TPE puts mental health under the spotlight
Sadly, every year, the railway witnesses hundreds of incidents in which people try to harm themselves. And, roughly every 30 hours, someone dies by suicide on the railway.
Whether these incidents happen at stations – or in more remote areas – the impact on those involved, their families, rail customers and rail staff can be huge.
It is, says Andy McClements (Customer Experience and Transformation Director at TPE) therefore, the responsibility of us all to take a step back and take stock of all we are doing to look after our own, and each other’s, mental wellbeing.
As a rail operator, we pride ourselves on the support and training we provide to our colleagues to help them deal with safeguarding incidents. Across our industry, more than 37,000 colleagues and British Transport Police officers and staff are trained to identify and support vulnerable people. At TPE we have specialist courses delivered by our in-house learning and development team – who are designated mental health first aiders – as well as those provided by Samaritans, all designed to improve the care we can offer to our customers and others who visit the railway.
We also work closely with charities, such as Andy’s Man Club, to signpost help to people who might be struggling
But, this Mental Health Awareness Week, we are asking the question: is it enough?
One of the biggest issues we all face is that not everyone understands mental health. This can make it very difficult for someone experiencing mental ill health to feel comfortable talking about it. A lack of understanding can also mean that people come to incorrect conclusions about the impact of mental ill health.
In recent years, national campaigns, such as Time to Change, have gone some way in helping remove the stigma attached to mental illness.
However, the stigma associated with mental health remains a major obstacle to the effective diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions. It can prevent people from talking to colleagues or friends about their problems because they fear discrimination. It may even prevent them from acknowledging to themselves that they are struggling.
Ill or reduced mental health can happen suddenly, because of a specific event in someone’s life, or it can build up gradually over time. The crucial thing to remember is that everyone’s experience of mental ill health is different – two people with the same circumstances or condition may have entirely different symptoms and coping mechanisms. Mental illness can range from feeling ‘a bit down’ to common disorders such as anxiety and depression and, in limited cases, to severe mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.
Mental ill health is very common, with one-in-four experiencing a period of mental illness in the course of their lifetime. It is therefore essential that we all become more confident in supporting those who use or work on the rail network with mental health issues.
The big question, therefore, is what can be done to address the issues and the stigma?
At TransPennine Express we have a team of qualified Mental Health First Aiders in varying locations, who have been trained by the nationally recognised training programme delivered by Mental Health First Aid England.
The qualification aims to give the Mental Health First Aiders the underpinning knowledge on how to recognise symptoms often associated with mental ill health and the ability to signpost to appropriate support mechanisms.
In addition, the role of a Mental Health First Aider is to contribute to reducing the stigma and promoting positive mental health.
Our MHFAs are trained to have the confidence to start a conversation. In providing a listening ear, our MHFAs are able to promote mental wellbeing and are trained to signpost help – to staff and customers – and be an advocate for our colleagues.
The role of a Mental Health First Aider is not to give clinical advice or to diagnose, it is about providing confidential support for those who, for whatever reason, may be suffering with mental ill health.
Alongside this, TransPennine Express provides a number of internal and external training courses, designed to teach people how to spot the signs and symptoms of mental illness and provide support to customers and colleagues. It is important to understand how to recognise those crucial warning signs of mental illness and feel confident to guide someone to the appropriate support.
By embedding training within TPE, we are encouraging people to talk more freely about mental health, reducing stigma and creating a more positive culture.
To help create this culture, TPE has introduced its own mental health awareness weeks – with the most recent taking place just a fortnight ago.
This challenged colleagues to ‘move for your mind’, citing the links between exercise and good mental health. We explored how looking after physical health can support improved mental health, in every day, achievable ways. Whether that’s getting outside for a short walk, moving your body a little more, or simply taking time to pause, the week was about finding what works for each individual. And, to support the week, we also launched our Move Ambassadors – colleagues from across TPE who are passionate about encouraging movement and supporting wellbeing in simple, inclusive ways.
Their role, however, isn’t pushing targets or challenges, it’s more about encouraging small, achievable ways to move more, helping colleagues feel comfortable getting involved and sharing ideas, encouragement and local opportunities to improve health and wellbeing.
So we’re doing a lot, but is it enough? And, what could we learn from others. We’d love to hear how you and your organisations are supporting the mental health of your colleagues and customers.