Mental Health, Employment and Stigma

Friday 31st October, Firth Hall

At the University of Sheffield we want to recruit the brightest and best from all sectors of society. To help us achieve this, our policy of Excellence Through Inclusion sets out a series of measures and objectives to help us create and nurture a culture of Excellence in all we do.

On 31 October 2008 we held a day of discussion, debate and information on supporting staff with mental health needs; ensuring equal opportunites for all; and working against stigma and discrimination. During the day, we focused on the disabling issue of stigma; on the employment of people with mental health problems; and on how best the University can support all staff who have, manage or care for somebody suffering from mental ill-health.

The day was a fantastic success and found praise from many of those that attended. There were a number of events organised for staff, see below for the full details of the day.

"The fundamental of our aim is to demolish stigma and make the University of Sheffield a place where people can talk openly about their issues and problems"

Vice Chancellor, Prof. Keith Burnett

The panel discussion was the highlight of the day. Introduced by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Keith Burnett, the event also saw Nick Clegg, MP for Sheffield Hallam and leader of the Liberal Democrats, attend the discussion and provide the key note speech. He spoke about his shared passion for the themes of the event and praised the University for launching the initiative.

The discussion was chaired by Professor Alan Walker, Professor of Social Policy at the University and chair of Sheffield Health and Social Care Trust, who gave a short presentation on the role of the trust. Then Brendan Stone, one of the driving forces behind the event, spoke about his experiences as an academic and mental health service user. He was followed by Professor Peter Beresford, the Director of the Centre for Citizen Participation and a mental health service user. The panel also included Julie Coleman, senior lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University; Marie Feltham, University of Sheffield Staff Counsellor; and Gill Annandale, a senior Occupational Health Adviser at the University's Occupational Health Service. Profiles of all panel members can be found on the right hand side of this page.

The audience were then invited to join in discussions around barriers, stigma, discrimination and employment; why the business should bother; and share with colleagues ideas on how to create a culture that supports individuals and promotes mental wellbeing. There was a healthy amount of questions from people both from the University and outside of it, contributing to an interesting level of discussion throughout the hour.

Seminars

We also held a number of seminars for staff during the day. In the morning Mark Lomas of the Shaw Trust delivered a presentation on the role of line managers in supporting staff with mental ill health. Also in the morning Kate Tindle, Head of the University Counselling Service, held a session in the Chancellors Room on supporting
students with mental health difficulties. Both sessions
were extremely well received and attended.

Around lunch time staff and students alike were invited to attend a theatre session hosted by the Playback Theatre Group from York. The performance was intended to provide an entertaining look at the impact of mental health issues on all those around us, and on supporting those staff who provide support for family or friends with mental-ill health. The session was again well attended, with a mixed audience of staff and students of the University.

Information Fair – Firth Hall

An information fair was open from 11.00am - 2.00pm before the panel discussion. Stands included Mind, Rethink, Samaritans, the Health and Social Care Foundation and Bridge Employment. At the end of the fair, those hosting the stalls were invited to join in with the panel discussion.