Time to talk day - Rachel reflects on her Keeping Well NEL training and why it's important to check in with colleagues.

Rachel is our PCN Senior Transformation Manager and completed the Keeping Well NEL Ambassador training. On time to talk day (2nd February) she reflects on her training, how she’s made use of it, and why it’s important to check in with people.

I attended the Keeping Well NEL (KWNEL) ambassador training back in February 2022 when I was a PCN manager. I admit, I originally signed up as it was a requirement for some health and wellbeing funding I was applying for to support primary care staff. However, it was one of the best things I have ever done! The training covered a whole range of ways in which to support my own health and wellbeing and that of colleagues, it opened up a whole range of support tools on their website, and access to advisers 24 hours a day to ‘just talk’, to off load and encouraged that we all do just that. The approach was really refreshing and felt like real support rather than a ‘tick box’ exercise.

In addition, the training also included a session on how to support one another to ensure people who may not currently be struggling, don’t go onto have more serious mental health issues due to lack of support. What struck me was how easy it was to do that with the tools they provided.

The message was simple, next time you ask someone ‘how are you?’ , listen and observe, and if in any doubt that they are not ‘okay, fine thanks’, then ask a follow up question to check and support.

My own example of this is if someone responds ‘mustn’t grumble’, encourage the grumble, ask the follow up question; what’s the grumble, ask them if they’re sure they’re ok. Or if you observe a colleague responding a bit short or looking as if they have been upset by someone, or something, don’t be afraid to ask a follow up supportive question; ‘can I help at all’, ‘how you feeling’, ‘are you okay?’.

It really works - ?I tried it out for the first time at a fitness class with the class instructor, and I admit it was a bit scary. I had been attending his classes for about three years but we had only really exchanged ‘small talk’. The day in question he had come across as ‘angry’ with the class and that was so out of character. He is one of the most lovely people you can ever meet, so I took the plunge and asked the follow up questions, ‘are you sure?’, ‘you don’t seem your usual positive self?’ and held my breath as I felt a bit uncomfortable. He responded to tell me he was in fact in pain with his back, and was super fed up. I asked if he had sought help or if there was anything I could do, and he confirmed he was seeing a physio that afternoon. I responded with wishing him well, hoping he would feel better etc, and went off.

Then as I was leaving the class, about ten minutes after the conversation, he made a big point of saying, ‘thanks for that Rachel, thanks for asking, it really helped to just tell someone that’. It was such a genuine response, I was so glad I asked and that I was able to successfully use the techniques I’d been taught and help someone to open up.

So on time to talk day (and everyday!), I’d like to remind colleagues to really check in with each other even if it feels uncomfortable – you might just help someone you didn’t realise was struggling.

For more information on time to talk day and how you can start more conversations about mental health visit: https://timetotalkday.co.uk/

Keeping Well NEL support health and social care colleagues in North East London with wellbeing webinars, access to wellbeing advisors, self help resources, support groups and more.

Visit https://keepingwellnel.nhs.uk/ for more information.

Rachel, PCN Senior Transformation Manager at Newham Health Collaborative?