Health and Wellbeing News

This article will explore tips and ideas for how to effectively promote the Care first Employee Assistance Programme to your employee’s virtually.

Whilst this article is aimed at HR, Managers, Team Leaders and other members of staff tasked with promoting organisational wellbeing, this article will also contain a lot of relevant information for employees also.

What is an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)?

First of all it would be useful to outline exactly who we are and what an EAP is. Care first is an independent provider of 24/7 support, counselling and information to your organisation. As an external provider we provide confidential support to employees for both work and personal issues.

What are some of the benefits of an EAP?

For employees the EAP service is a confidential and impartial place to speak to professionally trained counsellors and information specialists about issues at home or at work. As the Care first service is 24/7 we can provide immediate support in the moment which can offer swift access to support when staff really need it. The support provided by Care first can help staff increase their productivity at work, help them return to work quicker if they are absent, or help them remain at work.

What are some of the common misconceptions about the Care first EAP?

As Care first provide 24/7 support through our helpline, sometimes an employee may call the service expecting that they will need to book an appointment, or can only access structured counselling and are often unaware that they have got through to a professionally qualified Counsellor who can start supporting them immediately in the moment. Alternatively, if you require practical advice you may wish to speak with a Care first Information Specialist (available Monday-Friday 8am-8pm) who are all Citizens Advice Bureau trained and are all Money trained experts. Employees are able to contact us as many times as they need to for in the moment support at any time of the day.

In some cases an individual may require longer term counselling which falls outside of the short term model that Care first provides. In this instance Care first will signpost the employee to where they may be able to obtain the most clinically appropriate form of support for them, whilst also reminding the employee that they can still call us whenever they need to for 24/7 in the moment support.

How can you promote the service effectively to your organisation, team or colleagues virtually?

There are many simple but very effective ways in which you can promote the Care first service effectively throughout your organisation or team virtually. These can include:

• Regular conversations with staff and colleagues both in person (where possible) and virtually to remind them of the support available
• Including the Care first details in your email signature
• Promoting the Care first service in electronic newsletters or all staff email communications
• Promote the Care first webinars to your staff. These can be found on your Lifestyle website.
• Adding Care first posters, information and webinars to your Intranet, you may also want to consider creating a wellbeing area on your intranet to include this content.
• Including leaflets or adding a section into electronic payslips
• Include Care first information in virtual induction packs/training
• Director endorsement in organisation or departments virtual briefings
• Uploading Care first information to screensavers or monitors within your building
• Running virtual lunch & learn sessions or wellbeing events about the service and other wellbeing benefits

More information

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 and 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 ‘How to promote the Care first service virtually’ this is being delivered live on Wednesday 28^th April at 12pm, please use the following link to register for this session –

https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/5775871334480553483

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.

These days, many of us are working from home, or it seems like everyone is working more hours and using the old “no-time-to-exercise” excuse more than ever.

Whilst we may struggle to find the time to exercise, we can do stretching, muscle-strengthening, and even short stints of aerobic exercises right at your desk, regardless of whether we are in the office or at home.

Exercising at your desk:

If you spend a lot of your time or all day working at a desk you may find that your shoulders, neck or back are hurting after long days spent sitting down awkwardly. These kinds of aches and pains can make us more uncomfortable and less productive.

People in the UK take a massive 28 million days off work a year because of muscle and bone problems.

What exercises can we do to help maintain good physical and mental health whilst working from our desk:

1. Seated Spinal Rotation;
   • While seated, cross your arms over your chest.
   • Grab your shoulders.
   • Rotate your upper body from the waist, turning gently from left to right as far as feels comfortable.
   • You should feel a tension on both side of your lower back as it stretches out
2. Posterior Shoulder Stretch;
   • Hold one arm across your body.
   • Pull your elbow into your chest.
   • You should feel your shoulder gently stretching
3. Shoulder Shrugs;
   • Gently lift your shoulders.
   • Let them slowly fall.
   • You should feel tension being released as your shoulders drop.
4. Sitting Back Extensions;
   • Sit straight with your feet together.
   • Put the palms of your hands into the small of your back.
   • Lean back over your hands, feeling your lower back stretch out.
5. Neck Rotations;
   • Keep your head upright.
   • Gently turn your head from side to side.
   • As you turn your head, try to move it past your shoulder.
   • You should feel the muscles on the outside of your neck gradually stretching.
6. Upper Shoulder and Neck Stretch;
   • Sit on one hand.
   • Tilt your head away from the hand you’re sitting on.
   • Tilt your head slightly forward, towards your shoulder.
   • You should feel the muscles in your neck and shoulder being stretched.
   • Change sides, and repeat.
7. Shoulder Extension One;
   • Stand up and stretch your arms out behind you.
   • Clasp your hands together and gently lift your arms.
   • You should feel your shoulders and chest stretching.
8. Shoulder Extension Two;
   • Hold both arms above your head.
   • Link your hands with your palms facing upwards.
   • Reach as high as possible.
   • You should feel your shoulders stretching

We will explore and demonstrate these exercises during the ‘Exercising at your desk’ webinar on Tuesday 27^th April 2021 at 12pm. You can register to join the webinar at below link:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/256789155952812559

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.

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 26^th April at 12pm using the details below –

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7127210707436458507

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.

How does the weather affect our mood and behaviour?

Weather is often mentioned when referring to mental health as well as being the base for many metaphors for our changeable minds and feelings. Happiness can be seen as sunshine (‘you are my sunshine’), Wind can be seen as change (‘the winds of change’), darkness can be seen as threatening (‘thoughts began to darken’) and many more. Weather can relate to our emotions like forces of nature; unstable, changeable, or uncontrollable.

We know that it provides a language to communicate our feelings and emotions. It is a universal tool to communicate how we feel as everybody experiences weather. But does weather have a direct effect on our mood and behaviour?

In a nutshell, yes. But the link is weaker than most think and here is why: The effects of weather on mood are not straightforwardly biological. They are also psychological and social. One reason why heat is associated with aggression is that people interact more in public in hot weather. Yet heat is also associated with good weather which is linked to good moods. There seems to be a fine line between each end of the spectrum.

Anything that can alter our mood can affect our behaviour. Sunshine is the most intimately tied to mood. Sunlight has repeatedly been found to boost positive moods, dampen negative moods, and diminish tiredness. Humidity tends to make people more tired and irritable. Barometric pressure fluctuations can alter moods and trigger headaches, some studies finding a link between low pressure and suicide. On rainy days people report lower satisfaction with their lives.

But we do know exposing skin to sunlight produces vitamin D, promoting the brain’s production of serotonin, which lifts mood. Exposure to bright lights, a treatment for people affected with the winter depressions of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also enhances the mood of unaffected people.

The effects of weather on mood depend on our behaviour, social interaction and on how we think. Most basically, weather will only influence us if we expose ourselves to it.

Weather and mood is a huge subject area and there are many variables. Things differ from person to person, but the best rule of thumb is to harness anything that has a positive impact on your thoughts and feelings. For example, it was found in a study that individuals only felt an impact on their mental health from good weather after being outside for 30 min plus and those that had to stay indoors in good weather suffered a negative impact due to things like fear of missing out.

Useful sources & Information:

Some of the information sourced for this article was originally published by the below links. If you would like to access this and further information in more detail please follow the links listed here:

A study by US psychology researcher Matthew Keller and colleagues

https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/weather-and-behaviour

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.

For further discussion on ‘The way weather can affect our mood and behaviour’ please join us for a live webinar on Friday 23^rd April 2021 at 12pm. Please register here –

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5225857135188698381

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.

COVID-19 will go down in history as one of the worst pandemics in recent times. Many of us are aware of the risks and symptoms if we were to contract COVID-19 and after 14 days or so, if we are lucky enough we will be back to our usual selves.

However, something unusual has come out of this pandemic, something that many are calling ‘Long COVID’. But what is it exactly? What are the symptoms and how common is it? There is a lot of uncertainty around Long COVID at the moment but below is what we know so far.

So what is long COVID?

Long COVID has been reported by people who are suffering longer term effects from the COVID-19 virus. Different people have reported different symptoms but the most common of all is fatigue. Some other symptoms reported are breathlessness, continuous cough, headaches, problems with vision, loss of smell or taste and also mental health problems including depression, anxiety and head fog.

Long COVID has since been acknowledged as real, whereas before it was put down to longer recovery
times.

Is it common?

It is not that common, only 12% of people in a survey who had contracted COVID-19 reported at least
one longer lasting symptom after one month. The most common symptoms of people reporting long COVID are:

• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Joint pain
• Chest pain
• Cough
• Loss of smell

Does long COVID come from Severe COVID-19 symptoms?

It would seem not. It was previously thought that only those who experienced severe symptoms when they first contracted COVID-19 were the ones who experienced longer lasting effects. However, even if you have mild symptoms from COVID-19 it is still possible to suffer with long COVID symptoms.

What is causing long COVID?

There are lots of theories as to how long COVID is caused, but there is currently no definitive answer. It is likely that although most of the virus has been cleared from the body there can be pockets of the
virus left over in various places which can cause long COVID.

Another thought is that COVID-19 causes the immune system to function differently post recovery, which in turn causes various symptoms as a result. It may also alter people’s metabolism as reports of people struggling with their blood sugar levels post COVID-19 and developing diabetes. There may also be longer lasting damage to the lungs and brain.

However, is it not yet certain what the cause of long COVID is and what the best treatments are.

Are longer lasting symptoms after a virus common?

Yes they are. It has been well documented that people have suffered with longer term affects such as fatigue. However, it does seem that it is more common in more people after COVID-19. Until more research is done and statistics are analysed it will be hard to determine just how common longer lasting symptoms are.

Will people fully recover?

Given that COVID-19 is still relatively new, there is a lack of long term data to refer to. But it is reported that the number of people with longer term symptoms seems to be lessening over time. Long term surveys are being carried out where those who have suffered with long COVID will be monitored regularly over the next 25 years to gather more data and understanding.

What should you do if you think you have long COVID?

The NHS has a COVID-19 recovery plan which you can refer to. You can find it HERE. It encourages use of the “3 Ps” which are;

• Pace yourself
• Plan your days
• Prioritise

The above points are to help conserve energy to speed your recovery and the guidance encourages you to speak with your GP or hospital team if you’re not recovering as quickly as you’d expect.

More information

If you would like to view the Webinar on ‘Long COVID – What do we know so far?’ this is being delivered live on Thursday 22^nd April at 12pm, please use the following link to register for this session

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6373592243446986508

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.

The Big Pedal is an initiative rooted in the school community. It is aimed at getting school aged children and their parents motivated to use cycling as the mode of transport for the school run. If that’s not possible, it encourages families to cycle together in their leisure time.

The initiative is promoted by Sustrans. They call themselves ‘the charity making it easier for everyone to walk and cycle’. If you visit their website you can access information on the National Cycle Network which is a network of signed ‘paths and routes for walking, cycling, wheeling and exploring outdoors.’ Their website even contains a National Cycle Network Map you can use to find safe and accessible routes to walk or cycle.

We know exercise is important for all. There is growing emphasis on it being vital for children. Physiologically, it helps them build strong bone and muscle needed for growth and stamina. It promotes good posture and trains the structures within the body how to function optimally. It teaches the body to get to know the signals of hormonal activity associated with physical effort, for example, adrenaline release. The body and the young person then learn to recognise these signs as normal, and this helps to prevent anxiety in later life by mis-labelling these physiological signals as dangerous. Exercise helps children sleep better and promotes good psychological and emotional health. It is researched that active children become active adults which means they are set up for a longer life with less health problems and better quality of life.

Getting together to cycle or walk as a family can be a wonderful day out. With social activities opening up again after lockdown, we are allowed to get together outside whereas there are still a lot of restrictions on indoor activities. A family trip as part of the Big Pedal may be just the ticket! Visit the Explore Kent Cycling webpages for information on cycle parks and safe cycle routes. There is even information on how to access cycle training with special Bikeability training for children.

It’s spring and the bright, sunny but cool weather is ideal for cycling. Pack some picnic food in a backpack or bags on the bike and you can make a longer trip of it. Don’t forget the helmets and the sunscreen!

Cycling on nhs.uk Change 4 Life webpages

A guide to cycling on the road with children by Victoria Hazael on cycling.co.uk

Tips for Cycling with Kids on britishcycling.org.uk

Physical activity guidelines for children and young people on nhs.uk

Exercise for children and young people on the Great Ormond Street Hospital webpages

Why exercise is important for kids by Adriana Velez on care.com

We Love To Cycle by Brake Charity on YouTube

Bikeability Training for Children by betterbybikeonline on YouTube

Photo by Mark Stosberg on Unsplash

Water is essential for life and it is very important to get the right amount of fluid to be healthy. You can’t survive without water – it is essential. Our body is made up of mostly water. It makes up nearly two-thirds of a man’s body and just over half of a woman’s.

Healthy Hydration:

In this article we will share the importance and benefits of hydration and explore a series of simple tips to staying hydrated:

1. Why do we need water? – Water makes up a large proportion of the body. On average 60% of body weight in men and 50-55% in women (because women have a higher percentage of body fat). Water helps us to regulate temperature, transport nutrients and compounds in blood and help remove waste products that are passed in the urine as well as helping us to sweat. To avoid dehydration we need to replace this lost fluid regularly with fluids from food and drinks.
2. When we get dehydrated – there can be impacts to our mental and physical function. Symptoms of mild dehydration include a dry mouth, headaches and poor concentration. When the body detects that more water is needed the first thing that happens is our kidneys reduce the amount of water lost in our urine. This means that the colour of our urine becomes darker and you can use the colour of your urine to tell if you are well hydrated – if you are drinking enough your urine should be a straw or pale yellow colour. If it’s darker then you probably need more fluid. Thirst kicks in when the body is already a little dehydrated, so it is important to drink when you are thirsty.
3. How much water do you need to drink? – The amount of fluid you need depends on many things including the weather, how much physical activity you do and your age, but the Eatwell Guide suggests 6-8 glasses of fluid per day. Take a look at this water calculator to help identify how much water you need to consume – https://www.hydrationforhealth.com/en/hydration-tools/hydration-calculator/
4. Can I drink too much? – It is possible, although very rare, to drink so much water the body cannot get rid of the excess quickly enough and sodium levels in the blood become dangerously low. This can have serious health consequences and is unlikely under normal conditions but has happened in individuals following a very extreme detox programme.
5. Do you need sports drinks when exercising? – Whilst we need to increase our fluid intake during exercise. Water is fine for rehydrating after moderate exercise. Most people do not need special sports drinks to stay hydrated. However, for high intensity exercise that lasts more than 1 hour or so, drinks that contain some sugars and sodium (salt), such as sports drinks or homemade versions, may be better at replacing the extra fluid lost as sweat.

Benefits to staying hydrated:

1. Help maximise performance both physically and mentally
2. Increase energy levels and brain function
3. Can help to minimise headaches
4. May help to relieve constipation
5. Can aid weight loss

We will explore some of these points further and discuss this topic during the ‘Healthy Hydration’ webinar on Wednesday 21^st April 2021 at 12pm. You can register to join the webinar at:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7223015553438807821

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.

As the COVID-19 situation is progressing and the Government guidance continues to change, individuals may be feeling anxious, tired and fed up. 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.

According to the Mental Health Foundation the pressure of an increasingly demanding work culture in the United Kingdom is one of the biggest challenges to the mental health of the general population. With many now working from home, or under more pressure due to the COVID-19 pandemic work life balance is as important as ever.

This article will look at how hobbies can help you achieve a better work life balance. If we think about some of the tips to help improve work life balance which Care first previously covered in an article and webinar (Webinar recording link: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2821049278887422989) this included tips such as taking a regular break, staying active, switching off from work and sticking to a routine. Hobbies can really help to achieve some of these suggestions.

For instance; if you chose to start running or cycling as a hobby then this could be built into your new weekly routine. You may choose to do this at lunch time, or at different intervals throughout the week which would help towards taking regular breaks, it would also help you to stay active, have a positive impact on your physical and emotional wellbeing and would also help to take your mind off work for a short while as you would be focussed on the activity in hand.

Hobbies really can help you towards achieving a better work life balance. There are whole host of hobbies that you could try and the next page of this article looks at a variety of activities to consider. It is important not to take on too much at once, so consider choosing just one and giving it a go!

Hobbies & Activities to consider –

There are lots of hobbies you could try which may help you to achieve a healthy work life balance. Hobbies can give you the opportunity to focus on things other than work which are away from the work place.

If you do not currently have any hobbies then consider adding a hobby to your routine to see if it helps you with your work life balance. You may think to yourself that you would love to try a hobby but you do not have the time. Please see the below links for more supportive information about work life balance and managing your time more effectively:

• https://carefirst-lifestyle.co.uk/extranet/at-work/working-effectively/time-management (Check with your HR/People team for your login details if you are unsure of them)
• https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/w/work-life-balance
• https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2821049278887422989

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 ‘How hobbies can help with work/life balance?’ is being delivered live on Tuesday 20^th April at 12pm, please use the below link to register for this session –

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3452729708655385360

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 19^th April at 12pm using the details below –

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7847793244730760972

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.