Leading workplace mental health expert, Red Umbrella, recently partnered with CPIC (Cornwall Partners In Care) to take part in its annual conference at the Eden Project.

The conference offered a chance for care professionals from across Cornwall to hear from local and national guest speakers and meet with exhibitors of products and services relevant to social care provision in the region.

With a proven track record of delivering first-class workplace mental health solutions to the care sector, Red Umbrella brought a wealth of knowledge and valuable insights to the event.

Director of therapy and training, Nathan Shearman, delivered a presentation for the managers and care home owners present, exploring how to destigmatise mental health in the care sector and how to spot the signs someone might be struggling.

He also focused on the importance of providing mental health support to those working in the care sector and why it’s important to have the right resources in place for a group of people who do so much good but face significant risks to their mental health.

“The event was a great opportunity to speak to an audience of like-minded individuals in such a vital industry about how they can look after the wellbeing of their own staff effectively,” commented Shearman.

“The high levels of engagement from the audience show there is a real desire to talk about mental health in the care sector, and certainly a growing need for support and training.”

As part of the presentation, attendees were asked to share their thoughts on the percentage of people in the care sector that struggle with their mental health, with no one suggesting a number lower than 60% – showing there’s a perception of it being a significant issue.

“We’ve already supported CPIC with bespoke therapy services, and we want to do even more to spread awareness of the crucial role of mental health support in the care sector,” Shearman added.

“Interestingly, as part of putting the session together, I found there is no research out there on exactly how many people in the care sector struggle with their mental health. There are stats for farmers, teachers, nurses, and a lot of other professions, but no concrete stats for the care industry. 

“There’s a huge responsibility falling on employers when it comes to protecting their staff, and we believe that education and awareness are a vital first step.”

The team also provided two days of drop-in sessions at separate locations on the east and west sides of Cornwall, with Red Umbrella therapists offering counselling for care staff to talk about their wellbeing and to get a feel for what therapeutic support is like.

The sessions aimed to encourage people to access the counselling service that CPIC provides through Red Umbrella, too – a vital support vehicle.

“Therapy is just one of the ways that support can be offered to care workers. With risks such as burnout, compassion fatigue, loneliness and isolation, moral distress, and more, it’s crucial to take a holistic – and yet personalised – approach to providing resources in every organisation,” continued Shearman.

Red Umbrella is also supporting the care sector through a long-term partnership with The Care Workers Charity, providing a bespoke counselling and therapy service to anyone working in the care home sector in the UK who refers themselves through the CWC.

“We are already working with a range of businesses in the sector to provide tailored solutions to empower and safeguard staff.

“The conversations I had after the event showed that there’s a real need for diverse training and support resources. We asked the audience who would be interested in standard Mental Health First Aid training and there were many, but there were even more asking for unique offerings.

“Training on empathy, group support, clinical supervision, and manager training all came up in conversation, which shows that care is a multi-faceted and complex sector with multiple challenges that aren’t necessarily serviced by off-the-shelf training.

“We are extremely passionate about making a positive difference within the care sector, where specific issues such as heavy workloads, emotional fatigue, and stigma can contribute to mental health issues developing in the absence of the right support systems.”