Mental wellbeing support for colleagues impacted by current events

The West Yorkshire Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub are shocked and saddened by scenes of violence, fuelled by racism and Islamophobia, and the impact that these are having on you and all of our communities.

Thank you to those who have publicly and privately described the fear and distress you feel. Your courage in speaking out is notable and we are extremely that this is happening to you. The impact on so many of our colleagues and our local communities is being felt in many ways with real concern for personal safety.

We know many people are scared to come forward and access health and care services at the moment, so we are doing all we can to help support people and reassure them that services are open and where people feel safe to do so, they should continue to access health and care services. This we know may be very tricky for many people, but we must try and reassure people that our services will continue to operate, where possible as safe spaces for people to work in and access.

If you have been impacted by these current events, the Hub is here to help you. We offer free and confidential one-to-one therapy for all colleagues, including health and social care staff and volunteers, across West Yorkshire. You can self-refer using the referral form on our website.

The Hub also offers support for teams. The Critical Incident Staff Support Pathway (CrISSP) is a voluntary, free and confidential service for all staff and volunteers across West Yorkshire which offers you and your team support following potentially traumatic or critical incidents. Find out more about CrISSP.

As part of the Hub service, you can also freely attend a Schwartz Round. Schwartz Rounds enable any staff to come together to discuss the emotional and social aspects of working in health and care services including VCSE services. The purpose of a round is to reflect on the challenges of certain topics and is not to solve problems or to focus on the clinical aspects of patient care. Find out more about Schwartz Rounds.

A new page has been developed on the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership website which includes helpful information and resources.