Organisation Name: RETHINK Contact name: Beth Hopkins Job title: London Region Administrator Email: beth.hopkins@rethink.org Telephone contact: 0207 840 3098
The
Rethink Wellbeing at Work London Network (W@W) is an initiative to develop a
peer support network for staff, volunteers and involvement workers at Rethink
who are affected by mental illness.
We hope the W@W Network will in the future be implemented across Rethink's regions, to form a much wider network of support and knowledge.
We aim to promote a culture of openness and support at Rethink so that more people feel able to disclose their mental health problems, and if they choose, use those experiences to benefit those who use our services.
Our vision is to enable Rethink staff, volunteers and involvement workers who have experienced any kind of mental distress to grow in confidence and contentment at work in London.
At present we are a non-funded, informal peer lead support network, peers are unpaid, without training provision.
Key stakeholders within Rethink include and are not limited to, the Equality and Diversity Board, Reflect Mentoring and Rainbow Groups, local managers and workforce development.
What have been the benefits for individual service users (and others) accessing your project?
The W@W London Network was founded in April 2010, so far the benefits to members have been:
- Peer support and feeling accepted and part of a community;
- Idea sharing on maintaining wellbeing whilst at work and at home;
- Access to a mentoring scheme;
- A safe space to explore issues arising from the dual nature of being both a member of staff and a person who has experienced mental distress;
- A visible presence at Rethink about disclosing a mental health problem at work and the discrimination that can occur;
- The ability for learning and development through sharing of recovery stories.
Are you considering any future developments in response to the ‘Personalisation' agenda?
Rethink are continuously looking for innovative ways to respond to the needs of the People who use our services. Finding practical and workable solutions are key goals with our advancements with Personalisation. Peer support, mentoring and community development are seen largely as to where these solutions will come from. The W@W London Network would be very keen to be involved with any Working Group that would like to explore this forward.
Key words: Peer support, mentoring, recovery