An Open Letter to My Team

Well, 2020 has been quite something hey. It’s hard to believe that we are nine months into the pandemic, a natural disaster that we were all ill prepared for. I often think about what we would have done differently if we were ‘pandemic ready’, I’m still not sure to be honest what that would have looked like for us, not much of this experience has made much sense, but I do know that our individual and shared experiences will stay with us for a lifetime.

When it all began, we settled into a new routine quite quickly. Working from home was already an established approach for us and apart from a few new laptops and printers we were all set. I doubt any of us truly believed at the time we would still be working from our kitchen tables and bedrooms, or that we would have our annual festive celebration via zoom. Those early days were filled with adrenaline, we knew we had a job to do, whilst not on the frontline of care, we were on the frontline of mental health policy. Our decision to be in service to the sector made sense and we have worked so very hard to make sure we could offer rapid analysis of data, a synthesis of work going on across the system, clear and evidenced based policy recommendations and most of all vigilance on the issue of equality.

It is true that we felt the extreme privilege of being able to work from home, safe from the terrible scenes we have all witnessed in hospitals and care homes. Of course, we haven’t escaped the clutches of COVID-19, some of us have lost loved ones, had businesses threatened, children thrown into chaos, some of us have struggled with our mental health and all of us at different times have been frightened and anxious. During our meetings sometimes we laughed, I occasionally cried (being a crier its always a risk), we tried to work out what was going on, we cared about each other, sometimes we were pissed off and sometimes it was all unbearable.

When George Floyd was murdered, we knew we had to act. Together we are working on making sure we are truly anti-racist, its not easy but we bravely go forward with the knowledge that we will get there, we owe it to each other and those we work with and for.

Each and everyone of you have worked incredibly hard, your work has made a difference, it has directly impacted government policy, helped bring money into the system, you have helped people feel less alone and you have acted throughout with integrity and determination. I know that you bring your hearts and minds to the work and that the emotional burden isn’t without consequence for you.

I also owe you a huge debt of gratitude for your kindness during the times I have fallen over, in the last few months losing two people close to me has been traumatic, my family left vulnerable and bruised. You have offered me sympathy, smiles and supportive emails with all sorts of wonderful reasons to feel good about the world. When I tell stories about this in years to come, I will hold you all in mind as my wonderful, brilliant team, a team that I was proud of every day, people who fought hard for the things they cared about, even when it was hard for them.

2021 is going to be a mix of hope and worry, we don’t quite know what the impact COVID-19 will have on our organisation or us as individuals, sadly we already know that for too many people it presents more of the same risk and despair. But we will make sure we remain connected, continue to hold each other in mind with kindness and respect, know that we are making a difference and that we will keep going until there is equality in mental health for all.

We've got this…

Much love and thank you, Sarah