Our vision to make Birmingham and Solihull the healthiest place to live and work is driven by you.
We know we all work best when we’re healthy, so we invest in a range of initiatives that support the health and well-being of those working across health and care in Birmingham and Solihull.
We’re committed to looking out for you, supporting you as you look out for others in the work you do every day. Below are details of the health and wellbeing support offer to colleagues working in health and care here in Birmingham and Solihull, offered in addition to support available directly through employers.
The following support is available to health and social care staff in Birmingham and Solihull
Are you struggling with your mental health and in need of extra support? If you work in the NHS or social care services in Birmingham and Solihull, you can access free psychological support for stress, anxiety and depression, and other common mental health difficulties, from the BSol Staff Mental Health Hub. You may feel that you shouldn’t reach out for help or that it isn’t culturally acceptable, or that somehow it would affect your work situation. However, the BSol Staff Mental Health Hub is completely independent from your employer and does not disclose information to employers unless you ask us to.
Our Staff Mental Health Hub is open for self-referrals for all Birmingham and Solihull health and social care staff seeking help for the emotional and psychological support.
The service is open for everyone in the NHS and social care in Birmingham and Solihull, regardless of job grade, job role or cultural background.
Following referral, support offered to the staff member can include:
- Rapid and easy access to specialist psychological assessment
- Advice, consultation and onward referral where appropriate
- Access to brief evidence based psychological interventions within the Hub, where appropriate
Your confidential referrals can be made by calling 0121 301 1470 where you will be asked to leave your contact details, or by email on the secure email: bsmhft.staffmhhub@nhs.net. Please label your email clearly for the Staff Mental Health Hub, and include name, contact details, home address, date of birth, and where possible some brief details as to the reason for the referral. You will then be contacted to arrange an assessment appointment.
Please note that the Staff Mental Health Hub uses a confidential and separate care records information system, which can only be accessed by the Staff Mental Health Hub Team.
If you are currently experiencing distressing thoughts and feel you might be at risk of harming yourself or someone else, please contact one of the following services:
- Your GP practice or their out-of-hours service
- NHS 111 on 111
- The Samaritans on 116 123
- Shout 24/7 text support service on 85258
- Birmingham MInd mental health helpline on 0121 262 3555
- In an emergency dial 999 or visit your nearest A&E
Feedback from staff who have used the Staff Mental Health Hub
“I was listened to, guided into a different way of thinking while being given tools to use when I do need help. This is such a valuable important service we as staff are being offered and if you’re willing to let it, it will make such a difference.”
“Accessing the service was really easy and my assessment and treatment sessions were done in a timely way.”
“I cannot thank the service enough - very short wait time to make contact, excellent therapist who listened and treated me with great respect- she helped me work out what I need and want as well as suggesting several services for onward help. An excellent service which I have recommended without hesitation to colleagues.”
“The therapy sessions were insightful and tailored to my needs, empowering me with coping strategies and tools for managing my mental health.”
Supporting you with relationships
Through Relate Birmingham you have access to free confidential counselling support for issues affecting relationships, including:
- Relationship counselling for individuals and couples
- Families and children and young people
- Domestic abuse
Relate Counselling
Relate Counselling is available to support individuals and couples with issues such as communication, arguing, conflict, parenting, family life, separation, domestic abuse, intimacy, work and money worries, stress and anxiety. The service includes an assessment and up to 6 more sessions by webcam or phone with a qualified and experienced Relate counsellor. Sessions are up to an hour and appointment times include daytime, evenings and Saturday mornings.
To book an appointment or for more information:
Call: 0121 643 1638 (office hours are 9am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday)
Email: appointments@relatebirmingham.co.uk
Please quote BSol COL for complimentary access
The NHS Better Health website can help with advice for quitting smoking, losing weight, getting active and drinking less alcohol.
Lose Weight
- You can download the NHS Weight Loss Plan to help you start healthier eating habits. It is broken down into 12 weeks so that you can plan you meals, make healthier food choices and set weight loss goals.
- There are various weight loss plans, free and via subscription, available to browse, so that you can choose the best one for you on the NHS Better Health website.
Drink Less
- Drinking less alcohol can help you feel a bit better every day, and you can improve your health, boost your energy, lose weight and save money.
- For tips to help you cut down, visit the Better Health website.
Reduce your blood pressure
- Managing a healthy blood pressure can reduce your risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Stop smoking support
- The NHS quit smoking website has lots of options for support available and tips to help you quit smoking for good.
- There are free patches available for those with free access to prescriptions.
- If someone does not have access to free prescriptions the NHS STOP SMOKING app provides advice and support. It is available to download from Google Play or the Apple Store.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.doh.smokefree&hl=en_GB&gl=US
Staff can access support for common musculoskeletal injuries or conditions via the getUBetter app. Visit our getUBetter page to learn more.
To support colleagues with cost of living, an enhanced support package has been developed for all health and care staff working in Birmingham and Solihull, including staff within NHS commissioned services. The offer has been designed collaboratively with all partners in our integrated care system to support staff with the ongoing impact of the national cost of living crisis, and provides fast track access to professional services centred around financial wellbeing, low-level dependancy and relationship support.
The services on offer are there to support you and those close to you - if you are concerned about a loved one or colleague and are looking for professional advice or support, please contact the appropriate service.
This offer complements existing organisational wellbeing services and the system-wide Staff Mental Health Hub. For more information on the Staff Mental Health Hub, return to the main 'work and live well' page.
The benefits:
- Exclusive package for health and social care staff across Birmingham and Solihull.
- Fast-track route into professional advice and support.
- Completely confidential.
Who can refer into these services?
Anyone working in health or care in Birmingham or Solihull, including NHS commissioned services can refer into this service, Referrals can be made by individuals, with support from a line manager, local health and wellbeing lead or one of the Bsol Cost of Living support providers
Your feedback matters
If colleagues have any feedback on the package of services on offer, they should email Lavinia Hines, Head of Health and Wellbeing on: l.hines1@nhs.net. If feedback relates to specific support received with one of the services, please contact services directly.
Supporting you with managing your money
Citizens Advice Birmingham is on hand to provide dedicated, confidential advice to staff. This could include direct access to an adviser for an initial diagnostic review, triage and advice, with follow up appointments available either in person or over the phone. Areas included are:
- Welfare benefits
- Housing
- Employment
- Relationships
- Consumer
- Money advice
- Referrals to specialist services such as debt or benefits casework
- Referrals to partner services such as employment advice services or with solicitors
- Income maximisation and budgeting support
- Access to fifteen minutes with a solicitor
Accessing the service:
Immediate access via a dedicated contact, call Antonia Adams on 07851 245 004 or email: a.adams@bcabs.org.uk
Quote ‘COL support for staff – BSol’ and if colleagues feel comfortable to, they should give a brief overview of what they may require support with, along with their contact details. Please note this service currently operates Monday to Friday between 9.30am and 4.30pm.
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NHS – Mental health
Providing information and support for your mental health. Including self-help advice and links to support available. -
Every Mind Matters
Expert advice and practical tips to help you look after your mental health and wellebing
In addition to support for staff through their employing organisation, there are options available for accessing counselling support for those who do not want to use an employer-based service.
Access to the Easychange app has been made available to all staff working in Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System.
Download the app via the Appstore or Google Play, and use the six-digit code, available in this PDF, to gain free access to the app.
About Easychange
The Easychange app is intended to help you to reduce stress, sleep better, quit smoking, drink less, eat better, improve your mood and be more active.
The Easychange programmes have a series of interactive sessions, based on research within each programme area. The programmes use techniques from modern psychology to reduce the brain’s resistance to change.
Each programme session only takes 10-15 minutes, and everything is digital so you don’t have to talk to anyone.
The programmes take you on a journey towards your goal and give you interesting and useful insights along the way, into your behaviour and your habit change.
The seven Easychange programme areas are:
- Eating habits
- Physical activity
- Stress management
- Sleep enhancement
- Improve mood
- Smoking cessation
- Alcohol consumption
Everything is on your mobile so you can take the sessions at any time, wherever you are.
Easychange users are anonymous, and no personal data will be given to any third party, including your employer.
- Download easychange for Apple devices Apple's AppStore.
- Download easychange for Android devices on Google Play.
- Find your organisation's easychange access code on a PDF.