TESTIMONIALS

Number of Employees: 20
Business Sector: Not for Profit

Cork Chambers purpose is to champion Cork as a globally recognised place for business, innovation, and quality of life. As the leading business organisation in the south of Ireland, it supports and represents the interests of almost 1,200 businesses employing over 100,000 people across the region. Our goal in Cork Chamber is to create a team where everyone feels like they belong. We do this through our comprehensive employee wellbeing Chambercare programme.

Cork Chamber has been involved in PSYCHED since its inception in 2017. We were aware of the importance of mental health in the workplace prior to becoming involved however PSYCHED afford us the opportunity to talk about it more within our team and to put into practise some of the learnings as a result of the training. As part of our Chambercare programme we provide weekly emails on mental health, every employee and their families have access to an employee assistance programme free of charge. We have provided training to our employee on different elements associated with mental health for example how to deal with stress, how to switch off from digital channels etc. We continue to do our Lets Talk calls virtually where everyone can meet online for a tea/coffee and a chat etc.

Number of Employees: 240-280
Business Sector: BMD is a mechanical contractor to the multinational Bio-pharmaceutical and the Pharmaceutical industry

A few years ago BMD had two work colleagues die by suicide. Following these tragedies, BMD senior management decided that as a company more needed to be done to highlighting suicide awareness within the organisation. BMD senior management knew that they couldn’t do this alone so they contacted the Cobh based suicide awareness group called “Breaking the Silence”. This lead to BMD management meeting with a volunteer from “Breaking the Silence member Jimmy Losty. Both BMD and Jimmy discussed the BMD objectives, to talk to employees about suicide awareness as BMD had never presented talks like this before with its workforce.

BMD workforce is spread around the Munster area, so they had small groups came together to hear Jimmy Losty talk about suicide awareness. BMD opened these talks to everyone as suicide affects everyone in some way or form.

During the month over 500 people attended the talks. The feedback from attendees was very positive, a lot of these people were never at these kind of talks and some said that they spoke to partners/brothers /sisters /parents about the talks they attended on suicide awareness afterwards.

Following the suicide awareness initiative, BMD launched the VHI Employee Assistance Program (EAP). This is a free confidential counselling and information service which all BMD Employees and their family members can avail of, with support is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. BMD continue to promote suicide awareness to all employees through its internal BMD Newsletter and the VHI employee assistance program newsletter and seminars.

Psyched have kindly addressed and promoted better mental health on a few of our work areas especially around “construction safety week” each year. BMD are glad that Psyched have been there to help when we needed them.

Traveller Visibility-Group logo

Number of Employees:
Business Sector: Community Development Project

TVG is a community development project based in Cork City, with a staff team of Travellers and settled people working together to support the development of the Traveller community in all aspects of their lives in Cork.

Their work includes one to one support, group work, education-based programmes, family support, childcare and a drop-in support service. The project has a health programme, drugs and alcohol support project, education programme and a crèche.

Self-care is of great importance in TVG with all staff and regular check-in with line managers to look at work load, stress management and best self-care practices are discussed and encouraged.

All staff are required to set 1.5 hours aside in their working week, to participate in team regrouping, sharing of information and planning of work over a cup of tea/coffee (online during remote working). These sessions are also used to invite individuals in from other organisations, chosen by staff, to get a sense of other things that are happening in the community that they can learn about.

Each staff member is well supported through a one-hour monthly supervision by their line manager

TVG has a staff team building day every summer and takes on a variety of activities including salsa dancing, zip wire, learning of popular pop song dance routines, hiking, activities at Ballyhass Lakes etc.

TVG Co-Directors operate an open door policy inviting team members to talk to them about any issues that may be causing stress or conflict at work.

The Co-Directors schedule training days on mental health awareness and personal development courses such as stress management throughout the year.

HSE-Logo-st-finbarrs-hospital

Number of Employees: 1,000+
Business Sector: Health & Social Care Setting

St. Finbarrs Hospital Campus dates back to 1877 and is situated on a 26 acre site in the heart of Cork City, with a total compliment of ∼1000 staff. The campus operates busy outpatient services (i.e. Blood Bank, Child Health Clinics, Dental & Orthodontic Services, Assessment and Treatment Centre, Mental Health, Community physiotherapy and occupational therapy, Colposcopy, Social Work and many more services) and has four residential hospital facilities on site which cater for older persons who require a high level of person-centred nursing and medical care. In addition the campus is an administrative hub for many other health service-related departments.

A small Health and Wellbeing staff committee oversees health and wellbeing initiatives on campus supported through Healthy Ireland and the HSE. Participation in the Cork Healthy Cities PSYCHED initiative is actively encouraged in promoting positive mental and physical health for staff.  

To date the campus has implemented a 1.15 Km Walkway to Health marked for staff and service users to use. A communal staff bike scheme is available for staff to facilitate lunchtime cycling and short trips to meetings. Access to outdoor patient gym granted to staff for lunchtime use. Weekly lunchtime meditation & Mindfulness Classes and beginner Yoga classes for staff free of charge every Mon – Wednesday at lunchtime throughout the year. A Staff choir meets every Wed at lunchtime. Staff team based step challenges have run across the campus annually since 2017. Lunchtime walks in aid of HSE national campaigns such as Valentine’s Day “Love Life Love Walking” and “Steps for Health” National HSE Steps challenge are encouraged as well as events to mark National Workplace Wellbeing day are organised each year.

Following a request from staff, a staff shower block is available to staff to facilitate exercising during the workday and a dedicated space on campus for staff wellbeing which displays the Look After Your Mental Health – Little Things campaign posters – a quiet space for reflection and staff exercise facility is available for use at any time of the day. A therapy garden is also managed by staff for residents with a vegetable/flower polytunnel. More recent initiatives (since COVID) include the provision of outdoor seating areas to aid with physical distancing to promote outdoor lunch breaks for staff.