Royal Mail Group - Mental Health Support - 'Suicide' Guide for Managers and Employees:

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Letter to Branches





No. 014/16
Ref: P26/16
Date: 11 January 2016


To: All Branches


Dear Colleagues

Royal Mail Group - Mental Health Support - 'Suicide' Guide for Managers and Employees:

Royal Mail Group have issued their first ever guide providing information for managers and employees on what to do and where to seek help if they are concerned that a colleague is at risk of suicidal feelings or committing suicide.

The guide is now available on the health section on Royal Mail's PSP Intranet and on the 'First Class Mental Health' section of the Royal Mail health and wellbeing intranet. 

The guide has now been communicated to managers through the weekly manager
communications. 

The Guide has been launched and promoted alongside the fifth and final 'Mental Health
Foundation' video, commissioned by Royal Mail and produced with Royal Mail and with CWU support.

Film five ‘First Class Mental Health’ features five Royal Mail employees and Union members who were inspired to take part in the film after the signing of the 'MIND' ‘Time to Change’ pledge in by Royal Mail and CWU in 2015.
 
For the final film in the series of five, the Mental Health Foundation invited Royal Mail workers to share their stories of living with, and being supported through, mental health problems.  By doing this, it's hoped to bring home the message that mental health problems can apply to anyone, and that Royal Mail is committed to supporting staff that experience distress.

The final film, ‘First Class Mental Health’, can be accessed on Content on Demand, in the First Class Mental Health section of the Health and Wellbeing pages on the Royal Mail intranet, or through http://www.feelingfirstclass.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (use organisation code FFC1 to set up an account).
 
A 60 second version of the film has also be featured on RMTV, a WTLL asked sites to watch the full film on Content on Demand and a message to managers (on the film and support available) was included in the weekly communications.

Ryan Ward of CWU ASR (RM/IG) and Keith Driver CMA ASR, were both kind enough to lend their support and appear in the fifth film.

Your support in ensuring all members are aware of the support available to them in Royal Mail would be greatly appreciated.

Main topic areas in the new 'Mental Health Support - Suicide' guide:-

What are suicidal feelings?
What causes suicidal feelings?
What should I do in an emergency?
What should I do following a suicide?
Where to go for further information

Guide for managers and employees - What are suicidal feelings
Suicidal feelings can be frightening and painful for the person who is experiencing them, as well as for their partner, family, friends and colleagues. They may include:
 Believing death is your only option
 Feeling helpless and worthless
 Feeling that things won’t get better
 Feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope
 Having low self-esteem
 Feelings of anger that you direct towards yourself
 Feeling isolated or not understood by others
 Feeling undecided about whether you want to live or die.

What causes suicidal feelings?
There are different causes or reasons why someone might experience suicidal feelings. There may be an obvious cause, such as a particular event or problem. It could be because of a combination of different factors. There may also be no obvious reason.
Suicidal feelings may appear suddenly or develop gradually over time. Some factors that could contribute to someone feeling suicidal include:
 Experiencing mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety or psychosis
 Long-term physical illness
 Difficult life experiences, such as losing a job, the end of a relationship, bereavement or trauma
 Relationship problems with a partner, friends or family
 Experiencing prejudice, discrimination and social exclusion from others for whatever reason, including sex, race, culture or religion
 Physical or sexual abuse
 A history of self-harm – although for most people, self-harm is not about trying to take their life; people who self-harm are more likely to take their lives than people who don’t, either intentionally or accidentally.

What should I do in an emergency?
If someone has attempted suicide, you should ring 999 and stay with them until the ambulance arrives. If you’re worried that someone is at immediate risk of taking their own life, you should stay with that person and take one of the following steps:
 Encourage them to call the 24/7 phone line Feeling First Class Support on 0800 6888 777
 Encourage them to ring the Samaritans, 08457 90 90 90, open 24 hours a day
 Contact their GP for an emergency appointment or the out of hour’s service
 Call their Community Mental Health Team (CMHT), if they have one

Where to Go For Further Information or any queries about the guide.
Managers can obtain advice by:
Calling the HR Services Advice Centre on 0845 6060603.
Managers working for Parcelforce Worldwide should call 0845 604 2787.

Yours sincerely
 

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer