June 2021

View key Health and Wellbeing and Equality and Diversity dates for this month on our Inclusion Calendar June 2021 [269kb]

Clear your head campaign - tips and advice

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed life for all of us. As things start to open up again, feelings of worry, loneliness and uncertainty are natural, and shared by everyone to differing degrees.

The Scottish Government's 'Clear Your Head' campaign aims to help people across Scotland cope as life gets busier again, providing a range of practical and simple hints and tips to help those feeling overwhelmed or nervous as they start to go out more.

Connecting with people before you meet up in person, planning ahead before leaving the house, keeping active and focusing on your breathing are just some of the things that you can do to feel calmer and more in control.

Along with a range of tips, the campaign website signposts to sources of help and advice, including NHS Inform, and helplines including NHS24, Breathing Space, SAMH and the Samaritans for those who need to talk to someone about how they're feeling.

Clear your head tips - available in a range of languages

The aim of the campaign is to support people with their mental health, and provide simple tips to help cope and signposts to information and support.

You can view some useful tips and advice here [692kb]

This information is also available in the following languages/formats: Audio, Easy Read, BSL, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Punjabi, Polish and Urdu.

British Sign Language (BSL) assets of the Clear Your Head TV Ads are also available:

More information

For information and advice to help you, visit clearyourhead.scot.

Building Healthy and Happy Relationships

This month's webinar from Workplace Options focuses on Building Healthy and Happy Relationships.

It's good to be supportive to family, friends and colleagues - but it is healthy to set some boundaries.

In this webinar, you will learn how to set healthy boundaries and identify ways to build and maintain healthy relationships with those around you even when these boundaries are in place.

Join the webinar - at a time convenient to you

To get started phone or login to Workplace Options.

Visit Connect to access our council login details. If you do not currently have access to Connect please ask your manager to provide these details to you.

More information

You can find out more about Workplace Options at workplaceoptions.com

Freephone: 0800 247 1100

International Fathers' Mental Health Day - Monday 21 June

The causes of mental health problems such as post-natal depression aren't unique to mothers - they are relevant to fathers too. Around 10% of fathers experience mental health problems in the first year following the birth of their first child.

Often, the perception is that postnatal depression is hormonal, so could not possibly affect fathers. But hormones only play a small part. Environmental and social factors, such as social support, poverty, relationships changes, education, and stigma, are a much better predictor which equally apply to fathers.

More information and support

Workplace Options is available 24/7 for free, confidential, independent advice and support for you and your family on any work, family or personal issue.

You can contact them by

Email: assistance@workplaceoptions.com
Visit Connect to access our council login details. If you do not currently have access to Connect please ask your manager to provide these details to you.
Click on 'member login', enter username: GCC, and password: employee

If it would help you to talk with someone about how you're feeling, you can freephone:

Samaritans - 116 123 (available anytime, 24/7)
Breathing Space - 0800 83 85 87. If you need URGENT HELP, phone the emergency serviceson 999.

Father's network Scotland - information and advice to support the mental health and wellbeing of dads including:

Printable leaflet about Being a Dad during the COVID-19 pandemic

Preparing for fatherhood - guide for fathers to support them in having conversations with managers if preparing for Shared Parental Leave (SPL), or working flexibly to share childcare.

For information on how the council supports Shared Parental Leave you can view our factsheet at http://connect.glasgow.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=26882&p=0

Cervical Screening Awareness Week, 14 to 20 June

The national campaign running this week aims to raise awareness about cervical cancer and help educate everyone about how to reduce the risks.

There is a one in ten chance of HPV developing. The best way for women to protect themselves is by attending a cervical screening (also known as a smear test). Detecting it early will help to avoid the long-lasting side effects of advanced cases of cervical cancer.

Show your support

Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust would like you to support the campaign by Tweeting #CervicalScreeningAwarenessWeek.

You can also join @JoTrust to share tips and support about #CervicalScreening and reduce the confusion about HPV.

More information and support

For more information about cervical screenings, making appointments and about the process in Scotland please visit NHS Inform Scotland.

NHS UK for more information about Cervical Cancer
Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust who aim to reduce confusion about HPV, de-mystify screening results and raise awareness about the importance of Cervical Screenings through reliable information.

Men's Health Week, 14 to 21 June

For the next seven days we are talking about Men's Health.

We are supporting the Mens Health Forum 'Can Do Challenge' to raise awareness of 'Men's Mental Health in a Covid World.'

The Can Do Challenge aims to help you to boost your mental wellbeing while supporting your favourite charity. The challenge looks at the five ways of wellbeing that are scientifically proven to help you feel better. Here are five things to consider this week:

Connect - connect with other people (for example - phone an old friend you haven't since before lockdown) #connectmonday
Active - move your body (for example - go for a run / walk / swim / dance/etc) #activetuesday
Notice - take notice of the environment around you (for example - turn off your phone for an hour) #noticewednesday
Discover - learn something new (for example - read a book you haven't read before) #discoverthursday
Offer (or give) - do something for someone else (for example - volunteer for a local community group) #offerfriday

More information

Find out more about the Mens Health Forum here
Visit our 'Support for Staff' section / Top tips -using the five ways to wellbeing
For further support on the five ways to better wellbeing please visit samh.org.uk

Healthy Eating Week, 14 to 18 June 2021

The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) Healthy Eating Week campaign aims to encourage you to 'Find your healthier YOU.'

This week is a great opportunity for us to take time to reflect on our current lifestyles and think about making improvements to our Health and Wellbeing.

The campaign features five themes:

Know the facts - information, advice and myth-busting
Make a healthier choice - tips and tools to make better choices
Plan for success - ways to plan healthier meals and menus
Be the chef - how to cook healthier options, with links to recipes and ideas
Keep moving - promoting the importance of being active for health.

How to get involved

To join the campaign register here

For more resources on how to join in and get support click here

More information and support

NHS inform and Food Standard for tips on eating a healthy balanced diet
Change4Life to discover new and innovative healthy recipes
Parent Club to discover ways in which the whole family can Eat Better, Feel Better together.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Learning Opportunities - available for you to take part in

Mental Health Training

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, in partnership with the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH), are bringing a free programme of online mental health and wellbeing learning opportunities to anyone working or volunteering in the local area.

From July to September 202, the following online learning sessions will be on offer and can be viewed here.

Glasgow City Programme

In particular there is a set programme for Glasgow City that could be of specific interest to council managers and staff - this includes:

maintaining wellbeing
building resilience
introduction to suicide prevention
mental health - supporting others

Sign up and book your place today - going fast!

If you are interested in learning more about the above topics, places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Each session lasts 1.5 hours and is delivered on either Teams and Zoom - depending on the time and date.

Whilst staff are not permitted to use Zoom on council devices, you may choose to complete the training using Zoom on your own personal device. Please speak to your manager about attending this course if during the working day.

To book

Email training@samh.org.uk with the following information:

name
job role
organisation
the area of Glasgow City you work in North East/West/South
manager's name and email address.

Carers Week -7 to 13 June: Making Caring Visible and Valued

A carer is someone who provides unpaid care and support to someone.

For many, caring is something that happens gradually when someone becomes older or has a progressive illness. For others, it can arise suddenly, for example as the result of an accident, a stroke or because of COVID-19.

As a Carer Positive employer, we'd encourage staff who have caring responsibilities to identify themselves as carers and check out available resources and support options below.

Caring can be hugely rewarding, but it can also have an impact on all aspects of their life. We recognise the vital contribution unpaid carers make and we want to make sure, staff know about the help, advice and support available to them.

Carer help and support resources:

Carers Peer Support Network for Staff
Glasgow Carers Centre Partnership Information including link to Glasgow online self-referral form
Carer Centres outwith Glasgow
Carers Scotland
SG National Wellbeing hub Unpaid Carers

Power of Attorney Information Session

Thursday 10 June 2021 from 12.30 and 1.15 pm

In support of Carers Week, we've arranged a digital information session on Power of Attorney (POA).

A Power of Attorney is a legal document that allows someone to make decisions for you, or act on your behalf, if you're no longer able to make your own decisions.

Register

The session will be delivered on Microsoft Teams, please register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/carers-week-power-of-attorney-event-tickets-157780406443. We'd like to encourage you take part in this event, please discuss your attendance with your line manager, if you need to do so.

Host Family Supported Carers needed - could it be you? - Thursday 17 June

Glasgow City HSCP are looking for people from Glasgow and surrounding areas to help them make sure that every young person has a caring adult in their lives as part of the Host Family Supported Carer Service (HFSCS).

The role of the HFSCS is to offer safe and supportive accommodation for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Young People (UASYP) aged 16 to 18 years.

The HFSCS grew out of Glasgow's humanitarian response to the civil war in Syria in 2017. And the HSCP has grown the service to help to meet the needs of UASYP arriving in Glasgow. Many, if not all these young people will have experienced trauma on their long journey and certainly all of them will be dealing with issues of separation and loss.

The Host Family Supported Carer will help each young person work towards independence when it is right for them. Officers have learned that, even though they have moved on our young people keep in touch with the carers and they themselves offer friendship and advice to new arrivals.

Support for carers

The Host Family Supported Carer Service will support those who come forward by helping them:

· Undertake the assessment process in order to know if they are ready for the role and provide some financial support

· Assigning a supervising social worker to provide ongoing support

· Providing relevant training to undertake the role

· Arranging regular support groups and informal peer supports

More information / how to get involved

If you are interested in becoming a Host Family Supported Carer please email HostFamilyService@glasgow.gov.uk or phone 0141 302-2800.

A virtual open night (Microsoft Teams) will take place on Thursday 17 June from 7pm to 8pm.

Give a little and help a lot

Did you know that over 1 million employees donate small regular amounts to their chosen charity every payday through their employer's Payroll Giving scheme?

Since 1987, when the scheme began, over £2billion has been raised for thousands of UK charities from these donations.

In June, we are asking if you could make a difference to your charity by signing up to your Payroll Giving scheme to 'give a little and help a lot.'

Click here to sign up to a regular donation from your pay

National Volunteers' Week, 1-7 June

The campaign offers a time to celebrate and say 'Thank You' for the fantastic contribution volunteers make to people and their communities.

Volunteers are at the heart of every community. They are behind many of the services we all rely on and their crucial efforts have not stopped, despite the uncertain times we find ourselves in and will continue as an important part of the nation's recovery.

More information

You can access resources and ideas about how you can get involved at https://volunteersweek.scot/
Why not share your own story about being a volunteer and inspire others to get involved in volunteering, or say 'thank you' to an amazing volunteer you know using the #VolunteersWeek on social media.

Celebrating our staff who are volunteers

We'd like to celebrate council family staff who make a difference as a volunteer - going above and beyond to help others.

Read about the experiences in the 'Health and Wellbeing / Your wellbeing stories and top tips / Volunteering makes a difference' section - of some of our existing staff volunteers, how you can get involved in volunteering, and the support available to council family staff who are thinking about volunteering.

Clear your head - new Scottish Government campaign

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed life for all of us. As things start to open up again, feelings of worry, loneliness and uncertainty are natural, and shared by everyone to differing degrees.

A new 'Clear Your Head' campaign has launched to help people across Scotland cope as life gets busier again. The Scottish Government campaign provides a range of practical and simple hints and tips to help those feeling overwhelmed or nervous as they start to go out more.

More information

For information and advice to help you through the coming weeks, visit https://clearyourhead.scot/

If you need to talk to someone you can phone:

Workplace Options our Employee Assistance Provider, anytime free: 0800 247 1100;LGBT helpline: 0800 138 8725; BME helpline: 0800 288 4950; Bullying and Harassment helpline: 0800 042 0135.
Samaritans anytime free on 116 123 or visit Samaritans.org to find out other ways of getting in touch
Breathing Space free on 0800 83 85 87(6pm to 2am on weekdays, 24 hours at the weekends).

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