In October 2017 we launched our five-year mental health strategy and plan 'Because Healthy Minds Matter' which has four main aims and can be summarised as:

• Increase awareness of mental health;
• Decrease stigma and normalise mental health conversations;
• Signpost and utilise the tools and support available; and
• Know where to go in a crisis.

ACT now and things can start to get better

We can all make a difference to someone experiencing poor mental health by remembering the ACT acronym:

• Acknowledge - If you or someone close to you isn’t their ‘normal’ self.
• Communicate - If you’re not feeling okay, speak to someone about it. If you’re worried about someone, ask them if they are okay and encourage them to talk. Take the time to listen.
• Act - Find out what support is available and encourage others to do the same.

By implementing the ACT steps, you can play a key role in improving someone’s mental health, not just at work, but more widely. Remember, if you don’t feel your ‘usual’ self or you are suffering with mental ill-health of any sort, whether it has just started or has been an issue for some time – please make the difference for yourself and access support. The sooner you access support, the quicker you will start to feel better.

Further support

• Our Wellbeing Toolkit, available via the Health and Wellbeing intranet pages, contains links to a number of helpful resources.
• Access the simple mental health awareness eLearning ‘Because Healthy Minds Matter’. The module will only take 15 minutes to complete and will help you better support yourself and others.
• The First Class Support helpline is completely confidential, independent and available 24/7. Call 0345 266 5060, visit www.rmgfirstclasssupport.co.uk or download the ‘Lifeworks’ app if you would like to talk to somebody about living a healthier lifestyle or any other physical or mental health-related matter. New users of the website or app can ‘sign up’ using a unique invitation code, RMG- and then your payroll number, for example RMG-12345678.
• Our in-house charity, the Rowland Hill Fund can be reached on 0345 600 4586 or www.rowlandhillfund.org. The Fund offers financial aid to colleagues, pensioners and their families in times of need.

• The national domestic abuse helpline is a freephone, 24-hour helpline. Call 0808 2000247 or visit www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk to speak to someone online. It is important for managers to know how to act if an employee informs them that they are experiencing domestic abuse, and to be aware of some of the effects an employee may experience.

  The Royal Mail Group Domestic Abuse Guide for employees is available and outlines signs to look out for; the approach to take when a person is affected by domestic abuse; and signposting to further help and support. Managers can access a copy of the guide via the PSP system.

• Bright Sky app - Bright Sky is a free to download mobile app providing support and information for anyone who may be in an abusive relationship or for those concerned about someone they know. You can access questionnaires to assess the safety of a relationship, plus a section on dispelling myths around domestic and sexual abuse. Information about the app, as well as promotional materials, can be found here.

• The Shout Mental Health Text Service is a free, nationwide, 24/7, text-based service. Text Shout to 85258 in the UK to text with a trained crisis volunteer.
• A selection of chapters from ‘Positive Mental Health,’ a book written by Dr Shaun Davis and Andrew Kinder is available here to help you manage a range of mental health problems.
• Cruse Bereavement Care: 0808 808 1677 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or visit www.cruse.org.uk.
• Finally, Stepchange offers expert, tailored advice and practical solutions to debt problems. Contact the UK's leading debt charity on 0800 138 1111 or visit www.stepchange.org.

For urgent support in a crisis: call the Samaritans on 116 123 (open 24/7) or in the case of a suicide or other emergency situation, ring 999, or 9999 from a Royal Mail landline.

If you’re worried that someone is at immediate risk of taking their own life, you should stay with that person and take one of the following steps:

• Encourage them to call the First Class Support helpline (open 24/7) or the Samaritans on 116 123 (open 24/7)
• Contact their GP for an emergency appointment or the out of hours support service
• Call their community mental health team (CMHT) if they have one.
• Ring 999 (9999 from a Royal Mail landline), NHS direct (111) or go to the nearest Accident and Emergency (A&E) department.

Mental health videos

• Everyday People
• Five Mental Health Foundation videos
• Black Dog of Depression video

Supporting mental health

We have chosen mental health as the cause we will support through our charity partnership 2017-2020. By championing mental health we want to drive real change in people’s awareness and support colleagues with mental health problems. We will seek to reduce the stigma associated with mental health and help colleagues feel free to discuss their issues.

Click here to find out more.