Staff in Distress Sheet

This is an information sheet (pdf) on the range of support available, both internally and through outside agencies, to you or any colleague if you are experiencing distress or are in crisis. This includes supports available for those experiencing mental health concerns.

Wellbeing Consultations

The We Care team can support a one hour wellbeing consultation for teams to consider their wellbeing needs.

Why choose a wellbeing consultation?

• An insight into what the team are doing around their wellbeing.
• An opportunity to explore what would work best for your team.
• Development of an action plan which reflect your team's wellbeing priorities.
• Optional follow up meetings with staff to further develop wellbeing in the workplace

To book please email gram.wecare@nhs.scot

Appraisal Support

Conducting performance appraisals is an essential skill for every manager. Appraisals serve as an opportunity to provide constructive feedback and coaching as well as a time to give recognition and inspiration. Not only do great appraisals improve employee performance, but they strengthen manager performance as well. Performance appraisals are only meaningful when they have direct, ongoing influence on an employee’s behaviour and performance.​ Guides for the appraisal process are available at: http://nhsgintranet.grampian.scot.nhs.uk/depts/Learning/Pages/TURASAppraisal.aspx and sessions on the Appraisal process alongside the Turas Appraisal video guide on how to use the platform are available at: https://learn.nes.nhs.scot/58298   

(Please note that intranet links can only be accessed on NHS Grampian computers, if you need further information please speak to your manager)

Occupational Health Service

NHS Grampian’s Occupational Health Service (Go Health) provides a wide range of services and comprises a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and counsellors. For referrals or to view the Policy please click here: Information can be found on My Healthy Workplace Website here or via the Occupational Health Service page of the intranet here.

(Please note that intranet links can only be accessed on NHS Grampian computers, if you need further information please speak to your manager)

Menopause Awareness

Roughly 9,500 of NHS Grampian employees are women, all of whom will experience the menopause at some stage. There are also currently over 2,500 women employees aged between 45 and 54, which is almost 28% of the NHS Grampian female workforce. For many women, menopause causes a great deal of stress, and being at work can make it worse. Although it is rarely discussed at work, the menopause is a natural stage of life that millions of women workers are either going through now or will experience in the future. The symptoms of menopause can have a real and detrimental impact on women and those who experience menopause in the workplace (My Healthy Workplace, 2022).

Symptoms include but are not limited to:

• Mood fluctuations and anxiety
• Aches and pains
• Tiredness
• Recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) symptoms
• Palpitations
• Hot flushes
• Brain fog and memory issues
• Insomnia, sleep disturbance and night sweats
• Lack of energy
• Heavy and/or unpredictable bleeding

The vast majority of women will experience one or more symptoms, but around a third experience severe symptoms that have a significant impact on their wellbeing. This is a workplace issue, with 25% of women likely to experience difficulties associated with menopausal symptoms at work.

Menopausal symptoms can impact an employee’s ability to concentrate or do their job effectively, and working conditions and environments can exacerbate this, for example, without support, employees experiencing menopause may feel compelled to reduce their hours or responsibilities, or even leave their job altogether.

The range of sessions currently available focus on Menopause Awareness.  Please click here for all wellbeing sessions currently available.

Menopause Managers Toolkit

TRiM Support after traumatic events:

TRiM is a peer support programme which began within the British military and has been adapted for use within the NHS. It is designed to assist staff who have experienced a traumatic event to deal with it effectively. In the majority of cases TRiM is requested by a manager who recognises that staff have been witness to or impacted by a single traumatic event or through repeated exposure to trauma.

NHSG now has 30 trained TRiM Practitioners who can carry out multidisciplinary trauma information briefings within 72 hours of the incident and then offer individual, or group assessments of staff affected within a very short time frame, a follow up within 3-4 weeks, and where necessary in 12 weeks. These assessments consider the individual psychological stress reactions, provides suggestions around self-care and can assist in signposting to other resources as required.

Who is this suitable for?

Staff members (clinical or support staff) who have been witness to or affected by a traumatic event or repeated exposure to trauma within their working environment.

All interactions with staff are confidential within the usual caveats of risk to self and others.

This support can be requested by individuals themselves or managers can suggest that staff access this via the following email address: gram.trim@nhs.scot

North East Scotland Leadership & Management Development

These pages provide development options for leadership, management, coaching, mentoring, medical management and leadership, quality improvement, talent development, skills development and masterclasses for the North East of Scotland (to access the content you will need to log in to your Turas Learn account). For more information please click here.

Management Development Training - L&D

The 2-day Middle Managers Course was redesigned for delivery in accordance with the new ways of working in the response to Covid-19. An innovative digital version was created using a blended approach of eLearning, tutor-led sessions, and live Q&A sessions. The programme aims to ensure that managers are supported in the workplace and have the opportunity to continue developing their skills in managing effective teams. For further information please see the Management Development Digital Programme page of the Intranet, available here.

(Please note that intranet links can only be accessed on NHS Grampian computers, if you need further information please speak to your manager)