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As first reported by Unionsafety in April 2018, the CWU has, following Conference policy; has implemented meetings and agreements with Royal Mail Group (RMG) with regard to developing a Mental Health strategy. This culminated in 2018 with the launch of the Royal Mail Group's “Because Healthy Minds Matter” five-year mental health strategy, led by Dr. Shaun Davis, RMG Global Director of Safety, Health, Wellbeing and Sustainability, Royal Mail Group are committed to combine both Group-wide programmes and local activities to support healthy minds.
Now Dave has updated all postal branches with Letter To Branches LTB067/22 with the latest upgrade to the strategy and CWU's continued promotion and support for a strategy aimed at improving and maintaining good mental health for all RMG's workforce. CWU LTB 067/22 which ‘post pandemic’, now takes forward a major landmark Agreement on Mental Health First Aid Training Dave reached for the CWU with Royal Mail Group on Mental Health - as part of the our Union mental health strategy and RMGs strategy. Speaking to Unionsafety Dave said: “Royal Mail Group, one of the UK’s largest employers has agreed a huge commitment on Mental Health. Part of which will be the ‘mandatory’ MHFA training of all managers, as well as all (CWU member) physical/medical first aiders and all CWU ASRs will receive the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training (in paid works time) which will involve 10,000 Managers, and 5,500 CWU members who are First Aid volunteers across the UK plus all CWU Area Health and Safety Representatives in all Royal Mail Group Businesses and Business Units. Approximately 150 CWU Area Health and Safety Reps, will be included in the programme plus there are 700 Health & Wellbeing volunteer Ambassadors, most of whom are CWU Reps and members will be able to attend the MHFA training courses also.” With regard to the Mental Health First Aid training, Dave said: “The MHFA training is aimed at increasing people’s mental health awareness, skills and confidence, enabling them to step in to situations where they notice signs of poor mental health, distress, anxiety etc and help someone in
distress and to give first aid support, talk, and help prevent them from hurting themselves and signpost them to
the right professional, expert support. Dave concluded by adding: “This follows on well from the major agreement we reached on improved and expanded “Stress Risk Assessments” – a process For assessing ‘whole workplaces’ announced in August”
It is important top note that:
The letter to Postal Branches includes the procedure to in order to book a training course, dates and venues of training courses, and details of the types of Mental Health Support available. Several attachments are also provided in the downloadable PDF document held in the Unionsafety E-Library under the category of 'Mental Health'. Alternatively, you can download Dave Joyce's letter to all Postal Branches (LTB067/22) by clicking on the image above. In a footnote to the above information, there is this statement: We the CWU want equality between physical health and mental health. Better mental health is good for everyone and we want to see a transformation in workplaces on how they think about mental health. This is key because members spend a third of their time at work. Source: CWU / Dave Joyce See also: Mental Health Promoted By CWU Health & Safety Department
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Since then the CWU's Health, Safety, and Environment Dept headed by National Officer Dave Joyce; has engaged with RMG to involve the Union's Area Safety Reps along with RMG managers in promoting and implementing the Group's 5 year Mental Health strategy.