Care Home Reaffirms Commitment to Staff Wellbeing on World Mental Health Day
Surrey based maritime charity The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society, which cares for those living with Dementia in its Nursing Care Home in Banstead, is continuing its investment in mental health and wellbeing support for its team this World Mental Health Day.
The Society, which already delivers mental health training to all staff, recognises the challenges within the sector and has committed to investing in further training and support for its team. World Mental Health Day is marked on October 10 to help raise awareness of mental health issues and to mobilise efforts in support of mental health.
Around one in six people in the UK suffer from mental health challenges[i], and a study from Carers UK revealed that 72% of carers said they had suffered mental ill health as a result of caring[ii]. The Royal Alfred is working to help tackle these high statistics within the sector by investing in mental health training for senior team members to help them to understand how best to support colleagues.
The training helps team members to learn what specific triggers might cause mental health issues and how to spot warning signs amongst their colleagues.
The Society conducts regular staff satisfaction surveys to help guide its mental health support packages to ensure colleagues are happy in their roles and feel fulfilled. The surveys also provide useful insights if there are any team members that may be struggling.
Chief Executive of the charity, Commander Brian Boxall-Hunt OBE, said:
“The wellbeing of not only our residents but also that of our staff is an integral part of The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society’s ethos. We want to ensure we have proper training in place so that our senior management team have an enhanced awareness of mental health issues and that they are equipped with the skills needed to support our staff who mean so much to the home and its residents.
“Our goal is always to make sure our colleagues feel appreciated and supported in their working environment which is not only of huge importance to the team but means we can maintain the high levels of care we provide for our residents.
Alice Mitroi, Home Manager, said:
“We know the importance of staff feeling supported and offering tools and services for those that may be struggling, we are like a family here at The Royal Alfred, so we all take extra care to look out for one another. We know that mental health and wellbeing is just as important as physical wellbeing, and it should not be underestimated or overlooked.”
