Free digital tools to help mental health understanding in Cornwall and IoS
People who work in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are being offered a free mental health training package to help them cope with the stresses and strains of the pandemic.
According to research in the county, the number of people experiencing possible anxiety and/or depression has almost doubled since the pandemic began.
The package is made up of short films which feature Cornish residents as well as NHS Kernow and Cornwall Council representatives. It has been developed to help working people with their own wellbeing, but also to give them the confidence and skills to help colleagues and create a more supportive workplace.
Helping yourself and others
The three modules cover psychological first aid, mental health awareness and trauma informed training. It is designed to help working people with their own wellbeing but also to give them the confidence and skills to support those around them. The aim is to create more trauma-informed and supportive workplaces across our communities.
Sound Doctor, which creates digital tools to help people learn to manage their own mental health, designed the package. It is available to anyone in any organisation across the public, private and voluntary sectors, and has been commissioned by Public Health Cornwall and NHS Kernow.
Dr Richard Sharpe, Advanced Public Health Practitioner and mental health lead at Cornwall Council, said: “Whether you've been working on the front line dealing directly with Covid every day or working from home and coping with the isolation that brings, the pandemic has impacted every working person's mental health to a greater or lesser degree.”
NHS Kernow’s Associate Director of Strategic Commissioning: Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism said this is a five year deal with Sound Doctor. He said:
“The pandemic has had a clear impact on the workforce across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, which includes those working on the front line from the NHS, Local Authority, care homes, home care providers and the voluntary sector. Other workplaces impacted by the pandemic include those who have experienced closures, having staff on furlough, working from home and returning to the workplace after a period of furlough for example.
Cllr Dr Andy Virr, Portfolio Holder for Adults and Public Health at Cornwall Council and an Emergency Department consultant at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, said:
“It’s not just people’s physical health that Covid has affected, it’s also had a huge impact on mental health too. This is why it is vital that, working alongside our colleagues in the NHS, we continue to offer easily accessible help and support to anyone who might be struggling.
How to access the package
Anyone who would like to access the module, just needs to register on the local site here.
