Whether you’re concerned about yourself or a loved one, these mental health charities, organisations and support groups can offer expert advice. As well as this list always remember that Care First BACP accredited counsellors are available to provide emotional support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Bereavement & Loss

Cruse Bereavement – Care is the leading national charity for bereaved people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Cruse Bereavement Care Freephone National Helpline is staffed by trained bereavement volunteers, who offer emotional support to anyone affected by bereavement.
Cruse Bereavement Care will give you space to talk about your bereavement and how you’ve been coping. Their volunteers are completely non-judgmental and won’t share what you’ve told them with anyone else, except in certain circumstances.
Website: www.cruse.org.uk – Free Helpline: 08088081677

Alcohol Abuse

The Drinkaware Trust is an independent UK-wide alcohol education charity, funded largely by voluntary and unrestricted donations from UK alcohol producers, retailers and supermarkets. The Trust is governed independently and works in partnership with others to help reduce alcohol-related harm by helping people make better choices about their drinking.
Website: www.drinkaware.co.uk – Free Helpline: 0300 123 1110 (weekdays 9am–8pm, weekends 11am–4pm)

Suicide

Papyrus provide confidential support and advice to young people struggling with thoughts of suicide, and anyone worried about a young person through their helpline, HOPELINEUK. Papyrus engage communities and volunteers in suicide prevention projects and deliver training programmes to individuals and groups. This includes equipping local councils, healthcare professionals and school staff with suicide prevention skills
Website: www.papyrus.org.uk – Free Hopeline: 0800 0684141

LGBTQ+ Support

Stonewall – Our Mission: We’re here to let all lesbian, gay, bi and trans people, here and abroad, know they’re not alone. We believe we’re stronger united, so we partner with organisations that help us create real change for the better. We have laid deep foundations across Britain – in some of our greatest institutions – so our communities can continue to find ways to flourish, and individuals can reach their full potential. We’re here to
support those who can’t yet be themselves. But our work is not finished yet. Not until everyone feels free to be who they are, wherever they are.
Website: www.stonewall.org.uk– Free Helpline: 0800 0502020 (9:30 – 4:30 Monday to Friday)

Family & Parenting Support

Family Lives – As well as their core family support services offered through their helpline, live chat and email support, Family Lives also work in many different areas offering tailored support around issues such as bullying, special educational needs, and support for specific communities.
Website: www.familylives.org.uk – Free Helpline: 0808 800 222

Cancer Support

Macmillan Cancer Support – Our Ambition: Being told ‘you have cancer’ can affect so much more than your health – it can also affect your family, your job, even your ability to pay the bills. But you’re still you. We get that. And, after over 100 years of helping people through cancer, we get what’s most important: that you’re treated as a person, not just a patient. It’s why we’ll take the time to understand you and all that matters to you, so we can help you get the support you need to take care of your health, protect your personal relationships and deal with money and work worries. We’re here to help you find your best way through from the moment of diagnosis, so you’re able to live life as fully as you can.
Website: www.macmillan.org.uk – Free Helpline: 0808 808 00 00

Anxiety

Anxiety UK is a national registered charity formed in 1970, by Katharine and Harold Fisher, for those affected by anxiety, stress and anxiety based depression. Since then, we’ve become a nationwide organisation but we still have the same basic aims. Whether you have anxiety, stress, anxiety-based depression or a phobia that’s affecting your daily life, we’re here to help you. And we’re fully supported by an expert team of medical advisors.
Website: www.anxietyuk.org.uk – Free Helpline: 03444 775 774 (Mon-Fri 9:30am – 5:30pm)

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.

You can join our live webinar titled ‘Advice for getting support during the pandemic’ on Wednesday 3rd March 2021 at 12pm. Please use the following link to register your attendance:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1936067766239704847

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.

With the release of multiple vaccines to protect us against COVID-19, many people across the World have raised questions; ‘how are they developed so quickly?’, ‘is the testing rigorous enough?’, and ‘what will the long-term effects on humans be?’ Mix that in with the hype from the media and a healthy dose of conspiracy theories and it is enough to trigger fears and anxieties in anyone.

It is important to remain level headed and optimistic around the vaccines. So, whether it is a pharmaceutical company saying testing is not final and that there are still too many unknowns, or if it is a newspaper that has reported that someone has had an adverse reaction to the vaccine, it is extremely important to always ensure you are getting your
information from a reliable source.

Tips on coping with fear and anxiety

• Understand your anxieties – write down what it is about the vaccine that you are worried about.
• Equip yourself with trustworthy information – Information and guidance on vaccines is constantly evolving. So it is understandable if you are feeling unsure what is what. Arming yourself with the correct facts will help you feel confident that you know useful information about the vaccines and this can help ease your worries. But if watching or reading the news about coronavirus makes you feel anxious, limit this to once a day.
• Look after your wellbeing – Taking care of your physical health can help you to cope with feelings of anxiety and stressful situations when they arise. Try to eat a healthy diet, limit alcohol, exercise regularly and get good-quality sleep. Remember to take some time out to look after yourself. Try a few different things until you find what works for you. You could try reading a book, practice mindfulness, get creative, bake or go outdoors for some exercise. Spending time outside in green, open spaces can have positive effects on both your physical and mental wellbeing.
• Make time for “worries” – If your worry feels overwhelming and takes over your day, put aside time for “worry time” to go through your concerns each day. Write them down or confide in a friend or loved one, or consider calling Care first for some support in the moment.

The below poster from Public Health England confirms the first phase priority groups for COVID-19 vaccination in England. The below may provide you with comfort to know the order in which you may receive the vaccine.

For further information on ‘Understanding vaccine protocol and vaccine anxiety’ please join our live webinar on 2nd March 2020 at 12pm. Please use this link to register:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2197344714367941388

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.

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.

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 focused 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 disciplinaries.

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.carefirst-lifestyle.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.

Care first Zest

With clinically proven intrinsic links between our physical and mental health, Care first Zest provides an interactive health and wellbeing management tool that can help individuals manage and improve all aspects of their mental and physical health. Care first Zest is also an effective means of pro-actively supporting the wellbeing of your team. You can complete the Care first Zest wellbeing assessment which looks at factors including exercise, healthy eating, sleep, smoking, caffeine intake and the amount of water you drink to name a few. The assessment then gives you a score on the different areas and you can see which areas you need to improve on. The idea is that if you can improve the areas you did not score well on then this will have a positive effect on your physical and mental wellbeing.

To find out more about Care first Zest please view the webinar which can be found via the link below:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2558790467075481100

Care first Woebot

For some people, picking up the telephone to talk with a counsellor is a terrifying experience. Sometimes, when we most need it, we find it the most difficult time to talk with another human. Finding support earlier rather than later is often the best way to manage issues of low mood. Woebot is an AI tool which provides a truly unique way to help identify issues and learn new strategies to cope and reduce the possibilities of those issues escalating into something bigger, without the need to pick up the phone. Woebot works by programmatically learning how to deliver the most impactful content at the most impactful time to optimise positive clinical outcomes for its user.

To find out more about Care first Woebot please view the webinar which can be found via the link below:

https://youtu.be/3oFyFclUEWU

Care First Service – How it supports?

BACP Counselling – Mental Wellbeing

Information Specialists – Practical issues

Management Support – Support for managers within their working role

Care first Lifestyle – Hub of resources and information

Care first Zest – Physical and Emotional Wellbeing

Care first Woebot – Low mood and Anxiety

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.

The Care first Zest platform is great for improving physical as well as emotional wellbeing. So if an individual takes the wellbeing assessment and then works on the areas that may need some focus. This can then improve their overall wellbeing. Many studies show a link between physical and mental wellbeing, so giving individuals access to this platform enables them to make positive changes.

The Care first AI tool Woebot is a great way for individuals to get support around low mood and anxiety. If Woebot does not detect a positive clinical outcome then Woebot will suggest that the individual speaks to a Care first counsellor if they would like to. Not every individual will feel confident enough to pick up the phone and speak to a counsellor so it is an alternative option for individuals to access support.

If you would like to learn more about ‘How Care first can support you’ then please join our webinar on Monday 25th January at 12pm using the details below –

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6732680645363069456

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.

This weeks Care First webinars are as follows:

Monday 1^st   – Care first Awareness – @12pm – https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6732680645363069456

Tuesday 2^nd – Understanding Vaccine Protocol & Vaccine Anxiety – @12pm – https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2197344714367941388

Wednesday 3^rd – Advice for getting support during the pandemic – @12pm – https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1936067766239704847

Thursday 4^th – Change, loss and Bereavement – @12pm – https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5446220155050897163

Friday 5^th – Maintaining routines for Back to School – @12pm – https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3826054587150074127

COVID-19 and the drawn out restrictions imposed on us for what feels like an eternity has made it difficult for many people to remain positive and optimistic during the pandemic and also for the future.

Being optimistic for the future is often what motivates and drives us as people, if we lose this optimism it can become hard to find the motivation to work towards something, or even maintain any current efforts you’re making. It is at this point our mental wellbeing can be impacted, which makes it even harder to find that positivity and optimism again to carry on.

This is something many of us may have experienced over the last year or so, but there a few things to consider which can help to recover that optimism and positivity for what we’re going through now and what the future may hold.

Try to find some silver linings of the pandemic

Although it’s been a tough one for us all, try to find some positivity from the past year. Did you manage to spend less money because you weren’t going out as much? Were you able to spend more time at home with loved ones? Were you able to spend more time focusing on yourself? What have you learnt from your experience in the past year, perhaps to appreciate the luxuries and what’s on your doorstep a bit more? As the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining, you just need to find yours whatever it may be.

Feed yourself positivity

Manage the influences in your life to help feed your positivity. You won’t be able to completely avoid negativity, but you can pinpoint sources of it such as TV/Social media and limit the amount of time you spend absorbing it. This will help you maintain a level of positivity and optimism by reducing unnecessary concern.

Look after your general wellbeing

Looking after your general wellbeing often has a positive effect on your state of mind, as it reduces stresses and anxieties, it can also make you feel more positive and optimistic about things. Making sure you get enough sleep, have a healthy diet and exercising whether that’s mind, body or both will help you feel powerful, in control of things and more optimistic. You will also find you will be better equipped to deal with the occasional hurdles that may come your way.

When life starts returning to normal, start it off well

Much like getting off to a good start when starting your day, try to do the same when things eventually return to normal. Set yourself some goals to achieve, or little things you would like to do more or less of. Don’t over burden yourself with too many, or unrealistic resolutions, but think of the little things you would like to do more of when things open up – perhaps 2020 highlighted a couple for you. Maybe checking in with friends more, or try to bring more positivity to others. Not only does helping others make you feel better and more positive, but by working on yourself you will feel like you’re progressing in areas you wouldn’t have normally considered.

Don’t look back

There is a reason why when you’re driving a car the rear view mirror is so small, your focus should be ahead. This is something to consider when looking for a burst of positivity or optimism. Sometimes it is easier said than done, but living in the past you will miss what could be coming to you in the future, or the present day. Although the pandemic has been a dreadful thing for many people, it has also given us a unique perspective of things we wouldn’t have otherwise had. How much are you going to appreciate hugging friends and loved ones? How much are you going to appreciate a nice meal out? How much will you appreciate being able to go back to food/music festivals, events, gatherings? Maybe not having this has made us reflect on all of the things we took for granted, perhaps we will have a newer zest for life?

More information

If you would like to view the Webinar on ‘Keeping optimistic during the pandemic’ this is being delivered live on Friday 26th February at 12pm, please use the following link to register for this session –
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4682327854410123790

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.

COVID-19 has changed our day to day lives significantly. From our shopping habits, to the things we do in our spare time, there are few things unaffected by the global pandemic. As we approach a year living with COVID-19, many wonder whether the ways workplaces have adapted to change will remain ‘post-COVID- 19’. We take a look below at some of the ways businesses may change for good:

Less people in offices/ more staff at home

COVID-19 has seen the UK government direct people to work from home wherever possible to help stem the spread of the virus. As a result, many millions of people who are used to being in a workplace have had to create a workspace at home. For some this has caused issues, but for many this now seems second nature. As we move toward a year of home-working it seems likely that for most organisations there will be less people working from the offices, and more people being home-based.

A greater focus on wellbeing

The pandemic has seen an increased focus on mental health in public discourse, with lockdowns, the lack of social contact and access to gyms espoused as reasons for people reporting worsening mental health. As such, organisations look set to focus attentions on the continued wellbeing of staff. This can include novel ways of keeping in contact with staff, such as introducing instant messaging systems so staff can maintain social contact. EAPs are also being promoted more-so than they were previously, so staff have a greater
awareness of the support services available to them.

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.

For more information on how businesses look set to adapt moving forwards please join our live webinar on Thursday 25th February at 12pm. To register please follow the link:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6834400863964372749

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 elite sport often the difference between success and failure is what is called ‘fine margins’. Sometimes this is a horse winning by a nose in a photo finish, or Oxford beating Cambridge in rowing by a centimetre. These fine margins can be linked back to how those athletes prepare for an event and the “one percent’s” that they focus on away from their training to give them an edge. These fine margins and one percent’s can be transferred to daily life for any of us, as ultimately they are nothing to do with being a sportsperson but instead, just doing things that benefit our lifestyle to get the best out of it. That could be sleeping better, feeling fresher in the morning, running longer or being more productive with your time, be it personal or professional.

Little Changes for a big impact to your life:

In this article we will explore a series of simple lifestyle changes or additions that many of us can adopt to lead a healthier lifestyle:

1. Start your day with water – whilst many of us will start with a coffee, energy drink or soft drink it is important to remember to hydrate. Mild dehydration can cause moodiness, fatigue, and problems concentrating so kick start your day with water.
2. Stretching – regular stretching can help to increase flexibility and motion, develop muscle strength, reduce pain and help prevent injury.
3. Eat without distractions – When we eat while driving, working or in front of the television our body never gets the clear signal that we’re taking nutrients in. Part of mindful eating is eating without distractions and savouring the sense of your food.
4. Walking – allows us to be active and to take breaks from day to day life whilst also taking notice of what’s around us and pausing from the day to day business of life.
5. Spend time off technology – spending too much time on social media and devices can impact both our physical and mental health. It can impact how much we exercise, how we feel about ourselves and ironically increase loneliness and social isolation. Be aware of how much time you spend on social media and take breaks when you need them.
6. Alcohol – A great tip for managing and monitoring your alcohol intake is to get a measurer rather than free pouring drinks. Or if you enjoy a beer, switch from pints to bottles.
7. Stand up at work – If you are sitting at a computer all day it’s time to change that. Set a challenge to yourself to walk around the office or home or even just stand whilst working. Many studies suggest that people who spent more time standing or moving during the course of their week had lower levels of cholesterol and blood sugar.
8. Buddy up for fitness – working out with a friend can be great for boosting your motivation and also output.
9. Connect with others – regular engagement with others, be it a coffee with a friend (lockdown permitting), bumping into fellow dog walkers, or just a daily hello to your neighbours can help lower rates of anxiety and depression, build higher self-esteem, greater empathy, and more trusting and cooperative relationships.
10. Make your own food – This is can help you save money, increase your awareness about good food, and give you an activity to do to take your mind of things.

Useful sources & more Information:

Some of the information sourced for this article was originally published on the links below. If you would like to access this and further information in more detail please follow the links below –
https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/these-15-small-lifestyle-changes-will-improve-your-life-today.html
https://www.bustle.com/articles/163174-11-small-lifestyle-changes-that-can-make-a-big-difference-in-your-healthhappiness

We will explore some of these and discuss this topic in more detail during the ‘How making small changes to your diet & exercise can have a positive impact on your wellbeing’ webinar on Wednesday 24th February 2021 at 12pm. You can register to join the webinar at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7599414666266521103

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 progresses 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.

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.carefirst-lifestyle.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 learn more about Care first and the different areas that we can support in.

The Care first Lifestyle: New Update’s

We’ve been working hard to bring you a new and improved version of the Care first Lifestyle site. You will see lots of new things to help support how you use our service and look after your mental health and wellbeing, whilst still having access to lots of the supportive tools and information that were there before. A screenshot of the updated homepage is below and has a fresh new look which is easy to navigate through –

What are the new features?

• We’ve made key changes to the layout of the website, helping you navigate through content with ease
• We’ve got a new secure sign-in feature
• Access our COVID-19 comms suite which is dedicated to supporting you throughout the pandemic with relevant articles and accompanying webinars
• The site now includes a new ‘service status’ feature which keeps you informed of any maintenance we may be running on our telephone lines or online services
• The new update can also help you decide when the best time to call us will be by accessing the ‘Plan your call´tool which is synced with our precise forecasting information
• Access current information with quick links to ‘Most viewed pages’ and ‘Recently updated pages’
• Feel better about your finances with ‘MyEva’
• Let the new ‘Care first Search Assistant’ help you find the supportive information you’re looking for, or suggest what’s popular right now

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 ‘Care first Lifestyle: New Updates” this is being delivered live on Tuesday 23rd February at 12pm, please use the below link to register for this session – https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/697368961391088656

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.

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 focused 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 disciplinaries.

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.carefirst-lifestyle.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.

Care first Zest

With clinically proven intrinsic links between our physical and mental health, Care first Zest provides an interactive health and wellbeing management tool that can help individuals manage and improve all aspects of their mental and physical health. Care first Zest is also an effective means of pro-actively supporting the wellbeing of your team. You can complete the Care first Zest wellbeing assessment which looks at factors including exercise, healthy eating, sleep, smoking, caffeine intake and the amount of water you drink to name a few. The assessment then gives you a score on the different areas and you can see which areas you need to improve on. The idea is that if you can improve the areas you did not score well on then this will have a positive effect on your physical and mental wellbeing.

To find out more about Care first Zest please view the webinar which can be found via the link below:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2558790467075481100

Care first Woebot

For some people, picking up the telephone to talk with a counsellor is a terrifying experience. Sometimes, when we most need it, we find it the most difficult time to talk with another human. Finding support earlier rather than later is often the best way to manage issues of low mood. Woebot is an AI tool which provides a truly unique way to help identify issues and learn new strategies to cope and reduce the possibilities of those issues escalating into something bigger, without the need to pick up the phone. Woebot works by programmatically learning how to deliver the most impactful content at the most impactful time to optimise positive clinical outcomes for its user.

To find out more about Care first Woebot please view the webinar which can be found via the link below:

https://youtu.be/3oFyFclUEWU

Care First Service – How it supports?

BACP Counselling – Mental Wellbeing

Information Specialists – Practical issues

Management Support – Support for managers within their working role

Care first Lifestyle – Hub of resources and information

Care first Zest – Physical and Emotional Wellbeing

Care first Woebot – Low mood and Anxiety

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.

The Care first Zest platform is great for improving physical as well as emotional wellbeing. So if an individual takes the wellbeing assessment and then works on the areas that may need some focus. This can then improve their overall wellbeing. Many studies show a link between physical and mental wellbeing, so giving individuals access to this platform enables them to make positive changes.

The Care first AI tool Woebot is a great way for individuals to get support around low mood and anxiety. If Woebot does not detect a positive clinical outcome then Woebot will suggest that the individual speaks to a Care first counsellor if they would like to. Not every individual will feel confident enough to pick up the phone and speak to a counsellor so it is an alternative option for individuals to access support.

If you would like to learn more about ‘How Care first can support you’ then please join our webinar on Monday 25th January at 12pm using the details below –

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1717818006550670604

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.