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How can SMEs and sole traders access mental health support? Mates in Mind provides a vital guide
Employers have a duty of care to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of their employees, including mental health/stress. However, providing mental health support for workers may not be easy for smaller employers as they do not have the resources (time, money or expertise) to provide this for themselves (as sole traders) or their employees.
Causes of mental ill-health
Our research1 on ‘Supporting the mental health of self-employed construction workers’ found that the key areas that contribute relatively frequently to feelings of stress and anxiety, are: workload is too high (42%), business partners/colleagues (37%), pressure of work (35%), family or relationship problems (33%), and financial problems and debt (32%). Other concerns included impact that work has on family life and worries about being hurt or injured at work.
This research was conducted prior to the cost-of-living crisis and as we are in the run up to the festive season, it is likely, therefore, that stress related to financial pressures is currently higher up the list of work-related stressors. It was therefore good to read recently that the Department for Business and Trade has announced2 a ‘Crack down on late payments in major support package for small businesses’ because they cost SMEs ‘£22,000 a year with 56 million hours of lost productivity across the economy.’
This was a theme that Jim Beestone (Health, Safety & Wellbeing Project Manager, Balfour Beatty) picked up on during the MAD Construction Summit recently, “The change we need to see isn’t a change in how we tackle mental health, it’s a change in the way we do business as an industry. … We have a great opportunity to do something meaningful about this; to take qualitative feedback from the lived experience of boots on the ground in our supply chain, to work with academic colleagues to turn that feedback into actionable ideas and standards, and then to leverage the roles of clients, contractors and industry groups in getting those standards baked into the way this industry does business.”
Jim was referring to the University of Warwick research which the Tier 1 construction companies are funding into how they can best support their supply chains.
Although the research is yet to be published, Mates in Mind has already started to call on medium and large sized organisations to support the SMEs and sole traders within their supply chains so that they can access mental health training and resources. If you are contracted to work for a company that meets this criterion, please invite them to find out more about our Champions Programme.
Practical Advice
The first and most important step is to learn how to spot the signs that you, a colleague, friend, or family member might be experiencing stress, anxiety or depression. Everyone is different, so not everyone will exhibit all or even some of the following signs, but it is a good starting point:
The second step, and this is something that many in the construction sector struggle with, is starting a conversation. Start by asking if the other person is okay. If they say ‘yeah, fine’, then ask again, ‘are you really okay?’ We need to normalise this type of conversation in order to overcome the stigma the persists around mental health and provide support to those in need. Remember, you are not expected to have all the answers. If the person you are speaking to acknowledges that they are experiencing mental ill-health, then listen and signpost to further support if appropriate. Signposting can include a Mental Health First Aider, your Employee Assistance Programme or HR if you have them, a GP or NHS 111. Alternatively, anonymous support can be accessed through calling the Samaritans on 116 123, or by texting BEAMATE to 85258.
Our series of blogs on how to optimise your mental wellbeing, e.g., through sleep, nutrition, exercise, relaxation, work-life balance, finance and through building a culture of prevention within your organisation, may be of interest. The series starts with an overview each subsequent blog providing helpful tips: 6 tips to optimise your mental wellbeing | Mates in Mind
- Sleep: try to avoid ‘blue light’, e.g., mobile, laptop, TV for an hour before bed to help you get to sleep: Optimise your mental health through sleep | Mates in Mind
- Relaxation: try different types of relaxation, e.g., meditation, Pilates, deep breathing, positive thinking etc., to find what works for you: Optimise your mental health through relaxation | Mates in Mind
- Being active: according to the NHS, aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week, and to spread exercise evenly over the week: Optimise your mental health through exercise | Mates in Mind
- Nutrition: try to avoid sugary and caffeinated drinks as an alternative to breakfast, as the ingredients will give you an initial ‘perk’, followed by a ‘crash’, leaving us tired and possibly irritable: Blog: How to optimise your mental wellbeing through nutrition | Mates in Mind
- Work-life balance: try to ‘unplug’ from work when away from it – turn off work mobiles and/or emails: Optimising mental health through work-life balance | Mates in Mind
- Finance: start by reading all of your statements (bank, credit cards, utilities etc.) so that you are fully appraised of your financial situation: Optimising mental health through financial wellbeing | Mates in Mind
You can also download free mental health resources from Information and Resources | Mates in Mind
Mates in Mind advocates for creating a culture of prevention. We believe that implementing a continuous and comprehensive approach can help reduce the likelihood of individuals reaching a crisis point, as supporting positive mental health in and through work becomes an integral part of everyone’s role.
About Mates in Mind
Mates in Mind is a leading UK charity which enables organisations of any size, to proactively improve their workforce wellbeing. We do this by providing the skills, clarity and confidence to businesses on how to raise awareness, improve understanding and address the stigma of mental ill-health. As a result, we help organisations to build positive mental health in and through work.
For more information visit www.matesinmind.org.
