PHE leads by example on staff wellbeing and mental health
To mark World Mental Health Day, PHE has signed up to the new Responsibility Deal on mental health, wellbeing and resilience in the workplace.
David Heyman, PHE Chairman signs the Time to Change pledge.
To demonstrate this commitment, and to mark World Mental Health Day, Public Health England (PHE) has today (10 October) signed up to the new Public Health Responsibility Deal pledge on mental health, wellbeing and resilience in the workplace.
This will involve providing staff with the environment and tools to develop and maintain emotional resilience and mental wellbeing, while raising awareness and providing support for mental health in the workplace.
The Responsibility Deal is just one strand of PHE’s commitment on workplace wellbeing. On Tuesday 8 October, PHE also pledged to become a Time to Change organisation. Time to Change is an anti-stigma campaign, run by leading mental health charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, which aims to challenge mental health stigma and discrimination. Signing up to the Time to Change campaign is a public commitment to take action to break down that stigma and reduce mental health discrimination by creating an environment that supports mental wellbeing.
PHE’s Chief Executive Duncan Selbie said:
Public Health England has made wellbeing and mental health a top priority. Having good mental health and a positive sense of wellbeing is hugely important to all of us and is central to living a healthy and longer life. By making this public commitment to the Responsibility Deal and also to the Time to Change campaign we are leading by example. We are showing that Public Health England is an organisation that is committed to promoting an environment and workplace that gives prominence to mental wellbeing and for challenging discrimination and stigma on mental illness. We care about our staff’s wellbeing and mental health and about being an exemplary employer for people who are experiencing mental health difficulties. We are committed to making this a reality.