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656989

registered interest
date	12/12/2016
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Attorney General: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, what measures the Law Officers' Department has in place to support those of its staff who have mental health problems.
tabling member constituency	Faversham and Mid Kent
tabling member printed	Helen Whately
uin	57221
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2016 answer text <p>Civil Service Employee Policy provides a central health and well-being service to support departments in their well-being work.</p><p>In 2015, the People Board agreed a strategic approach to health and well-being for the Civil Service. This identified mental health as a key priority. This strategic approach was developed into a Strategic Action Plan, which has now been successfully implemented.</p><p> </p><p>The Law Officers’ Departments provide all staff with access to an Employee Assistance Programme. The service is confidential and includes a 24hours a day, 365 days a year free helpline. Staff can speak to an advisor who will listen and help to explore ways forward on a range of issues including mental health– this can include information, advice, signposting to other local or national services, referral for telephone or face-to-face counselling, or a combination of these. All departments have developed arrangements and policies that support wellbeing, including flexible working and special leave arrangements.</p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 20/12/2016 17:01:34 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
tabling member	4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately

657005

registered interest
date	12/12/2016
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Cabinet Office: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what measures his Department has in place to support those of its staff who have mental health problems.
tabling member constituency	Faversham and Mid Kent
tabling member printed	Helen Whately
uin	57214
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2016 answer text <p>The Cabinet Office is committed to helping its employees experiencing mental health problems and has a range of support services in place.</p><p>The Cabinet Office has signed up to the Time to Change pledge on mental health and our Employee Assistance Programme provides online support, counselling and a 24/7 telephone service.</p><p>Our Occupational Health Service helps line managers support employees with their mental health. The Department has also established a Listening Service, a confidential helpline resourced by staff who have been trained in active listening and emotional support.</p><p>The Department provides access to training for example in mindfulness and resilience. Cabinet Office staff are also supported by the central well-being service and staff networks (such as the WorkWell group and disability network), and the Department takes part in awareness campaigns.</p><p>The Cabinet Office provides a central well-being service to other departments including:</p><ul><li>supporting the Civil Service Health and Well-being and Disability Champions to meet the ambitions in the Talent Action Plan and the Work, Health and Disability Green Paper;</li><li>providing policy and manager guidance to support the return to work of those with a mental health illness;</li><li>central messaging in support of events such as World Mental Health Day;</li><li>raising capability through Civil Service Learning training materials;</li><li>supporting individuals with mental health-related workplace adjustments;</li><li>equipping caseworkers to deal with complex mental health issues; and</li><li>sharing and developing best practice.</li></ul><p> </p> answering member constituency Ipswich answering member printed Ben Gummer question first answered 20/12/2016 09:07:28 answering member 3988 label Biography information for Ben Gummer
tabling member	4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately

657008

registered interest
date	12/12/2016
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
hansard heading	Treasury: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what measures his Department has in place to support those of its staff who have mental health problems.
tabling member constituency	Faversham and Mid Kent
tabling member printed	Helen Whately
uin	57219
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2016 answer text <p>HM Treasury takes mental health seriously and has a variety of measures in place to support those of its staff who have mental health problems.</p><p> </p><p>Some of the main measures HM Treasury has in place are:</p><ul><li><p>the Time to Change Pledge signed in February 2014 to help reduce the stigma associated with poor mental health</p></li><li><p>a Mental Wellbeing Network with approximately 50 members who carry out activities and offer support to those who have poor mental health.</p></li><li><p>personnel trained in Mental Health First Aid.</p></li><li><p>mandatory stress related eLearning.</p></li><li><p>guidance for staff and managers on how to identify and manage poor mental health.</p></li><li><p>regular Mental Wellbeing Workshops that any member of staff can attend.</p></li><li><p>events where staff talk about their own mental health experiences and what works for them to get through difficult times</p></li><li><p>Wellness Actions Plans and stress risk assessments.</p></li><li><p>reasonable adjustments for those with poor mental and/or physical health.</p></li><li><p>a wellbeing toolkit that takes you through a number of activities that you can use to manage your wellbeing, as well as setting out the evidence for them.</p></li><li><p>a confidential Employee Assistance Programme whose 24/7 Helpline is available to all staff offering advice and counselling at no cost to the individual.</p><p> </p><p>We also have a Health, Safety and Wellbeing team including an Occupational Health Adviser and HR Advisers that are able to offer help, support and advice to those who have mental health problems.</p></li></ul> answering member constituency Brighton, Kemptown answering member printed Simon Kirby question first answered 19/12/2016 12:31:14 answering member 3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby
tabling member	4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately

657033

registered interest
date	12/12/2016
answering body	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what measures her Department has in place to support those of its staff who have mental health problems.
tabling member constituency	Faversham and Mid Kent
tabling member printed	Helen Whately
uin	57216
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2016 answer text <p>Civil Service Employee Policy provides a central health and well-being service to support departments in their well-being work.</p><p> </p><p>The Department provides information and support to help all employees to stay well and manage their health conditions at work. This support includes a variety of programmes like occupational health support, counselling support through the Employee Assistance Programme and the Civil Service workplace adjustments service which helps with adjustments for employees suffering from a mental health condition.</p><p> </p><p>The Department is a signatory to the Time to Change Pledge and raises awareness through national campaigns such as the “Time to Talk” day and the Mental Health Awareness Week.</p><p> </p><p>The Department supports the Employee Mental Health Network with a Senior Civil Servant Champion and has introduced Mental Health Champions who are trained to provide support and guide people towards appropriate professional help. The Network has had the visible support of the Department’s Permanent Secretary and at DCMS Ministerial level.</p><p> </p><p>The Civil Service Unconscious Bias training is mandatory for all employees and the Department is working with line managers to support individuals with mental health conditions, part of which is encouraging line managers to undertake Mental Health Awareness eLearning.</p> answering member constituency Reading East answering member printed Mr Rob Wilson question first answered 20/12/2016 14:59:40 answering member 1556 label Biography information for Mr Rob Wilson
tabling member	4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately

657054

registered interest
date	12/12/2016
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Ministry of Defence: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what measures his Department has in place to support those of its staff who have mental health problems.
tabling member constituency	Faversham and Mid Kent
tabling member printed	Helen Whately
uin	57217
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2016 answer text <p>Maintaining good levels of mental health and wellbeing is achieved using a 'through life approach' and the application of a wide range of measures based around a model of prevention, early detection and treatment. No system can guarantee to detect every individual at risk of mental health problems. Nevertheless, measures are in place to increase awareness at all levels.</p><p>Mental health support to members of the Armed Forces includes pre and post-operational stress management training, a wide range of psychiatric and psychological treatments, and initiatives such as Trauma Risk Management. We currently have 16 military Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMHs), which are located to be convenient for major centres of military population, and which support the provision of healthcare that is available through Service primary care facilities. In-patient care is provided in dedicated psychiatric units through a central contract the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has with a partnership of eight NHS Trusts, led by South Staffordshire and Shropshire NHS Foundation Trust.</p><p>The Armed Forces Covenant makes it clear that all members of the Armed Forces community deserve to receive the very best support and care that we can offer and it is vital to ensure that they are not disadvantaged when accessing healthcare, including treatment for mental health needs.</p><p>Civil Service Employee Policy provides a central health and well-being service to support departments in their well-being work. In 2015, the People Board agreed a strategic approach to health and well-being for the Civil Service. This identified mental health as a key priority. This strategic approach was developed into a Strategic Action Plan, which has now been successfully implemented.</p><p>The MOD has its own bespoke Employee Wellbeing Service that offers support to Civilian employees who experience mental health problems. Wellbeing Consultants are fully trained to provide support and information on a wide range of issues. We also offer a range of tools and information for employees who are experiencing mental health problems.</p> answering member constituency Milton Keynes North answering member printed Mark Lancaster question first answered 19/12/2016 15:57:46 answering member 1544 label Biography information for Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
tabling member	4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately

657094

registered interest
date	12/12/2016
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what measures her Department has in place to support those of its staff who have mental health problems.
tabling member constituency	Faversham and Mid Kent
tabling member printed	Helen Whately
uin	57140
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2016 answer text <p>Mental wellbeing forms a key theme in Defra’s employee Wellbeing Framework. The framework provides a structure for the Department to actively promote staff wellbeing, with a particular focus on reducing the incidence of stress and mental ill-health, while increasing awareness and empowering individuals to raise issues at an early stage. Our proactive approach to supporting staff with mental ill-health includes:</p><p> </p><ul><li>reducing stigma around mental health and stress</li><li>offering a wide range of e-learning packages and classroom training for managers and employees on mental health related topics</li><li>promoting our Employee Assistance Provider</li><li>empowering and providing budget for our employee-led staff network called Break the Stigma to support colleagues with stress or mental-ill health</li><li>ensuring Line Managers have the resources, capability and skills to support individuals with mental ill-health. This includes robust attendance management guidance which advises early referral to Occupational Health.</li></ul> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 20/12/2016 11:30:26 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately

657145

registered interest
date	12/12/2016
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Department of Health: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures his Department has in place to support those of its staff who have mental health problems.
tabling member constituency	Faversham and Mid Kent
tabling member printed	Helen Whately
uin	57126
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2016 answer text <p>Civil Service Employee Policy provides a central health and well-being service to support departments in their well-being work.</p><p> </p><p>In 2015, the People Board agreed a strategic approach to health and well-being for the Civil Service. This identified mental health as a key priority. This strategic approach was developed into a Strategic Action Plan, which has now been successfully implemented.</p><p> </p><p>Support for individuals with mental health problems is provided by line managers and through the occupational health programme. Where appropriate, reasonable adjustments are made, to support the effective participation in work of people with longer term mental health problems.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the Department has a comprehensive staff Health and Well-being Programme designed by staff, for staff. It has three themes:</p><p> </p><p>- preventing aims to reduce work-related ill-health at source - musculoskeletal issues and stress are key target areas;</p><p>- developing encourages development of competences and participation in physical activity to aid individual well-being and growth; and</p><p>- supporting signposts staff to sources of help and support.</p><p> </p><p>Specifically on mental health, the Department:</p><p> </p><p>- delivers two day Mental Health First Aid training courses in London and Leeds; and half-day Mental Health First Aid Lite courses;</p><p>- supports and promotes a network of Mental Health First Aiders;</p><p>- delivers Tackling Stress at Work courses using the Health and Safety Executive’s Management Standards framework;</p><p>- signposts staff to courses on mental health that are available through Civil Service Learning; and</p><p>- delivers an programme of events around World Mental Health Day in October, which this year included pledge boards across the Departmental estate and tea and talk sessions.</p><p> </p><p>The Department also provides access to an Employment Assistance Programme, which is advertised to staff via the intranet. It promotes The Charity for Civil Servants, whose services include a mental health helpline and signposts to MIND, the Samaritans and internal staff networks where staff can get help and assistance.</p> answering member constituency Warrington South answering member printed David Mowat question first answered 20/12/2016 16:33:54 answering member 4080 label Biography information for David Mowat
tabling member	4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately

657208

registered interest
date	12/12/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Department for International Development: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what measures her Department has in place to support those of its staff who have mental health problems.
tabling member constituency	Faversham and Mid Kent
tabling member printed	Helen Whately
uin	57128
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2016 answer text <p>Mental health is a key priority for DFID and we are committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of our staff in line with commitments set out in both the Civil Service Talent Action Plan and the Health &amp; Wellbeing Strategic Action Plan. We support staff through a range of measures.</p><p>DFID is based across two sites in the UK – in England and Scotland. We support both the “Time to Change” campaign (in England) and SeeMe in Scotland to end the stigma associated with mental health and raise awareness through supporting Mental Health Awareness Week. We have also recently launched a series of products on personal and team resilience and we promote the Civil Service e-learning to expand staff and managers knowledge of mental health issues.</p><p>DFID’s Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) offers Telephone and Face to Face Counselling for all staff experiencing mental ill health across our global workforce. The service also provides a wide range of online information and advice on work/life issues.</p><p>DFID’s HR teams and Occupational Health Services provide support and advice for staff and managers to ensure a successful return to work after a period of mental ill health.</p><p>DFID also has a Listening Network, an informal peer staff network, to complement the help already available.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stockton South answering member printed James Wharton question first answered 20/12/2016 12:59:04 answering member 4123 label Biography information for Lord Wharton of Yarm
tabling member	4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately

657238

registered interest
date	12/12/2016
answering body	Northern Ireland Office
answering dept id	21
answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
hansard heading	Northern Ireland Office: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what measures his Department has in place to support those of its staff who have mental health problems.
tabling member constituency	Faversham and Mid Kent
tabling member printed	Helen Whately
uin	57137
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/12/2016 answer text <p>The Northern Ireland Office is able to access a number of services, including welfare support and employee assistance programmes, through our links with the Ministry of Justice. Specific support for staff who have mental health issues include:</p><p> </p><ul><li>An independent Employee Assistance Provision that provides confidential counselling sessions for employees, 24 hour telephone support, coaching for managers, mediation and group counselling;</li><li>Access to an internet Wellbeing Zone which contains wellbeing advice, fact sheets and videos on managing stress, healthy eating and healthy lifestyle choices. This is also part of our Employee Assistance Provision;</li><li>An Occupational Health provider that offers medical advice for managers supporting employees with mental health issues;</li><li>An attendance management system that is aligned with our wellbeing strategy and encourages proactive interventions for employees with mental health issues including prompt Occupational Health referrals with a view to ensuring that supportive measures and reasonable adjustments are identified and implemented promptly;</li><li>An individual Stress Assessment process; and</li><li>Toolkits for managers which recognise the links between musculoskeletal illnesses and mental health conditions.</li></ul> answering member constituency Old Bexley and Sidcup answering member printed James Brokenshire question first answered 16/12/2016 11:16:31 answering member 1530 label Biography information for James Brokenshire
tabling member	4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately

657262

registered interest
date	12/12/2016
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Department for Transport: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what measures his Department has in place to support those of its staff who have mental health problems.
tabling member constituency	Faversham and Mid Kent
tabling member printed	Helen Whately
uin	57138
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2016 answer text <p>The Department for Transport (DfT) and its agencies take the mental wellbeing of its staff very seriously. DfT has a variety of policies and programmes designed to help staff that find themselves suffering with poor mental health.</p><p> </p><p>DfT has recently published an easy to access, practical guide for line managers on how they can support mental wellbeing in the workplace. It also includes advice on understanding the early warning signs and how to manage difficult conversations around mental health.</p><p> </p><p>DfT also supports workplace adjustment passports which are a living record of adjustments that a disabled member of staff requires, including staff with mental health problems. These documents are designed to do the following:</p><p>A) Ensure that both parties, the individual and the employer, have an accurate record of what has been agreed</p><p>B) Minimise the need to re-negotiate workplace adjustments every time the employee changes jobs, is re-located or assigned a new manager within the organisation</p><p>C) Provide employees and their line managers with the basis for discussions about workplace adjustments at future meetings.</p><p> </p><p>DfT has an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). EAP support is tailored to the department and is provided by expert staff who understand our business. It offers support and signposts individuals to advice on things such as bereavement, depression, and anxiety. It also offers counselling sessions.</p><p>DfT has a Mental Health Buddy Network, set up by staff, for staff. It connects people who are suffering from mental health problems with another member of staff who is able to meet with them in complete confidence. The buddies are aware that they are not trained psychiatrists; they do not give advice but provide a listening ear, and signpost to the relevant, professional organisations.</p><p> </p><p>DfT has a dedicated mental health staff network, Time to Change, which is dedicated to changing the department’s culture, and remove the stigma surrounding mental health.</p> answering member constituency South Holland and The Deepings answering member printed Mr John Hayes question first answered 20/12/2016 14:04:52 answering member 350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes
tabling member	4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately