Covid has created challenging and uncertain times, as we’ve been asked to change our routines and how we take care of ourselves and our families.
For many of you, these challenges are even greater; working in unfamiliar environments, with reduced staffing levels, and learning new skills. This is on top of the worry about your own and your family’s health and wellbeing.
For others, the challenges impacting on your wellbeing maybe unrelated to covid; but you may feel you’d benefit from completing the wellbeing screening, followed by a conversation with our team.
Greater Manchester Resilience Hub is providing wellbeing one-to-one telephone support for health and care staff and their families. We also offer team support, this includes but not limited to workshops and facilitated peer support spaces.
Click the drop-down menus below to see what support is available for you, or watch our video. You can also call or email GM.help@nhs.net to find out more:
These resources aim to support anyone. Please click the drop-down menus below for more information relevant to your role.
Resources and advice
Taking care of yourself during in difficult times – a guide to understanding stress, anxiety and trauma; and how to look after yourself.
Webinars
We've created a number of webinars, available to watch anytime, to share learning or helpful information. Click here for our webinars page.
National NHS staff wellbeing helpline
NHS England have launched a new mental health hotline for NHS staff of all roles and levels.
The phone number is running from 7am to 11pm daily: 0300 131 7000
Or you can text FRONTLINE to 85258 (available 24/7).
Volunteers are on hand to listen to you and give psychological support, advice on coaching, bereavement care, mental health and financial help.
Care home staff
Our individual support offer is for all health and wellbeing staff, and their family members (even if the staff member doesn't want to utilise the offer themselves), who live or work in Greater Manchester. This includes clinical and non-clinical staff; security; cleaners; porters; caterers and other ancillary staff; those redeployed and shielding; as well as everyone who works in the community and voluntary sector.
We can talk to you about advice and support available, access to therapy, other useful services, helpful resources, or drawing up wellbeing plans. Once you've completed the online questionnaires, you'll get chance to speak to one of our team in more detail about how things are. The questionnaires can also be completed over the phone with a member of the team if you prefer.
Confidentiality
Any information you provide remains confidential, but should you indicate risk towards yourself or others, particularly a child or vulnerable adult, or that there is illegal activity taking place, we may need to explore the circumstances further with you. The wellbeing screening does not ask for your employer's details.
Facilitated peer support sessions will provide an opportunity to come together with people who have similar experiences.
They provide a safe online space to give support to staff during this period of increased psychological stress and worry.
The content of each session is dependent on attendees, but is likely to focus on work-related experiences, common themes, stresses and dilemmas.
Please get in touch if you think your team could benefit from this offer, via GM.help@nhs.net.
Click here for more information.
This information can help if you manage or lead other key health and care workers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic:
If you're concerned about a staff member
As a manager, you can make a referral to us if you're concered that covid-19 has affected, or is affecting, the emotional wellbeing of someone in your team (any role, including cleaners, porters, medics, nurses, students etc.).
Simply complete this word document and email it securely to GM.help@nhs.net, or call us on 03330 095 071.
Anyone reffered in will be booked in for a call with one of the team. Staff can contact the Hub themselves directly, but support from their manager can help.
Resilience Hub resources
Resilience Hub webinars - care home staff
These are designed for care home managers and owners, to help you support the wellbeing of your staff. Click here for more info.
#Caring4NHSPeople wellbeing webinars
These are designed for people in workforce, occupational health, organisational development, leadership, trade union support, or any other area that is supporting the wellbeing of NHS colleagues. Click here for more information.
'Ear for you'
A service for black, Asian and minority communities across Greater Manchester. The service is provided by Nestac, a charity specialising in cross-culture emotional support.
You can call or text ‘HELP’ to 07862 279289 or 07894 126157.
Nestac also offers counselling to BAME women and young girls who have been victims of abuse and violence or FGM. Call 0170 686 8993 or email info@nestac.org.uk
Jewish mental health support
This is a partnership between Jewish Action for Mental Health (JAMH) and Neshomo.
JAMH want to increase awareness of mental illness in the Jewish community, and offer practical guidance in identifying signs of acute psychological distress. Contact 07510 204 844 or hello@jamh.org.uk. Click here for JAMH
Greater Manchester Neshomo is a Jewish, culturally sensitive, confidential mental health charity for adults. They are offering befriending, mentoring, counselling and therapy to those whose mental health has been affected by covid. Men: 07741 625 345 maleoutreach@neshomo.co.uk; women: 07512 578 587 femaleoutreach@neshomo.co.uk. Click here for Neshomo.
Caribbean and African Health Network (CAHN)
CAHN is providing a bespoke mental health service for the Caribbean and African community. This includes online access to trained counsellors, along with volunteers who can help to reduce social isolation. Contact 07853 556 591 or info@cahn.org.uk. Click here for info.
Chinese mental health support (Wai Yin)
Wai Yin have developed a support group for Chinese men and women with mental distress and difficulties relating to a range of socio-cultural issues. They aim to provide professional support which tailors to different complex issues of mental health, sociocultural and financial difficulties. Call 01618330377, email info@waiyin.org.uk. Click here for more info.
Training and support for services and exiles (TS4SE)
This cooperative works with refugee and migrant community groups, and local community groups who want to improve how they work with their diverse local populations.
TS4SE are now providing regular briefings and train-the-trainer sessions, gathering user stories, and researching and developing sustainable new models of working remotely - or in person with social distancing.
They are also supporting smaller refugee-led community organisations, to develop remote befriending for isolated individuals, focusing on culturally specific health promotion and wellbeing messages. Call 07939 155525, email jules@ts4se.org.uk. Click here for more info.
Yaran Northwest
Yaran Northwest is not-for-profit organisation providing a variety of services to meet the needs of vulnerable adults, new immigrants, families and couples in Greater Manchester; who need urgent help with counselling, advocacy, recovery and wellbeing.
They are providing bilingual accredited mental health practitioners and a bilingual befriending mentor, who will provide online sessions. Call 07413396573, email info@yarannorthwest.com. Click here for info.
This information can support you if you are a parent or carer, as well as being a health and care worker:.
Managing anxiety In uncertain times – how uncertainty can make you feel and ways to look after yourself.
Looking after your child following trauma - a guide for parents
Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership
Other resources
Wellbeing screening
Our confidential wellbeing screening is being also targeted at family members of health and care staff (even if you don't want to complete it yourself).
Once your child has completed the screening, the team will call you (or their parent/carer) to speak in more detail about how things are. Click here to visit our screening page.
Here are some things that can support you if you've been affected by bereavement.
Greater Manchester Bereavement service: 0161 983 0902
This is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (until 8pm on Wednesday), except bank holidays.
Greater Manchester Bereavement Service is here for anyone who has been bereaved or affected by a death, no matter the cause of death or how long it’s been. If you’re grieving and need support, please give them a call or email. Their friendly bereavement practitioners are here to listen and help find the right support for you.
The service also has dedicated suicide bereavement practitioners to ensure that those bereaved or affected by suicide can speak to someone who will have a greater understanding of what they may be going through and help them access appropriate support.
Click here the visit their website.
National bereavement and loss support line: 0300 303 4434
This is available from 7am -11pm, seven days a week.
Death and grieving in a care home
This guide has advice to support you, care home residents and their families. Click here to download a copy.
Our staff are trained mental health professionals, who are experts at working with people who have experienced traumatic and distressing events.
Greater Manchester Resilience Hub is hosted by Pennine Care, and is a collaboration between the three NHS mental health providers in Greater Manchester (the other two are Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust).
The Hub is supported and funded by the Greater Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Partnership.
The Greater Manchester Resilience Hub learning series takes viewers through the establishment of the Hub. Click here to see the recorded webinars.
We have developed a communications toolkit to help you raise awareness of the Resilience Hub among your health and care staff.
Click to download each of these assets:
You can us contact by:
Phone: 03330 095 071
Email: GM.help@nhs.net
We are open:
If we can't answer your calls immediately, please leave a message and we will call you back as soon as we can. We want to do all we can to support you through these very difficult times.
