Work and live well

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.

The hub will not be able to directly offer an alternative to secondary care mental health services or urgent / crisis intervention. If you are concerned about immediate risk, please contact your GP or consider seeking other emergency health care.

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.

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

To schedule a chat with a counsellor, staff can book this confidential service via the options below. For free access, please quote ‘COL support for staff – BSol'.

Visit: Relatebooking.as.me/BSOLICS

Call: Relate direct on 0300 303 4477

There are a range of times available Monday to Friday, including some evenings.

• 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. 

• Free Mental Health Services Solihull

• Birmingham Healthy Minds

The NHS Better Health website can help with advice for quitting smoking, losing weight, getting active and drinking less alcohol. Better Health - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

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

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/nhs-quit-smoking/id687298065