FOI Request
- Disclosure ID
- FOI/02891
- Request Date
- January 3, 2019
- Subject
- Staff Mental Health/Counselling
- Description
Overview: I would like to find out if the number of hospital staff accessing the trust’s staff mental health/counselling service is increasing, and why.
Please note: Please just answer questions one, two and three if the statutory time limit is reached after question three.
1. Does the hospital trust have a staff support and counselling service? If yes, what is it called? e.g. the Staff Support and Counselling Service
Please clarify whether the service is specifically for staff wanting support with work related issues, or whether staff can access the service for any personal issues unrelated to work.
Please confirm what is provided, e.g. six free counselling sessions
2. How many staff members used the service in 2016, 2017 and 2018?
Please give a total for each year, so, for example, 100 in 2016, 100 in 2017 and 100 in 2018.
If the trust manages more than one hospital, please confirm if the figures provided are for all hospitals.
3. Please confirm if you record the overall reasons why staff are accessing the service; e.g. you may have headings like, ‘personal stressors (including anxiety/depression)’ and ‘work related stressors (including anxiety and depression)’, etc.
4. If time allows, please give a breakdown of the reasons staff are accessing the service, e.g. 2018, 40%/40 people for personal stressors and 60%/60 people for work related stressors.
- Response
1. Does the hospital trust have a staff support and counselling service? If yes, what is it called? e.g. the Staff Support and Counselling Service Please clarify whether the service is specifically for staff wanting support with work related issues, or whether staff can access the service for any personal issues unrelated to work.
Please confirm what is provided, e.g. six free counselling sessions
The trust offers face to face therapies which include Counselling, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy(CBT) and Hypnotherapy which is provided & managed by the in house Occupational Health Department named the Staff Health & Wellbeing Service. The trust also provides an EAP service which is provided by an external provider. Access to this service is available to staff 24/7 365 days a year. The EAP offers:
· Comprehensive telephone helplines available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week offering practical information and emotional support including:
o Counselling and emotional support
§ Family issues
§ Bereavement
§ Trauma
§ Relationship issues
§ Stress related conditions
o Personal legal information
o Tax information
o Money management and debt support
o On line CBT
Online Health & Wee-being portal which provides access to extensive well-being resources
Both services support staff across the whole range of work-related and personal issues.
Staff Health & Well-being Centre
Counselling: 6 sessions with scope for the counsellor to request an additional 2 sessions if they consider this is needed
CBT: 4-6 sessions dependant on need and engagement. This assessment is made by the therapist, with scope for the counsellor to request an additional 2 sessions if they consider necessary
Hypnotherapy: 6 sessions.
All therapies are free of charge to the individual.
EAP
Up to six structured telephone counselling sessions, per issue for employee, partner or spouse and dependents (between the ages of 16-24 in full-time education)
2. How many staff members used the service in 2016, 2017 and 2018? Please give a total for each year, so, for example, 100 in 2016, 100 in 2017 and 100 in 2018.
If the trust manages more than one hospital, please confirm if the figures provided are for all hospitals.
2016 – 809 2017 – 876
2018 – 894
The figures are inclusive of all sites managed by the trust
3. Please confirm if you record the overall reasons why staff are accessing the service; e.g. you may have headings like, ‘personal stressors (including anxiety/depression)’ and ‘work related stressors (including anxiety and depression)’, etc. Yes EAP – data only available for 2017 – to June 2018.
Call categories:
Work related issues:
· Bullying/harassment
· Disciplinary
· Work related stress
· Lack of support
· Fitness to practice
· Redundancy
Personal issues:
· Divorce & Separation
· Motoring
· Employment
· Childcare
· Property
· Benefits
· Consumer
· Civil
· Landlord & Tenant
· Immigration
· Housing
· Wills & Probate
· Criminal
· Mental Health
· Physical Health
· Financial
· Trauma
4. If time allows, please give a breakdown of the reasons staff are accessing the service, e.g. 2018, 40%/40 people for personal stressors and 60%/60 people for work related stressors. EAP data only available – data only available for 2017 – to June 2018. Work related issues = 21%
Personal issues = 79%