Pledge Action Plan

Activity description / Internal lead (include contact details) / Timescale / Time to Change
Resources / Performance indicator (optional)
  1. We aim to better understand the University (staff and student, including Students’ Union) context in relation to mental ill health

1.1 Map existing staff provision and support for mental ill health, and use to develop and inform future actions / HR (Juice Workplace Health and Wellbeing) / By Sep 2015 / Mapping activity undertaken and actions developed as appropriate
1.2 Aim to increase disclosure rates for all protected characteristics for staff, and in particular disabilities and Mental Health. / HR (E&D team) and Disabled Staff Network / Ongoing / Year on year improvements in disclosure rates
Monitored by the EDB and Council as part of Equality Objectives reviews
1.3 Have mental health and wellbeing as a strategic focus within the student wellbeing goal of the Students’ Union / Welfare Officer, SU Amy Coppeyard
1.4 Map support services with SU staff consultation to establish current awareness of mental health support, particularly re front-line staff. / SU/TH / Dec-March / All front line staff trained
1.5 Keep Time to Change pledge and actions on Equality and Diversity Board agenda / ALL
1.6 Keep Time to Change pledge and actions on Welfare Committee agenda
  1. We will take a number of actions to raise awareness of mental ill health, and encourage the opening up of conversations

2.1 Develop and distribute publicity materials for staff e.g. posters / flyers, to raise awareness of mental health issues and myth-busting. / Juice Everyday Health and Wellbeing, and Workplace Health and Wellbeing teams / By June 2015 / Campaign completed and evaluated against identified outcomes and impact.
2.2 Develop publicity material for the Disabled Staff Network to use / HR E&D team and Disabled Staff Network / By June 2015 / Standard publicity materials developed for the Disabled Staff Network to use at events
2.3 Raise awareness across campus of Mental Health through campaigns linked to Juice (staff), working closely with the Disabled Staff Network, Student Services and the Students Union, as appropriate. Use national and international campaigns to provide impetus. Develop rolling programme of awareness raising. / HR (Juice Everyday Health & Wellbeing and Workplace Health &Wellbeing) / Rolling programme / Annual rolling programme of campaigns and awareness
Mental Health Promotion Activities held through Juice Everyday Health & Wellbeing (Tai Chi, Pilates, Mindfulness, Meditation)
Increased awareness of the support and counselling offered by the University through our provider, Health Assured.
2.4 Internal communications campaign re destigmatisation. Target messages to meet known peaks and troughs. / Debora Green + SSW heads and Union Welfare Officer
Student comms team – Malcolm Roberts / TTC artwork to create posters, TTC advert for intranet / X number of articles,
X number of views of articles,
Posters displayed
2.5 Develop a library or film of ‘case studies’ of staff who have lived experience of mental ill health, to encourage openness. Launch with an event. / HR (E&D team) and Disabled Staff Network / By October 2015 / Film developed and launched
Positive feedback received internally and externally
Request for film to be used in departments and training events
2.6 Build library (online and hard copy) of materials relating to mental health in the workplace / Union Welfare Officer, Union HR
2.7 Develop suite of webpages to host line manager resources, case studies, information on local and national campaigns and organisations, etc, and what to do in a crisis / HR (Juice Everyday Health & Wellbeing and Juice Workplace Health &Wellbeing) / By Dec 2015 / The development of a portal, hosted on the Juice website (Knowledge Bank pages) that holds the necessary information relating to mental health and wellbeing for staff and their managers
2.8 Encourage faculty E&D committees to consider mental ill health as part of their actions / HR (Faculty HR managers) and Chairs of faculty E&D committees; HR (Juice Workplace Health and Wellbeing) / By July 16 / Faculty E&D committees actively consider Mental Health and develop actions to address it
Staff and students are more confident in talking about mental health and wellbeing
2.9 Include information about MH and support services in staff induction portal / HR (E&D team) / By July ‘15 / Links to new MH webpages embedded into university induction portal
2.10 Include awareness of mental health support services in Union staff induction / Union Welfare Officer, Union HR
2.11 Run series of lunch time seminars (3 times a year) hosted by the Disabled Staff Network, bringing in expertise / HR (E&D team) and Disabled Staff Network / Ongoing / Set of lunch-time seminars, hosted by the Disabled Staff Network, bringing in experts (LEA, Council, voluntary organisations, etc)
2.12 Running regular awareness events around mental health, on/around but not limited to:
  • World Mental Health Day (10th October)
  • University Mental Health and Wellbeing Day (19th February 2015)
  • World Health Day (7th April 2015)
  • Mental Health Awareness Week (11th- 17th May 2015)
/ Healthy Campus Events Group, Mental Health Matters, Welfare Officer, SSW / Autumn – summer semster /
  • Welfare tepee/”head space” in Healthy Campus Week
  • “Look After Your Mate” style campaign

Union Welfare officer / Nov/Dec planning; Jan delivery /
  • Wall of Positivity and Big White Book (to encourage students to write positive feelings and experiences) in prominent positions min twice per year
  • Use Student Minds research to tackle 10 Grand Challenges

2.13 Encourage participation in/awareness of national campaigns and awareness raising/co-operation with local groups to further educate members in issues surrounding mental health. / Union Welfare officer / 2nd semester /
  • Collaboration with The Sheffield Arts and Wellbeing Network

2.14 Lobby external bodies/organisations to improve services for students / Union Welfare officer, SSW /
  • CCG representation
  • Continued links with mental health services locally
  • Continue to encourage Big White Wall to review contract lengths.

2.15 Posters, plasma screen and cards relating to mental health in student reception areas and staff offices / SSW heads, SSiD, Tom Harrison
2.16 Encourage resilience and self-help as valid steps towards mental health and well-being. Make available necessary resources and signposting. / SSW / Nov onwards / Wider use of message that psychological wellbeing is not threatened by some sadness, difficult social situations etc but is improved by learning to survive these.
Reduced potential for support that is beyond reasonable.
  1. We will review and develop further our service provision and support for people with mental ill health

3.1 Ensuring that the University’s Workplace Health & Wellbeing Service is proactive in supporting those staff with mental ill health, including facilitating staff to access appropriate support services, helping staff return to work, educating line managers etc / Juice Workplace Health and Wellbeing / Ongoing – to be reviewed June 2015. / Monthly data reporting of cases and bi-annual evaluation of the outcomes of the support offered by WH&W.
3.2 Consideration of the use of Wellness Recovery Action Plans (WRAPs) to support staff to stay well in work / Juice workplace health and wellbeing / By June 2015 / WRAPs are in place, and evaluation undertaken
3.3 Consideration of similar tools for students, where not already in use / SSW / April 2015
3.4 Support Disabled Staff Network and Disabled Students Committee / HR (E&D team)
Union Welfare Officer
3.5 Support quarterly ‘Tea and Talk’ sessions run by the Disabled Staff Network, focussing on mental health – specific sessions will enable staff can talk to Disability Staff Network members who have had similar issues / HR (E&D team) and Disabled Staff Network / Ongoing, quarterly / Quarterly ‘tea and talk’ meetings established
DSN members feel able to offer support
Staff report feeling supported by this initiative
3.6 Support ‘Tea and Talk’ events and establishing quiet zones. / Union Welfare Officer /
  • Permanent quiet zone in Union

3.7 Continue to update and develop mental health strategy and related work for students, including the Students Union in regular meetings and developments / SSW / monthly
3.8 Greater promotion of the University mental health support services and the Student Advice Centre, through posters around the Students Union and the University departments and clear sign-posting (literal and otherwise) to appropriate services / Welfare Officer, Emily Saunders (SAC), Student Services Comms
Louise Knowles /
  • Regularly updated posters visible
  • Signposting of support services at information and reception points in SU building.

3.9 Continue effective support and guidance for Sheffield Nightline / SSW, Union Welfare Officer (Jointly through Nightline Advisory Group)
Support and Wellbeing Champions (SU)
3.10 Collated information about mental health services and maintaining good mental health to be targeted at all new students /
  • Cards given to all students who attend registration events.
  • Using the Meningitis awareness as a guide, informative leaflets and fridge magnets to be distributed by residential mentors.
  • Slides about SSW services supplied to all academic departments for introductory talks.
  • Sign post to TNGR/Well-Connected and SSiD from departmental home pages
  • Link from UHS app

3.11 Support student groups to access peer-to-peer support training
  1. We will train and educate our managers, tutors, supervisors and others in recognising potential indicators and work-/study-related triggers of mental ill health, and in supporting staff/students

4.1 Support managers in gaining confidence in recognising potential indicators of mental ill health, and developing skills to enable appropriate and helpful discussions with staff / HR (Juice Workplace Health &Wellbeing);
HR (E&D team) / By Sep 2015 / A Project Initiation Document will be produced for this action which will identify the key outcomes and impact against which success will be measured.
4.2 Train HR staff to understand the mental health issues that they may come across, or that may be experienced, in their work / HR (Juice Workplace Health &Wellbeing);
HR (E&D team) / Dec 2014 / HR managers and other staff trained. Managers are more confident talking about mental health and wellbeing, and in particular mental ill health, with their staff.
4.3 Consider the development of positive mental health champions across the University to help deliver key messages. / HR (Juice Workplace Health and Wellbeing); HR (E&D team) / By July 16 / A number of champions across the University, resulting in staff and students being more confident in talking about mental health and wellbeing
4.4 Continue to provide clear messages to academic departments about services available, destigmatisation, importance of seeking advice. / DLOs, welfare roles, Jackie Marsh (Task and Finish Group) / Autumn – Summer semester /
  • Continue to offer welfare and mental health awareness training for all academic staff.
  • Clear links from Tutor Toolkit
  • Continue to highlight that Student Advice Centre is a point of support to academic departments
  • Supporting the Supporters Staff Development sessions on this topic to be offered

4.5 Recommend Mental Health First Aid training in all SU departments / Union Welfare Officer, Union HR / By March 2015
4.6 Mental health awareness to be included in Union’s inclusion officer (for working committees and societies) training

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