Health and Wellbeing News

Around 1 in 5 people in the UK have a disability, with 80% of these being hidden disabilities. COVID-19 has brought into greater focus the prevalence of hidden disabilities, with many needing to shield or being unable to receive vaccines. This article looks at Hidden Disabilities to raise awareness of their prevalence, both in the workplace and wider society.

A person can be considered to have a disability if they have difficulty performing certain functions (seeing, hearing, talking, walking, climbing stairs and lifting or carrying), or difficulty performing activities of daily living. Additionally some disabilities can cause difficulty with certain social roles (doing school work for children, working at a job and around the house for adults).

Invisible disabilities, also known as Hidden Disabilities or Non-visible Disabilities, are disabilities that are not immediately apparent. Typically, they can include chronic illnesses and conditions that significantly impair normal activities of daily living.

Living with these conditions may make daily life more demanding for those affected, though this varies greatly between different people. Without visible evidence of the hidden disability, it is frequently difficult for others to acknowledge the challenges faced and as a consequence, sympathy and understanding can often be in short supply.

Examples of Hidden Disabilities

Some examples of hidden disabilities include:

• Autism
• Brain injuries
• Crohn’s Disease
• Chronic pain
• Cystic Fibrosis
• Depression, ADHD, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, and other mental health conditions
• Diabetes
• Epilepsy
• SpLDs – Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD, ADD etc
• Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis
• Visual and auditory disabilities. These could be considered non-visible if the person with the disability didn’t wear support aids such as glasses or hearing aids

Please do also bear in mind that not all people living with the above conditions will consider themselves to have a disability.

If you feel you may need some support, you can also contact Care first. Care first is a leading provider of confidential, professional counselling, information and advice services. All employees are eligible to use Care first, our services include; telephone counselling, information services and online support. Call Care first on the Freephone number provided by your organisation and you can speak to a professional in confidence.

If you would like to view the Webinar on ‘The emotional Impact of Hidden disabilities’ this is being delivered live on Wednesday 11th August at 12pm, please use the below link to register for this session –

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1736149068103970318

If you are unable to join the webinar live, a recording of the session can be accessed using the same link above after the webinar has taken place.

One might assume, rightly or wrongly, that bullying and harassment may take a back seat during the COVID-19 pandemic. With many people either locked down, isolating or working from home, the opportunities to mistreat each other with disrespectful and uncivil behaviours, whether faceto-face or at a distance, is severely diminished. Yet, in some sectors, such as health and social care, policing/blue light services supermarkets etc, the pressures of work have been ramped up considerably.

Work intensification is a well-known driver of bullying behaviours as people strive to do more with less resources against targets that are intensified. Add in a heavy dose of change via new colleagues covering for those who are sick, new ways of working and daily changing rules and regulations, and the recipe for bullying brews nicely. If we then think about the lack of social support for those working at home, juggling childcare and home-schooling with a partner doing the same, we see the ingredients for the perfect storm forming.

Bullying in the Workplace can place an intolerable strain on the emotional and physical health and well-being of an employee who is subjected to bullying by an employer or colleague at work. This can cause loss of confidence, loss of self-esteem, tiredness, an inability to sleep, lack of appetite, panic attacks, depression and for some a dread of going to work.

Bullying in the Workplace can take many forms including:

• Constantly criticising an employee, often in front of other employees.
• Spreading nasty rumours and remarks about an employee.
• Using bad, obscene, aggressive, threatening language to an employee.
• Shouting at, intimidating and harassing an employee.
• Taking away responsibility from an employee unnecessarily.
• Asking the employee to do trivial and menial jobs which the employee is not responsible for.
• Withholding important information from an employee which the employee needs to have as part of their job.
• Isolating an employee by ignoring him/her and excluding an employee from conversations and communications which are relevant to his/her area of responsibility.
• An employer passing off an employee’s ideas and work as his/her own.
• Expecting an employee to produce work in an unrealistic and/or impossible time-scale.
• Blaming an employee for the employer’s mistakes.

What can you do if you are being bullied in the workplace?

• Talk to others within the workplace – colleagues, supervisor, personnel department, trade union representative. Take advice on the options open to you to deal with this e.g. by making a formal complaint through the grievance procedure.
• Find out whether your place of work has an Anti-Bullying Policy in operation.
• Keep a diary of all incidents with dates and times and copies of any notes, memos etc. from the bully which you feel constitute bullying, intimidation, harassment etc.
• Write to the bully clearly saying that you find their behaviour is unacceptable and amounts to bullying and set out the reasons why you believe this. Keep copies of any letters you send to the bully.
• If it is possible to record conversations where you are being bullied then do so.
• Try to look at ways of being assertive and standing up to the bully.
• If other colleagues witness any incidents where you are being bullied ask them whether they would be willing to write a statement relating to what they witnessed.
• If you have to take time off sick due to being bullied at work ask your GP to record this on your certificate.
• Sometimes the problem continues even after you’ve followed your employer’s grievance procedure. If nothing is done to put things right, you can consider legal action, which may mean going to an employment tribunal. Get professional advice before taking this step.
• Find out more about the law covering workplace bullying from GOV.UK: workplace bullying and harassment

For managers, now is the time for more contact not less. But a cautionary note, checking in on well-being is not the same as checking in on performance. Those employees working from home will genuinely feel supported by a call asking how they are coping and whether they need any support, whereas telephone calls at odd hours of the day that come across as disingenuous can easily feel like staff are being checked up on. It is also important that managers take time to reiterate to their teams the importance of team cohesion. How we support each other during these most difficult of times has never been more important and none of us knows how each other might be reacting to long periods of lockdown, isolation or working from home.

If you feel you may need some support, you can also contact Care first. Care first is a leading provider of confidential, professional counselling, information and advice services. All employees are eligible to use Care first, our services include; telephone counselling, information services and online support. Call Care first on the Freephone number provided by your organisation and you can speak to a professional in confidence.

If you would like to view the Webinar on ‘Bullying & Harassment at work’ this is being delivered live on Tuesday 10th August at 12pm, please use the below link to register for this session –

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/158414753408398352

If you are unable to join the webinar live, a recording of the session can be accessed using the same link above after the webinar has taken place.

As the COVID-19 situation is progressing and the Government guidance continues to change, individuals may be feeling anxious. Mental Health support during times like these are paramount, which is why Care first have worked tirelessly to ensure our services remain available 24/7 throughout the pandemic to provide emotional and practical support and ensure we have every aspect of your overall wellbeing covered. Where clinically appropriate Care first are continuing to offer structured counselling through phone and virtual software. At Care first the health and safety of both you the employee and our counselling team are absolutely paramount, any changes to our structured counselling process will be made in line with government guidance.

These services include:

Counselling support

Our team of professionally trained, qualified and BACP Accredited Counsellors are available 24/7 to offer support for personal or workplace related issues. As well as the headline issues surrounding mental health, our Care first counsellors are also trained in dealing with both work and home grievances, bullying & harassment issues, domestic violence, relationships at both home and at work and much more. No matter how big or small the problem may be, our counsellors are here for you to provide you with unbiased support away from the situation. Everyone has very individual needs for support, Care first provides short term focussed counselling, so the Care first Counsellor will assess your circumstances when you call to establish what the most appropriate form of support will be for  you. It might be that you just need a brief conversation with the Counsellor that day, or you may benefit from a few more sessions.

Information Specialists

As control, or the lack of it, can be an influencing factor on the impact of stress. Many individuals identify stress as emotional, however, a lack of control around practical issues can be just as impactful. We have expert advisors that have been trained by Citizens Advice who can provide you with comprehensive answers and assistance on a wide range of practical issues which can affect our daily life, these include but are not limited to; redundancy, advice on funerals and probate, legal information, housing and tenancy issues, childcare, eldercare, health, consumer issues, employment, travel and education. Our Information Specialists are also money trained experts and can provide support with a variety of financial queries such as help with budgeting finances and advice with benefits. You can speak with one of our Information Specialists confidentially Monday-Friday between 8am-8pm.

Management Support

If you are a manager, have leadership responsibilities, or look after a team within your organisation, it is as important as ever that your colleagues are made aware of the range of support available from Care first. As well as supporting you to signpost your colleagues to the Care first service effectively to maintain your managerial boundaries, Care first can also provide you with support within your role as a manager. Care first Counsellors are all management trained and can provide support with issues such as if the organisation is going through a period of redundancy, managing change and difficult conversations, workplace performance, remote working, absence management and disciplinary.

Care first Lifestyle

Through the Care first lifestyle site you can access a wide range of supportive information, read helpful articles published by our team, view Webinars covering a variety of well-being topics and even speak with a Care first Counsellor in real-time via our online counselling facility. You can log into your account by visiting www.carefirstlifestyle. co.uk and logging in using your organisation’s unique log in details. If you are unsure what these details are then please contact your line manager or HR department. The Care first Lifestyle website is great place to go to learn more about Care first and the different areas that we can support in.

How all of these above services link together

As you can see from the above table, all the services that we offer complement each other to ultimately encompass an individual’s overall mental and physical wellbeing, which enables individuals to access professional and clinically proven support.

Our counselling support is available 24/7 to help individuals with any emotional issues that they may have. Our Information Specialists can help individuals with practical information and advice. This practical support is so important because if an individual is concerned about a practical issue, then this can cause detrimental effects to their emotional wellbeing. By getting some support from an Information Specialist this will provide the individual with some clarity on that particular issue, which may help them to feel more in control of a situation and relieve some anxiety.

The Care first Lifestyle site can help individuals who are concerned about an issue. The individual may not know where to start and they can have a look at the resources on our Lifestyle website which may be enough to help them. The Lifestyle website is a great starting place to learn about the types of issues that Care first can support with. The individual can also access our online counselling tool through the Lifestyle website which is an alternative way to access support from a counsellor. By an individual looking through all the resources on our Lifestyle website this can help them to get answers about an issue they may be having. Again by getting some clarity on their issue this may have a positive effect on their mental wellbeing.

If you would like to learn more about ‘How Care first can support you’ then please join our webinar on Monday 9^th August 2021 at 12pm using the details below –

attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6416030096219782925

If you are unable to join the webinar live, a recording of the session can be accessed using the same link above after the webinar has taken place.

If you wish to contact the Care first telephone counselling and information line then please don’t hesitate to call the Freephone number provided by your organisation and you can speak to a professional in confidence.

As restriction ease and the UK begins the process of returning to the work place we need to be aware of how the Pandemic has affected us all and, in particular how it has impacted our mental health.

We need to be mindful that everyone will have had a different experience and right now there is a high degree of anxiety out there. Many people who have had to isolate for most of the past year because they are in the ‘clinically vulnerable’ category may be concerned that now, as the restriction ease, they may become ill. They are unable to influence the people around them, especially in the workplace and many are both anxious and angry about this.

Throughout the past year Mental Health First Aiders have delivered support remotely and this has many challenges both personally and professionally. How have you managed, what has worked best for you and have you been prepared to be “visible” and contactable by staff who have needed to talk?

As restriction ease how can we help our colleagues with their return to the work place?

Legislation for Mental Health First Aid provision in the workplace is not yet in place. The Health and Safety Executive says: “You should consider ways to manage mental ill health in your workplace which are appropriate for your business, such as providing information or training for managers and employees, employing occupational health professionals, appointing mental health trained first aiders and implementing employee support programmes”

Within the workplace, the relationship between managers and their team members is key for the health and wellbeing of the whole organisation. By empowering managers in your organisation to build supported, motivated and committed teams, you can help create a healthy workplace for all.

In terms of the organisations who have Mental Health First Aiders in place, it is hoped together with the managers you can build a mentally healthy workplace. This requires time and commitment for those trained to help to talk openly about mental health and by doing this, help to reduce the stigma mental health still has.

For MHFA’s, Mental Health Champions, and Managers the aim would be to

• Protect employee mental health through prevention and early intervention
• Embed culture change across the whole organisation
• Develop your managers’ skills and knowledge to have effective mental health conversations with their teams
• Build employees’ confidence to have open conversations around mental health and break the stigma
• Encourage people to access support early when needed, for a faster recovery
• Empower people with a long term mental health issue or disability to thrive in work
• Promote a mentally healthy environment, allowing people to thrive and become more productive

In order to do this, organisations needs to look at their mental health strategies and work collaboratively with the MHFA’s, HR department, Mental Health Allies and the Employee Assistance Programme (Care first).

Care first supports the MHFA’s from your customer organisation by making available, the use of the help line to offer immediate support should you have a difficult conversation with someone which has impacted you. A call to Care first is not supervision. It is a one off support call to help you within your role as an MHFA.

Remember the first stage of the ALGEE model is to approach, assess and assist (with mental health crisis). You are not there to take on “clients” but to provide support to the individual until professional help is available. It should be a one off, so do remember the boundaries are there to protect the individual, the organisation and the MHFA, so ensure to follow the model without deviating from it.

Together, the aim is to promote a mentally healthy organisation

Remember that you need to keep yourself mentally healthy and to obtain support if you are struggling. Remember too that at the time, the concern is for the safety of the individual and not the Mental Health First Aider which is why the model and the support is there for you.

How can Care first help?

If you feel you may need some emotional or practical support, you can contact Care first on the Freephone number. Care first is a leading provider of confidential, professional counselling, information and advice services. Whilst our BACP accredited Counsellors are available 24/7 to provide support with emotional issues, our expertly trained Information Specialists are available 8am-8pm Monday-Friday to provide advice on any practical issues that may be causing you a stress or worry and help you feel more in control of a situation.

All employees are eligible to use Care first, our services include; telephone counselling, information services and online support. Call Care first on the Freephone number provided by your organisation and you can speak to a professional in confidence.

If you would like to view the Webinar on Information for MHFA’s, Mental Health Champions & Managers supporting teams as restrictions ease this is being delivered live on Friday  6th August at 12pm, please use the below link to register for this session –

https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8210604596410502672

If you are unable to join the webinar live, a recording of the session can be accessed using the same link above after the webinar has taken place.

In line with ‘Cycle to work day’ which is taking place on the 5th August 2021, our aim is to encourage individuals to incorporate cycling in to their daily lives and routines.

Whether you haven’t cycled in years, have never cycled at all, or usually ride as a leisure activity but want to try cycle commuting; this literature and accompanying webinar will give you 20 reasons why you should dust off that old bike.

1. Reduce risk of COVID-19 contagion

The current advice from the Department for Transport is to cycle or walk when you can. There is a greater circulation of air and less risk you will come in to contact with others when you cycle to work.

2. It is good for the economy

Cyclists are better for the local and national economy than motorists. Cyclists are more likely to stop and shop, benefiting local retailers. If cycle use increases from 2% of all journeys (current levels) to 10% by 2025 and 25% by 2050, the cumulative benefits would be worth £248bn between now and 2050 for England – yielding annual benefits in 2050 worth £42bn.

3. Trim up and lose weight

Cycling to work can be a great way to lose weight, whether you’re just starting out or are looking to use your cycling as a way to trim up and shift a few pounds. It’s a low impact, adaptable exercise that can burn calories at a rate of 400-750 calories an hour, depending on the weight of the rider, speed and type of cycling you’re doing.

4. Reduce your carbon footprint

Considering the average road use of European car drivers, different fuel types, average occupation, and adding emissions from production, driving a car emits about 271g CO2 per passenger-kilometre. Taking the bus will cut your emissions by more than half. But if you wanted to reduce your emissions even further, try a bicycle.

5. You will get fitter

It should be no surprise that cycling will improve your fitness. If you don’t currently exercise regularly, the improvements will be even more dramatic and the benefits greater, and cycling is a great low-impact, low to moderate intensity way to get more active.

6. Cleaner air and reduced pollution

Getting out of the car and cycling contributes to cleaner, healthier air. At present, every year in the UK, outdoor pollution is linked to around 40,000 deaths. By cycling, you are helping to reduce the harmful and deadly emissions, effectively saving lives and making the world a healthier place to live.

7. It will save time

For some, cycling can often be a quicker way to get around than travelling by car or public transport. If you live and work in a city, or travel in heavily congested areas, you may find cycling to work saves you time.

8. Explore around you

If you take public transport you likely have no choice, if you drive it’s probably habitual, but chances are you take the same journey day after day. By cycling to work you give yourself the opportunity to take a different route, to explore around you. You might find a new beauty spot, or perhaps even a shortcut. Travelling by bike gives you far more opportunity to stop and take photos, turn and look back, or even disappear up an interesting side street.

9. Mental health benefits

A Cycling UK survey of more than 11,000 people found that 91% of participants rated off-road cycling as fairly or very important for their mental health – strong evidence that heading out on the bike is a good way to de-stress and clear the mind. Whether your route to work is on or off road, it’s likely to help you clear your mind, boost your mental wellbeing and lead to long term mental health benefits.

10. Slow down and look around

For most people, riding a bike is likely to be a slower and more sedate way to travel. Embrace it, take the chance to look about and take in your environment. Whether the city streets or a countryside route, riding a bike is an opportunity to see more of what’s going on. Enjoy the slower pace, see more of the world around you and appreciate your surroundings.

11. Save yourself some money

While there may be some expenses involved in cycling to work, the cost of maintaining a bike is far lower than the equivalent costs of running a car. Swap to cycling and you’ll save money every time you commute. Cyclescheme estimates a saving of around £3000 a year if you cycle to work every day.

12. An easy way to fit exercise into your day

One of the most common reasons for not exercising is a lack of time. Not being able to fit activity in to a day is difficult for a lot of us who are busy with work, home and social lives that are increasingly time-stretched. An easy way to keep fit and healthy is to use active travel – a 15 minute cycle to work each way would mean you meet the government recommended guidelines for exercise of 150 minutes a week without having to lace up a pair of trainers or head to the gym.

13. It’ll make you smarter

Just one bout of moderate intensity aerobic exercise for as little as 30 minutes has been found to improve some aspects of cognition, including your memory, reasoning and ability to plan – including shortening the time it takes to complete tasks. Sounds like a good reason to cycle to work.

14. You’ll live longer

A recent study looking at commuting found that those that cycle to work have a massive 41% lower risk of dying from all causes. As well as all the other benefits of cycling, you’ll make a huge difference to how long you will be around – and we’re sure that’s a good thing.

15. No more traffic jams – for you, or for everyone else

Fed up of sitting in queues of traffic? It’s not good for your happiness levels, and it’s certainly not good for the environment. If you switch to commuting by bike, you’ll not have to sit in traffic on congested streets and you’ll be helping the planet too by reducing the number of cars on the road. Save time, improve your mood, and benefit others too.

16. Boost your immune system

On average, cycle commuting employees take one less sick day per year than non-cyclists and save the UK economy almost £83m. As well as being fitter, getting outside on your ride to work will increase your vitamin D levels with benefits to your immune system, brain, bones and protection against numerous diseases and illnesses.

17. It’s really good for your heart and your health

A study of 264,337 people found that cycling to work is linked with a 45% lower risk of developing cancer, and a 46% lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared to commuting by car or public transport. As little as 20 miles a week on a bike can reduce your risk of coronary heart disease by half. If that sounds a long way, consider it’s just a two-mile trip each way (assuming you work five days a week).

18. It’ll make you better at work

If you’re fitter, healthier and better off – and cycling will do all that – then you’ll perform well at work. Research shows that those who exercise regularly outperform colleagues who don’t, which is good for you and good for your boss.

19. Save money

This may sound drastic – but if you cycle to work you may no longer need a car (or a second family car). As well as no longer buying petrol, you’ll save on tax, insurance, parking fees and all the other expenses saved when you don’t own a car. Not to mention that if you sell the car, there’s a cash windfall you could spend on new cycling gear.

20. You’ll have better quality sleep

With modern-day stresses, high levels of screen time, disconnecting and falling asleep is a struggle for many people. A study of over 8000 people from the University of Georgia found a strong correlation between cardio-respiratory fitness and sleep patterns: a lower level of fitness was linked to both an inability to fall asleep and poor sleep quality. The answer could be cycling – regular moderate cardiovascular exercise like cycling boosts fitness and makes it easier to fall and stay asleep.

Useful sources & more information:

Some of the information sourced for this article was originally published by cyclinguk.org, to access this and more information please visit the links below –

https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/20-reasons-cycle-work

https://www.cyclinguk.org/campaigning/views-and-briefings/health-and-cycling

If you would like to view the Webinar on ‘The benefits of cycling – In line with cycle to work day’ this is being delivered live on Thursday 5th August at 12pm, join us on the day or register now by clicking on the link below to ensure your place:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3703496427407903504

If you are unable to join the webinar live, a recording of the session can be accessed using the same link above after the webinar has taken place.

If you feel you may need some support you can also contact Care first. Care first is a leading provider of confidential, professional counselling, information and advice services. All employees are eligible to use Care first, our services include; telephone counselling, information services and online support. Call Care first on the Freephone number provided by your organisation and you can speak to a professional in confidence.

For many across the UK, the gradual easing of lockdown restrictions is a welcome sight. People have been longing for a return to some form of normality, being able to socialise with friends, play sports, go to bars have been at the top of peoples priority lists. However, for many others, the lifting of lockdown restrictions has brought on a wave of anxiety.

For those that are clinically vulnerable, the lifting of lockdown restrictions doesn’t mean life will return to how it was, the threat of COVID-19 hasn’t vanished so time is needed to adapt. So as the lockdown restrictions are eased there are some things to consider to help ease anxiety as things open up.

Recognise that you have choices

Some things like going back to work have an added layer of concern if you’re clinically vulnerable to COVID-19. You may be thinking, my life is going to come to a standstill, I’m not going to be able to do anything anymore! Don’t forget that there are options for everything. When it comes to working for example, things have changed so much now, employers have seen the new ways in which we can work, so if you’re clinically vulnerable have that conversation with your employer to see what can be agreed moving forwards. There are plenty of options to be explored and you can discuss what may work best for your situation.

Give yourself time

Don’t be pressured into things that you do not feel comfortable with. If you’re worried for your safety in a social situation for example, then communicate with others involved. They will be understanding of your situation and should be happy to accommodate any adjustments where possible. By doing what is right for you will help you to feel more in control and help to reduce anxieties you may be experiencing around such situations.

Take small steps

Similar to giving yourself time, make sure you ease out of things at your own pace. Many people across the world are experiencing different levels of anxiety around the easing of restrictions so everyone will move at their own pace. Do what you feel safe doing and try not to let anxieties hold you back too much. Of course, your safety comes first but if you’re finding high anxiety levels are holding you back try taking small steps to slowly become more and more comfortable in a certain situation. This will build confidence and help to reduce anxiety.

Remember that you’re not alone

Although it may seem the world is against you right now, it is important to remember that there are many people in similar situations to you dealing with similar anxieties and difficulties. Try not to be too hard on yourself if you’re struggling, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a very difficult time for many people across the world.

Useful links

https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/coronavirus/tips-to-cope-with-anxiety-lockdownlifting/

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/coronavirus/looking-after-your-mental-health-we-come-outlockdown

https://www.rethink.org/advice-and-information/covid-19-support/how-to-manage-feelings-ofanxiety-as-lockdown-eases/

More information

If you would like to view the Webinar on ‘Anxiety of the clinically vulnerable’ this is being delivered live on Wednesday 4th August at 12:00pm, please use the following link to register for this session –

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7644101021385481741

If you are unable to join the webinar live, a recording of the session can be accessed using the same link above after the webinar has taken place.

If you feel you may need some support, you can contact Care first. Care first is a leading provider of confidential, professional counselling, information and advice services. All employees are eligible to use Care first, our services include; telephone counselling, information services and online support. Call Care first on the Freephone number provided by your organisation and you can speak to a professional in confidence.