Launch of Staff Psychological Centre

Posted: 12/08/20

A new psychological support service has launched for CNTW staff.

The Staff Psychological Centre (SPC) is available for all members of staff, offering a range of specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions, including Cognitive Analytic Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Trauma, Compassion and mindfulness-focussed interventions.

Staff are currently referred to the service via Occupational Health and then PAM (People Asset Management) in order to access the SPC.

Kalpita Kunde, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Trust Lead for the Staff Psychological Centre, said: “More than other conditions, musculoskeletal disorders and mental health conditions are identified as significantly impacting on staff health and wellbeing. Therefore, there was a need to establish a service that focussed on the psychological and emotional aspects of wellbeing for staff.

“The service enables staff to access evidence based psychological therapies and other interventions such as specialist assessments and formulations, including critical incident support, as per their needs.”

The SPC offers specialist consultations, training, coaching and mentoring. It is currently working closely with workforce to create a psychologically safe, open and supportive organisational environment by supporting managers to assist their staff who disclose mental health issues. This builds on compassionate and values-based leadership and on existing anti-stigma, equality, diversity and inclusion work that is being conducted throughout the Trust.

The service has also been involved in delivering a number of initiatives related to the COVID-19 pandemic. These include the launch of a staff helpline, developing a BAME cultural awareness questionnaire to be used for risk assessments, BAME mentoring as part of organisational improvement and engagement planning, and developing an augmented psychological wellness online training programme that is being delivered in the Trust and for the region as a whole system offer.

There is also a proposal for an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programme to become a rolling programme of care for staff that is planned for this autumn.