Mental health expert joins roundtable discussion

The British Ceramic Confederation welcomed an expert guest speaker to its latest Mental Health Roundtable.There was a strong turnout to hear what Peter Kelly had to say after being invited back to speak to members.The Senior Psychologist from the Health & Safety Executive gave members an overview of the Working Minds campaign, which will run for the next two years. He also focussed on the Stress Indicator Tool; an online survey designed to gather data anonymously from employees. It has now been expanded to include home and remote working.Peter warned that he believed a storm of mental illness was coming due to the pandemic. The World Health Organisation says globally there has been a 25% increase in the number of people now suffering from depression or anxiety.He told members that the Working Minds campaign aimed to make it routine to talk about work-related stress and contribute to positive working practices and a sustainable workforce.Member representatives also went on to discuss how to put such support into practice. Peter’s talk was also recorded to be shared further with members.BCC Policy Manager Rachel Timmins said: “Our members greatly appreciated the information and knowledge that Peter shared. We are hoping to look at management engagement and culture change later in the year.”The HSE is running a webinar on Thursday, April 14, at 3.30pm which will demonstrate the Stress Indicator Tool.The meeting also noted that it is Stress Awareness Month throughout April and Mental Health Awareness Week from May 9 - 15. Members wanting more information about the webinar or the Mental Health Roundtable can contact Rachel.