate in the project, please sign up to join one of the following discussion groups:
27th October, 12:00-13:30, via Zoom – Staff in Long Covid services or working with Long Covid patients
31st October, 12:00-13:30, via Zoom – Managers supporting staff with Long Covid
4th November, 12:00-13:30, via Zoom – Health and social care staff who have, or have recovered from, Long Covid
Please note that you will only be able to join one of these groups, so please sign up for the group that you feel best fits your experience.
All attendees will be asked join us for a screening and discussion of the short touchpoint film created from your discussions on 24th November, 12:00-13:30. Please ensure you are available to join us for this session when you sign up to participate.
Please also ensure that you have read the ‘Information for participants’ booklet above before signing up.
What is an Experience Based Co-Design support project?
Experience Based Co-Design is a type of research and design project that helps service users and practitioners design their support together, with both groups’ experience and expertise seen as equally important. This makes it an ideal method for creating support for conditions with varied experiences such as Long Covid.
Participating in an Experience Based support project includes attending a discussion group to share your experience with project practitioners and participants. During the discussion, we will ask to record some of your responses to create a touchpoint film. All participants then attend a screening of the touchpoint film and agree next steps for designing Long Covid staff support with the project practitioners.
This film will be used only within the project, and the project leaders will always ask you before recording a response or sharing any part of the recording beyond the discussion groups.
This is an adapted version of the Point of Care Foundation’s Experience Based Co-Design methodology. You can find out more about what the project entails in our ‘Information for participants’ digital booklet below:
The University and College Union (UCU) have published this guidance for organisations about supporting neurodiverse staff in the workplace. The guidance sets out:
What neurodiversity is
How to challenge myths and stereotypes
Legislation related to neurodiversity in the workplace
Barriers, workplace change and reasonable adjustments
Tools to help organisations support their neurodiverse staff
In this podcast from ACAS, Dr Nancy Doyle, CEO and founder of Genius Within, Adrian Ward, head of disability partnerships at the Business Disability Forum and Erin Fulton-McAlister, Acas workplace adviser look at
what neurodiversity is
why we need to pay attention to it
creating a workplace that celebrates and capitalises on neurodiversity
There are currently a number of pressures on the social care workforce in regards to financial wellbeing.
Skills for Care are putting on this webinar for registered social care managers to gather information, advice and guidance to support themselves and their teams.
As part of this webinar, you will hear from organisations including the Money and Pensions Service and the Care Workers Charity, HMRC, Credit Union and Citizens Advice Bureau. You will also hear about local initiatives and resources to support you and your staff.
This webinar will take place via Zoom on 29th September 2022 from 10:00-11:30am.
