Cllr Vishal Gupta, Andrew Flockhart and Cllr Janet Walton signing the council’s Time to Change pledge board
Borough of Poole has joined the growing number of employers committing to end the stigma and discrimination against people with experience of mental health problems by signing a pledge with Time to Change, which is a campaign run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness.
The signing ceremony took place on 25 January with Chief Executive Andrew Flockhart, alongside Cllr Janet Walton, Leader of the Council, and Cllr Vishal Gupta, the Council’s Mental Health Champion. Signing the pledge represents Borough of Poole’s commitment to Time to Change with the council producing an action plan of activity that will help to break the silence that surrounds mental health in the workplace.
Andrew Flockhart, Chief Executive, Borough of Poole, said: “We want everyone who works for us to feel they can be open about their mental health, and ask for support if they need it. By signing the Time to Change pledge we hope to demonstrate our commitment to our staff to tackle mental health discrimination and encourage them to feel comfortable asking for support should they need it.
“It is important that staff know what support is available to them, both in and out of work, and part of our action plan, which we will be implementing over the next six months, is to ensure we promote the services available as widely as possible.”
Borough of Poole joins the wide movement of over 350 organisations that have signed up to the Time to Change pledge, including many NHS trusts, universities, and local authorities.
Sue Baker, Director of Time to Change, said: “It is fantastic that more and more employers are showing their support in tackling the stigma experienced by people with mental health problems. Employers and their staff can all play a part in helping to stamp out stigma and companies like Borough of Poole are taking a lead.
“Many leading employers have found that making a strategic commitment to the mental wellbeing of their workforce not only has benefits for their staff but also benefits their bottom-line, improving productivity and staff retention. With one in six British workers experiencing mental illness it’s time for businesses to work on their approach and start creating more mentally healthy workplaces.”
Time to Change is England’s biggest anti-stigma programme led by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness and funded by the Department of Health, Comic Relief and the Big Lottery Fund. Set up to create a positive shift in public attitudes towards mental health problems, Time to Change promotes better understanding to combat discrimination towards people who experience mental health problems.
