Return to Work Workshop

22nd October - 9.00am - 1.00pm, The Edge, Endcliffe Village, 34 Endcliffe Crescent, Sheffield S10 3ED

This is the second of two workshops for SMEs on supporting employees with mental health problems return to work. The workshop on the 22nd of October will be solutions focused and does not require attendance of the first workshop.

How can SMEs support employees with mental health conditions?

The issue of work and mental health has been continually rising up the agenda of employers. Mental health (e.g., depression, anxiety, stress-related problems) is the leading cause of sickness absence in the UK and more needs to be done to help people stay well at work, avoid people falling out of work and support people to get into work.

Employer support for people with mental health problems is really important in helping them to stay in work, thrive and be productive. However, this is easier said than done, especially for SMEs that have many competing priorities and may have little experience with workers who have mental health conditions.

These workshops will help you to understand how you can transform your back-to-work support for employees with mental health problems and help them to stay in work. The workshops will be interactive and include direct expert input, group discussions, questions and answers, and trying out solutions, including recently developed toolkits that SMEs can use to develop practical strategies for supporting employees.

Anticipated outcomes for attendees

• Understanding more about different mental health conditions and the challenges that employees can have in entering and staying in work
• Knowledge of the legal responsibilities of employers to support workers with a disability such as a mental health condition
• Understanding the range of ways in which SMEs can support employees with mental health problems back into work and help them to stay at work
• Knowledge of the variety of agencies that can support and advise SMEs and their employees
• Introduction to toolkits for SMEs to help them to support employees with a mental health condition

Facilitators

The workshops will draw on the expertise of academics including Professor Karina Nielsen and Professor Pauline Dibben from Sheffield University Management School, South Yorkshire Housing Association, Department for Work and Pensions, Best Solicitors and individuals with lived experience of coping with a mental health problem and staying in work.