Mental Health & Wellbeing Policy.

 

Clancy has developed a Mental Health and Wellbeing policy because we are committed to safeguarding the health and welfare of our employees. Many factors in the workplace influence mental health and wellbeing; therefore, understanding and addressing workplace mental health and wellbeing can help reduce risk factors for mental ill-health and improve general health. 

This policy will outline our commitment regarding important aspects of mental health and wellbeing including:

  • Our commitment to mental health and wellbeing. 

  • Responsibilities for maintaining optimal psychological health and wellbeing.

  • Management skills to deal with training, absenteeism and presenteeism.

  • Informing and raising awareness of mental health and wellbeing. 

  • Creating a supportive environment.

  • Communication.

This policy applies to all employees of Clancy Consulting including contractors.

Our commitment

Clancy is committed to promoting and maintaining the mental health and wellbeing of all employees through workplace practices and encouraging employees to take responsibility for their own mental health and wellbeing.

Responsibilities

All employees have a responsibility to:

  • Take reasonable care of their own mental health and wellbeing, including physical health.

  • Take reasonable care that their actions do not affect the health and safety of other people in the workplace.

All managers have the responsibility to:

  • Implement measures to minimise the risks to employee wellbeing, specifically undue pressure at work. 

  • Ensure all employees understand their role within the team and receive the necessary information, training, and support to do their job.

  • Promote an environment that champions a healthy work-life balance. Work-life balance is closely associated with the prevention of unhealthy work-related stress. By taking steps to improve the working environment through effective, flexible, and sensitive management Clancy hope to enable employees to cope successfully with the demands and pressures of work and home life.  Clancy offers different ways of structuring working patterns including but not limited to the following:

    • Part-time working

    • Flexible working hours

    • Compressed working hours

    • Annualised hours

    • Job sharing

    • Working at or from home

    • Agile working 

Management skills

Training

All managers are obliged to regularly discuss individual training needs to ensure that employees have the necessary skills to adapt to job demands. Managers should discuss these needs in conversations or in professional development reviews and implement an action plan to support the employee. 

All managers are responsible for conducting on the job training and organising CPD seminars. 

Managing Sickness

All managers are responsible for managing absenteeism. Absenteeism can be a sign of burnout, disengagement, as well as those that may require accommodations, such as childcare or illness. Therefore, it is essential that managers engage with their employees when they return from an absence and that Clancy have the right monitoring and recording procedures. Both initiatives will lead to earlier identification of conditions and trends which could point to serious health concerns that Clancy may be able to provide support with.

Managing Presenteeism 

All managers are accountable for managing presenteeism. Presenteeism causes a decline in employee physical and mental health and job performance consequently leading to productivity loss; thus, managers have the responsibility to ensure employees are not regularly working longer than their contracted hours and that they are taking regular holidays. 

Informing and raising awareness

Clancy aim to educate employees on mental health and wellbeing by: 

  • Promoting mental health and wellbeing through business initiatives. 

  • Holding CPD seminars relating to mental health and wellbeing.

  • Having a section of the Clancy Manual/HR Hub dedicated to mental health and wellbeing. 

  • Providing opportunities for employees to look after their mental wellbeing, for example through physical activity.

  • Supplying employees with information on mental wellbeing.

  • Including information about how Clancy supports mental health and wellbeing in the employee induction programme.

  • Providing training for designated employees in the early identification, causes and appropriate management of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, stress, and change management.

Creating a supportive environment

Tangible Support

  • Offering assistance, advice and support to people who experience a mental health condition while in employment. 

  • Manage return to work for those who have experienced health conditions and in cases of long-term sickness absence, put in place, where possible, a phased return to work.

  • Deal with issues around mental health and stress effectively.

  • Give non-judgemental and pro-active support to individual employees that experience mental health conditions. 

  • Ensure employees are aware of the support that can be offered through Mental Health First Aiders, Employee 

  • Assistance Programme or alternatively their own GP, or a counsellor. 

  • Treat all matters relating to individual employees and their mental health conditions in the strictest confidence and share on a ‘need to know’ basis only with consent from the individual concerned.

Inclusivity 

  • Reduce discrimination and stigma by increasing awareness and understanding.

  • Manage conflict effectively and ensure the workplace is free from bullying and harassment, discrimination, and racism.

  • Ensure individuals suffering from mental health conditions are treated fairly and consistently.

Communication

All employees will be made aware of the mental wellbeing policy and the facilities available. This will be included in the employee handbook and employee induction pack.

For the Directors

 

Chris Acton, Chief Executive

April 2024