Mental Health at Work Service

The Maxima Mental Health at Work Service is designed to equip you with the information and ability to address mental health problems in the workplace and maintain a productive and mentally healthy workforce.

It has been developed in response to the substantial body of evidence about the negative effects of mental ill health in the workplace and the financial burden on employers in terms of sickness, absenteeism and impaired productivity. Click here for further information.

We know that is easy for managers to feel confused, overwhelmed and even powerless when confronted with mental health problems in their staff.

For this reason we have created a skilled, practical and confidential range of services designed to provide you with all the knowledge understanding and confidence you will need to address mental health problems in the workplace.

The service combines our expertise in the mental health field with extensive experience in management, team and corporate development. This ensures that we are able to address broad workplace issues as well as the direct human consequences of mental illness.

Because we know that no two situations involving mental ill health are ever identical all our services are flexible and profiled entirely to your needs and circumstances.
These may include:

• A mental health workplace audit
  To establish more clearly the sources, nature and extent of mental health problems and provide a basis for remedial actions.
   
• Skilled support, advice or coaching for managers
  This may include assistance in addressing cases of mental ill health amongst employees; advice over retaining and supporting staff during periods of illness; handling periods of absence and return to work; carrying out reasonable adjustments or managing team issues triggered by mental ill health.
   
• Direct work with employees affected by mental ill health
  This may include advice in seeking specialist treatment and therapy as well as short term modifications to working practices to support employees during periods of mental ill health.
   
• Review of policies and procedures
  To ensure that they promote positive mental health, avoid discriminatory practices, and are compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act. This can include positive recruitment and retention; management of sickness, absence, and re-entry into the workplace; supportive management practices; and promoting early intervention.
   
• Achieving a mentally healthy workplace
  This can include promoting positive management practices; open communication; flexible working patterns; supportive teams; a healthy life balance for employees; and positive physical working environments.
   
• Specialist information and training on mental health topics
  This can help to demystify the subject for managers and staff; reduce fear and apprehension; and promote positive support between staff.
   
• Facilitation of team building events
  Sometimes mental health problems can affect whole teams, leading to poor morale and performance. We can facilitate team awaydays and events to promote positive team working and mentally healthy practice.
   

Contact us for a free preliminary confidential discussion. This can be conducted face to face or by telephone depending on geography and your preferences.

This will help us to understand the issues you are facing and how we will be able to assist.

• 25% of the population will experience some form of mental illness during their lifetime. This often affects their personal and occupational lives.
   
• Although the term mental illness covers a very wide range of disorders, the three largest conditions are depression, schizophrenia, and anxiety.
   
• Serious mental illness can affect people throughout their lives. Many people, however, experience much briefer episodes providing they receive the appropriate help and treatment.
   
• Stress and mental illness are not he same, although stress can lead to certain forms of mental illness such as anxiety and depression if it persists and is not addressed.
   
• Mental ill health is now the second largest cause of sickness absence in the UK, with almost 13 million working days being lost to stress depression and anxiety.
   
• The CBI estimates that 36% of absences from work are caused by stress, anxiety and depression, amounting to a loss of 80 million working days per annum.
   
• As well as the personal misery caused by mental illness, the cost to UK business each year is £9 billion in sickness absence and reduced productivity.
   
• After 6 months absence from work there is only a 50 per cent chance that an employee will return with the average cost of replacing staff standing at £4333, and higher in the case of more senior staff.
   
• Many studies point to the negative impact on staff morale and performance where mental health problems remain unrecognised and untreated.
   
• The Disability Discrimination Act now encompasses the needs of employees with mental health problems. It requires employers to make reasonable adjustments to workplaces and working practices. This covers recruitment, retention, work design; positive management practice and support; and avoidance of harassment in the workplace.