Wellbeing of Pharmacists and Pharmacy Staff

NEW!

• CiC Information – The Confidential Care Service
• Well Online App – Employee User Guide
• CiC EAP e-Poster CiC Form – Managed Referral
• CiC Information – Well-Online
• CiC Case Study – Debt Management (PayPlan)
• CiC Case Study – Family Care
• CiC Case Study – Legal Information (Law Express)
• CiC Case Study – Managerial Adviceline
• CiC EAP e-Poster

Looking after you and Looking after your team 

We have been made aware of free access to confidential support and coaching for individuals and teams that is provided through the NHS.

Looking after you

NHSEI is offering those who work in primary care settings, including community pharmacy, confidential coaching to build wellbeing, resilience and positive team cultures.

Individual coaching is available with a skilled and experienced coach who will work with you to discuss any area of your wellbeing that you would like to address. They will listen, ask questions and support you to develop practical strategies to cope with your situation and stay well.

It might be that by having a one-off conversation you will have all the strategies you need, or you might find a few sessions helpful. It is all led by you.

Register and book a coaching session

Looking After You – Poster 

Coaching for teams

This is an opportunity for those who lead, manage or organise teams, groups or networks in primary care to access confidential coaching about their team and to develop practical tools and methods to work with your team in whatever way is important to you.

Conversations may include how to:

• Support new team members and embed new roles
• Connect as a team and improve performance
• Build an environment of trust and safety.

Having an open and honest conversation with an experienced coach, at a date and time that suits you, can help to create a more resilient and compassionate team culture. Coaching is free and is available Monday to Saturday.

Follow this link for more information.

Expanded NHSE&I mental health support for pharmacy teams

NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE&I) has strengthened its mental health support offer for all healthcare staff, including community pharmacy teams.

Pharmacy staff now have rapid access to mental health services and support, courtesy of a series of new mental health and wellbeing hubs. These hubs offer free and confidential clinical assessments by trained mental health professionals plus access to talking therapies and other secondary care mental health services to those who need it.

Learn about further mental health and wellbeing support available to pharmacy teams

Over the last few months (Nov 2021) HEE (Health Education England) and PWDS (Pharmacy Workforce Development South), have been actively reviewing the promotion of pharmacy careers and the current uptake of students studying pharmacy at both pharmacist and pharmacy technician level.

Across the region it has been noted that in regards to advertised PTPT apprenticeships the expressions of interest and subsequent applications have been lower than anticipated. Therefore prior to the next intake of PTPT apprentices in February 2022, HEE and PWDS would like to support employers to maximise the reach of their apprentice PTPT job adverts in order to maximise response rate and attract as many applicants as possible.  Attached to this email is a helpful tips document  (including a print friendly version ) which has been provided to support employers with ideas and suggestions on how to promote their PTPT apprenticeship opportunities and reach out through as many channels as possible.

• PTPT advertising support tips – colour
• PTPT advertising support tips – printer friendly

Also going forward, to try and establish a repository and a more streamlined promotion of current apprenticeship vacancies , the newly launched PWDS website will host current PTPT vacancies. Employers are asked to provide a link to your apprenticeship vacancy advert to pwds@uhbw.nhs.uk . PWDS will then host details of current PTPT apprentice vacancies across the HEE South geography at their website www.pwds.nhs.uk.

For further information or support please contact the Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician Integrated Programme (IPTPT) Regional Facilitators (South): Vicky Horton: Victoria.horton@hee.nhs.uk  Mary Carter: Mary.Carter@hee.nhs.uk

or PTPT Training Programme Director: Karen Nash: Karennash@nhs.net

Health & Wellbeing Offers (Nov 2020)

The charity Pharmacist Support has launched a campaign to encourage pharmacy teams to look after their wellbeing and mental health.

The ACTNow campaign will run until the end of August and aims to support those working and studying in the profession to prioritise their own mental health and wellbeing, and to check in on their colleagues.

The ACTNow campaign encourages individuals to:

• Allow time for wellbeing
• Consider the needs of your colleagues
• Take action.

A campaign website (WellbeingHub.PharmacistSupport.org) has been created as the central hub of information for the campaign. By signing up to ACTNow with an email address, individuals will have access to a range of resources including posters, tips, learning modules and videos, and will be kept up to date as new content is added. 

Pharmacy Support and Wellbeing – an offer by TALKWORKS (Devon Partnership Trust)

At TALKWORKS we recognise the significant efforts being made by our colleagues in healthcare by caring for people making sure that they receive their medication to stay fit and well and those fighting the coronavirus outbreak. The roles and responsibilities of our healthcare colleagues at this time are in very high demand, resulting in individuals pushing themselves to help others in need. TALKWORKS recognise these demands are creating immense pressure on key workers. Individuals may be feeling stressed, anxious or have anxiety about being at their workplace whilst we fight this global pandemic. They may also be worried about their frontline working colleagues and worried about friends and family. You do not need to suffer in silence. TALKWORKS is here to help.

As a part of your role you may also come into contact with the general public who are also experiencing similar feelings in response to the COVID19 pandemic. Please do sign post people to TALKWORKS if they share with you that they are feeling anxious and are struggling to cope at the moment. Or pass them one of our service leaflets if you have some to hand.

This is an uncertain time and we are here to help you find a way through and look after yourself. Don’t let worries overtake you. TALKWORKS is a free NHS service ready to help you today. Contact us on 0300 555 3344 or self-refer at www.talkworks.dpt.nhs.uk

TALKWORKS – Wellbeing support in Devon

This year has been an incredibly difficult year for many of us, with the COVID-19 pandemic creating a range of pressures and concerns. As the pandemic draws on, many of us are experiencing job losses and financial worries, missing loved ones and feeling isolated.

As we head into winter, it’s more important than ever to look after ourselves. Throughout the country there is a huge focus on keeping physically well, but as we continue to spend more time at home throughout the winter months, away from friends and family, we need to be sure to focus on our mental health as well as physical.

TALKWORKS is here to help.

Part of Devon Partnership NHS Trust, TALKWORKS is a free NHS service dedicated to helping the people of Devon to work on their wellbeing and mental health. They are here to help individuals who may be feeling low, stressed or just not quite their usual self.

Sue Pike, TALKWORKS service manager, says: “There is a real emphasis on taking care of our physical health at this time, but it can mean that people are struggling more with low mood, stress or anxiety. At TALKWORKS, we have adapted our services to continue running throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning we are now offering talking therapies and practical help with your mental wellbeing through online platforms and over the phone.

“It’s important that those who are struggling with their mental health and wellbeing know that the NHS is still open as usual and is here to help you or anybody you know who is in need of support.”

The experienced team at TALKWORKS are here to help you feel better about life, and to help you feel like yourself again. Whether you’re dealing with an overwhelming life event, feeling like you’re stuck in a rut that you can’t get out of, having sleepless nights or living with a long term health condition that leaves you struggling to cope, the service can help you.

It can seem daunting to reach out and ask for help, but you don’t need to wait to hit ‘rock bottom’ to do so, and it doesn’t need to be difficult to get the support you need. You can refer yourself to TALKWORKS’ services without contacting your GP, by visiting their website or calling 0300 555 3344. TALKWORKS is free to anyone over the age of 18 – no matter your age, gender, sexuality or any other factor.

Please be assured that accessing TALKWORKS is simple and easy. Waiting times for you to be seen for your first appointment are short, and you’ll have a range of approaches and talking therapies for you to try, to see what works best for you.

Let’s make sure that we all head into winter well, getting the help and support we need to maintain our wellbeing during the months ahead.

Don’t feel alone, reach out today. Call 0300 555 3344 or visit https://www.talkworks.dpt.nhs.uk/.

If you are feeling the strain – Community pharmacies can now access NHS Devon CCG’s Employee Assistance Programme

During this unprecedented time when everyone is doing all they can to support the fight against the pandemic, the CCG has opened up access for community pharmacy teams to wellbeing support via CiC, Employee Assistance programme (EAP) provider.  For more information, there is an e-leaflet, an FAQ, possible reasons for contacting the service, and access details.

Free access to wellbeing apps for all NHS Staff

NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE&I) have issued information on the first in a series of psychological support for all NHS staff, including those working in primary care, during the COVID-19 outbreak. Read more here: https://psnc.org.uk/our-news/covid-19-support-free-access-to-wellbeing-apps/