Spotlight on Local Wellbeing Practice
The first blog shows how West Midlands Trains is reducing stigma, as well as improving understanding of mental health and encouraging help-seeking through its ‘Hear to Listen’ Campaign. This shares the same objectives of raising awareness and reducing stigma as the ‘This Is Me’ Campaign that RSSB has been implementing, but it is bespoke to WMT. Each element of the campaign has been developed by WMT for WMT. The impact of mental health campaigns such as this goes beyond wearing a badge or putting up a poster. It can contribute to a whole culture change that has commercial value through reductions in absenteeism, presenteeism, as well as improved rail safety.
We consider how rail companies have been addressing psychological occupational hazards unique to rail, such as post-traumatic stress disorders. In an industry where there is one fatality every 31 hours, East Midlands Trains share how it is treating PTSD as an occupational hazard and taking a proactive approach to reduce the psychological impact of fatalities on staff.
Collaboration is the heart of RSSB. Each article will aim to provide key reflections and learning that we hope will inform thinking and practice of our members.