ZEBRA TALK - Maximising people’s potential through mentally healthy workplaces
In conversation with Simon Newton, Regional Director of Operations at Oxford based mental health charity Restore. We talk about Restore’s practical work in changing the conversation from workplaces being the cause of mental health challenges to being positive environments for good mental health – where people can find purpose, develop relationships, create focus in their lives and learn new skills for the future.
The full transcript of this podcast episode can be found below.
PODCAST TRANSCRIPT
Please note that this transcript is auto-generated from the audio file through Rev - Humans Working Side By Side With The Best Speech-to-Text AI. We believe this to be a good representation of the conversation, but it isn’t checked word-for-word and therefore isn’t 100% accurate.
Matt Meyer (00:00):
Hello. This is Zebra Talk. My name's Matt Meyer and today, I'm in conversation with Simon Newton, who is the head of operations at mental health charity, Restore. Simon, welcome.
Simon Newton (00:11):
Thank you very much. Good to see... Good to take part in this, I should say.
Matt Meyer (00:15):
It's real pleasure to have you on board and I should just say, Restore is one of the charities that my business works with and I'm very proud to be able to support the work that you do and have an opportunity to talk to you today about what Restore does and share some of the insights that you have. Looking at Restore's purpose, you talk about helping people take control of their recovery, developing skills, and living meaningful lives in the future, having done that. And I think that's an incredibly worthy purpose. We talk a lot about purpose, generally, in business these days, but that's a very clear and crisp sense of purpose for your work. Perhaps you could start by telling us a little bit more about what Restore does, and some of the issues that you're confronting and challenging at the moment.
Simon Newton (01:02):
Restore, essentially, is a charity, which is about trying to maximize people's potential really. Our work is particularly around people with mental health, severe and enduring issues often. And what we're trying to do really is to try and put together a program or a environment, where people with those particular issues are attracted to want to come to us, but also very much an environment which is about a learning environment where people can experience making connections with other like-minded individuals. Be exposed to, for example, practical issue creativity, that type of thing, so structured activity is a particular kind of our strength and I guess a unique selling point of Restore.
Simon Newton (01:52):
Our services offer opportunities, for example, to work in cafes, to take part in workshops, in terms of gardening, allotments, get involved in the actual potential community, in providing those services. We also provide opportunities for people to perhaps experience becoming a volunteer and using their particular skills to come into our environments and use their particular skills to enable other individuals to really start to thrive, because many of our people who come to us, really are in quite a stuck, sort of place. They're not thriving. They're often quite disconnected from communities, quite disconnected from personal relationships.
Simon Newton (02:38):
So our brief really is to try and tackle those and try and tackle those particular issues and our vehicle really is about, providing activity but also providing sensitive and skilled staff around that to facilitate that process, to enable good therapeutic relationships be formed with individuals to listen some views basic things by too, to listen to individuals and to try and understand what particular, often hidden strengths and abilities and individual might have, and provide the tap really for those to come on stream. We've discovered and our work really is that, if we can do that, individuals can come into our service and really start to make improvements in tackling their mental health issues, and start to really rediscover themselves again and thrive.
Simon Newton (03:33):
We work across Oxfordshire. We've got various workshops. We also work closely with members of the public. We have front facing cafes. And we also have a college, which is about enabling students from all across Oxfordshire to come and learn skills around mental health and develop their awareness. So that's another particular thriving arm of Restore. I think also it's important to say that part of our remit is also to stigma bust and to tackle some of the myths out there about mental health, that people with those sorts of difficulties can't reach their potential and often are written off in many ways. Our work also is about raising mental health awareness, both in our local community. Also, in terms of doing some... Today, for example, working with employees in terms of trying to ensure that there are opportunities out there for individuals who come through our services to be able to sort of potentially move forward in their lives by maybe getting a job or moving towards that sort of outcome.
Simon Newton (04:40):
We've been operating for a number of years, I think it's over 30 plus years now in Oxfordshire. And we're very much... It's a real privilege to be involved actually I would say. It's an absolute privilege. At the moment the main bit of work is really... We've obviously like, everybody else in business, we're trying to sort of rejig our services to work with the challenges of what we're facing in terms of the pandemic. That's a challenge for us because we are having to look at different ways of working, trying to replicate the experience which we offer people in digital ways. Trying to take care of our workforce to make sure they thrive under those sort of circumstances.
Simon Newton (05:24):
We're obviously working within a funding envelope which is particularly challenging so we have to make sure that we attract some appropriate stakeholders to want to get involved with our work really, to fund us, but also so that people want to form relationships with us so that we can build from that. So Restore has not seen an isolation, it's part of a connection with other like-minded partners. That's an important bit of work in these tough sort of funding times. And I think it's about making sense of the new world really. The world of where we're at sort of post-COVID. Money is going to be mega tight. Unfortunately as we all know, there's going to be significant mental health need out there in terms of people with significant problems which is not helped by the impact of the particular pandemic and COVID. That's a particular challenge which is focusing our minds at the moment, so there's plenty of stuff going on.
Matt Meyer (06:23):
I think there's some really interesting themes in there and I look forward to talking about some of those. It's not often someone describes their role as a privilege, so I think that's a great way to start our conversation. I think, from what I can see, one of the really refreshing things about the work that Restore and you are doing, is the fact that it sees, employment and work as potentially a solution to mental health challenges. I think so much of the dialogue in business, at the moment, is around the workplace as a cause of mental health challenge but you've turned that round and I think that's a really potentially quite an empowering message for businesses and employers. I'd love to hear more really about that at a practical level. What engagement you have with the business community and through your own initiatives with the college and how that's making a positive contribution to the mental wellbeing and as you said, leading meaningful lives in recovery.
Simon Newton (07:26):
One of our core services is particular is around sort of the value of coaching. I know this is used throughout the business world but we've taken that and also, we offer a particularly mental health recovery review of coaching. But as part of our mission in terms of that particular service, we are having contact with individuals and we're wanting to getting them in to work, because we recognized many of the individuals are coming to us and saying, they want to work, but they need a bit of coaching to try and discover where their particular skills lie but also what opportunities might be out there. So our coaches are required to sort of liaise actively with the local businesses out there, with a view to try and to establish what potential opportunities there may be out there. We also work with Jobcenter Pluses, those particular agencies, and other partners around that particular thing in terms of [inaudible 00:08:32] or whatever it might be, in terms of trying to sort of tap into potential opportunities.
Simon Newton (08:39):
And I think for us, we take a very sort of... For many individuals in mental health, they can have a lot of downtime and if you're struggling, sometimes that downtime can be in a ruminating way. It can be quite sort of counterproductive and can actually enable people to become quite... It can affect their functioning really. We tend to look at work as a means of giving focus, of providing space where a person is challenged a bit to take notice of what's going around them. That's what you have to do when you go into a work environment. So it's our belief in our terms of view that actually work potentially, can be a real positive release in terms of allowing an individual to move forward.
Simon Newton (09:33):
And I suppose the caveat to that is as long as, if we as an employer can provide those sensitive, mentally healthy type sort of workplaces to essentially support those individuals, or an absolute resources out there, that businesses can potentially tap in, because there's huge amount of creativity out there which we discover. A huge amount of talent which is perhaps being dormant. It's a no-brainer really from my point of view, in terms of... but I think it's a sort of joint... There's a challenge there to employees and to us, because we're an employer, to make sure that the environments and things like that are mentally healthy as it can be to enable those sort of individuals to thrive.
Simon Newton (10:23):
I think there's an education aspect. For all of us in terms of in our careers, there's a sense of wanting to sort of move forward and that involves in terms of, committing and investing into learning new skills and I think that ties in a little bit to the way Restore develops its Recovery College, which is open to all individuals in Oxfordshire. And that is a way of helping individuals to in a sense to carry out or to take part in some training to skill development in terms of... to enable them to be a more attractive proposition when they move forward. And I think that that's a really important really in terms of that. Those are the main things I would potentially highlight really, if that makes sense.
Matt Meyer (11:20):
Absolutely. I think that the point you make about focus is really interesting. And of course, we've seen through the pandemic, I think a societal re-evaluation of how important, rather than negative work can be and exactly as you said, creating focus, but also providing the social context, the human context within which to do that. I think we hear a lot in the media about the challenges to mental health of the current arrangements, not just lock down but the presence of a pandemic and how people perceive that. Is that something real that you're seeing in your work and your interactions with the people that you support?
Simon Newton (12:07):
I think it is. We talk to our individuals, because we, like everybody else we've had to through processes like lock down trying to engage with our individuals that use our services in digital ways, for example. I know this is not news to anybody, but it is important in terms of some of the things that we're picking up, is that one, we are picking up that in a sense people are becoming more disconnected from their usual. Because work is, as you mentioned, an important social network. But it also provides, I think... I wouldn't disregard just the importance of things like having a routine in life and things like that. So we're finding when we're reaching out to our individuals that, their normal routines of attending one of our recovery groups, for example, have been sort of significantly disrupted and we're finding that that is having quite a significant sort of impact on some of those individuals in terms of that. There's the key things around... Also I think just that ability to...
Simon Newton (13:21):
We do a lot of teamwork in our services. If you're working in a cafe or [inaudible 00:13:26] having to work with a bunch of other individuals so it's that feeling of working in a team, which is shared throughout our services and I think it's obviously a key thing in business. Not having those routines, we were noticing is having quite a significant impact. There's something about it just gives one a sense of achievement at the end of the day, or in terms of... I know it sounds... It's important, I think.
Simon Newton (13:57):
I was just at service just now actually, in one of our cafes which provides... It's a café. It's on lockdown at the moment but we're trying to sell and give... We're doing stuff for the local community. But one of the guys there had been working as a team and they'd just produced a whole load of this great big sort of bunch of cakes and that sort of stuff. He was sharing out and all that sort of stuff and that sense of achievement about teamwork, achievement, about that kind of thing, it was just good to see. I think it's an important sort of factor in terms of thinking.
Matt Meyer (14:31):
I'm a big fan and student of positive psychology, so I think that whole idea of growth mindset of actually focusing on an achievement and goals and using coaching to support that is really fascinating in the context of recovery. I was lucky enough to record a podcast recently which will be launching soon, with Lord Stevenson, who was the co-author of the government's report on Thriving at Work, which came out in 2017, which is a really interesting read.
Matt Meyer (15:04):
And one of the things he said to me which struck me was, if as an organization you don't think you've got a mental health problem, you're failing. And I sort of challenged him around that or certainly listened to him around that. What he was saying was, if the stats are right, and one in four people have some form of anxiety or mental health issue and that's reflected in the workplace, we all have mental health issues to deal with. That certainly resonated with me. The question I was going to ask you is, do you sense that people in business and wider society are becoming more literate in mental health and finding it easier, to not just recognize mental health issues but have a strategy to help support them, or is that wishful thinking?
Simon Newton (15:55):
I think there has been quite a lot of sort of positive movement on that over the last few years really, I think. Certainly I've picked it up. Some of it's about the greater profile given to stigma campaigns and some of the stuff that we've seen. Prominent people coming out talking about their mental health experiences, prominent sportsmen, for example, people in kind of... I wish there was a few more people perhaps leading business that would come out and be more open, and some of the royals also and things like that. I think there's been a general sort of opening up of discussions and I guess the permission to have those discussions, in terms of demystifying mental health and owning it, because I think what we're trying to do in kind of...
Simon Newton (16:41):
I think it's right. It is part of the workforce, but it's actually part of all our lives, in terms of as individuals and as family members and all that. It's actually part of our lives. So, it seems a bit strange to not think of it being present in the workplace because it's actually sort of part of our lives. I think, what I would say about that is, it really is... If we accept that sort of premise, and I think this is where there is still work to do, but let's try and sort of think about how we can get it talked about in the workplace, I think is a key thing. So it suddenly it becomes a normal part of the culture for people in business and people in Restore, to be able to have conversations around that area, in the workforce or in groups sort of, in settings such as where teams come together and all that type of thing.
Simon Newton (17:47):
And I think one of the things that often... There is still an element of people feeling that that's the sort of arena, for specialized mental health doctors, or social workers, or whatever it might be. That's a setting for them and I'm not going to get involved with that type of thing. I think that's actually... Some of that, it's around sort of being quite scared about getting in those conversations because... I think [inaudible 00:18:17] feeling perhaps if I get start talking about these issues, is it going to make it worse or is the person suddenly going to start to have a real blow out in terms of that and what do I do? Those kind of basic things.
Simon Newton (18:29):
What I would argue, and I think there has been movement is that, having basic sort of conversations with an employee about their wellbeing, because their wellbeing is directly going to affect the way they perform. If we're all interested in getting the best out of the people that work for us in terms of that, then... What a mad world if you don't talk about what are the things that's the key point of each other's workers' lives? So if you'd know that, then you're missing a trick really. You need to sort of be able to have those conversations. So I think there has been positive movement, but I think there's still some way to go in terms of... I think it's good to see it head in that direction. I guess my... What I would... I think those sorts of conversations, may well become increasingly more important as we do suffer the re-emergence from the pandemic in terms of that.
Simon Newton (19:29):
I was thinking about this today, but there's also a lot of people that are coming back into the workplace having been furloughed and things like that. If we as an employer don't actively have those discussions with those individuals when they return about what that experience is like, in terms of that, then I think there's a danger that maybe some, wellbeing issues will become quite submerged and then the danger is that they become quite destructive and then you've got people going off for long periods and the sort of the impact that has on businesses but also obviously, acutely on those individuals themselves. The real difficulty in mental health is often, it's getting in early. It's intervening early. When mental health starts to be left to fester in a negative way, then often the journey back each time becomes more and more difficult. That's what I would say on that, if that makes sense.
Matt Meyer (20:38):
Total sense. I think that there's a couple of interesting themes in there for me. One is the importance of acknowledging that return to the workplace, which in any situation I would be a difficult transition for people and exacerbated if there are mental health issues which that touches. But also acknowledging that for many people they're returning to a very different workplace to the one they left in March or September or whenever they left that workplace. That can be incredibly unsettling and needs to be acknowledged by leaders in business.
Simon Newton (21:14):
Teams may be very different. There may be less... Those people that you've built those team relationships with are been... because of the nature of cutting back on resources. I would totally agree, there's going to be a lot of change to try and make sense of. As employers and as managers, it's about us having the courage to tackle those issues. And I think to sort of take responsibility for them, to try and think about areas in the workplace that we can think about this. And it doesn't mean... It's often not about really radical innovations or in terms of that, it's tweaks to the environment type things. Looking at the issues around flexibility in terms of bringing in... Using digital type stuff or forums in terms of... to have conversations related to one's wellbeing. Those kind of things can be incredibly powerful and not hugely expensive. It doesn't require a huge financial investment. What it does require is investment from leaders like myself in Restore and others to be able to have that willingness to want to go down that road if it makes any sense.
Matt Meyer (22:36):
I think that point you made about people's desire to do their best work and the fact that if we don't provide an environment where they can do that, we not only have the human cost of mental health but also the economic cost, is a really important one. That's not me trying to make a business case for dealing with mental health because I think it stands aside from that, but it's just acknowledging that, actually addressing these issues is incredibly important to the individual, their organization, their family, and of course, taking a broader view the economy, more generally. I think that is a really relevant point.
Matt Meyer (23:18):
I think if we don't create an environment... From a leadership perspective, many of the people listening to this podcast will be in leadership roles, arguably we're all in leadership roles. Many of them will be thinking, well, actually is it my responsibility? What can I do? Is there someone else in the organization that deals with that problem, that issue? I'm interested on your views on this. My philosophy has always been, if you don't know what's going on in everyone's lives and you're not in a position to provide anything on a range from empathy to an environment that supports those challenges, you're not leading properly. I put my hands up and I failed in many areas on that, but certainly as an ambition, I think as leaders we should be trying to understand so that we can give people the best opportunity to contribute.
Simon Newton (24:11):
I think often some of the greatest, I suppose. Some of the sort of the great sort of sports leaders or captains or whatever... I was going to think of the examples that we can think of, but often... For example, take Eddie Jones, a rugby coach, or something that we probably all know. I know, often the way he talks, he takes a close interest in the individuals in his particular team. He's quite interested in what's going on in terms of their overall picture. It isn't just about whether a guy can do 16 scrums or whatever it might be, that he's actually quite interested in the sort of the other... And he's talked about it, the other sense of... The whole aspect. The 360 degree idea of an individual. I guess this kind of...
Simon Newton (24:55):
As leaders, it's a challenge really for us to think about that, and to put the time in. Put the time in to have those conversations to... And I think that it's a challenge. You've got about a 100 million things coming through one's desk or 200 emails or whatever it might be that you get, to invest in having those conversations and trying to get a sense of, knowing your team, where an individual is, in terms of not just the numbers they're producing but the overall picture of what's going on, is I would say really important and a challenge to us all really in terms of that.
Matt Meyer (25:33):
I think one of the interesting things about working in a lock down environment has been, certainly anecdotally, I think people feel that they know a lot more about their colleagues than perhaps when they were working in the office because they're not just seeing their homes but they're having to be much more sensitive to the personal commitments that people have in doing that. So maybe one positive to come out of all of this is we're seeing a sea change in how we understand each other's context.
Simon Newton (26:00):
I think there's something about family as well. I think I'd throw in the family side as well. It's not a thing. I've been on a number of Zoom calls where I've had... You get interactions with one of my worker's family which you would never have, because of something... I don't know, the screen... Just somebody walks in or whatever it might be. I've certainly found that I've got a greater knowledge, I think, just in terms of, what are the quality of the sort of the social networks that they've got or the quality of their situation of individuals who work under me, for example, I would agree, than I had before lock down started in terms of that. So I think it's an opportunity, I guess, to sort of reflect on that and to think. And I think, having that sort of knowledge helps inform those developmental conversations which one has at various intervals.
Simon Newton (26:52):
In Restore, we have regular week supervision time meetings or even business you have similar things, I'm sure, but sometimes with... It helps inform those forums, to make sure that it is a complete conversation, but not withstanding, not losing sight of the overall aims and business objectives for Restore, that's not lost in that process. It's actually enhanced in terms of that [inaudible 00:27:21].
Matt Meyer (27:22):
So the million dollar question, that I guess would be on many of our listeners lips is, from your experience, how can people recognize emerging mental health issues in the workplace and what's the best thing [inaudible 00:27:35] can do to help improve the situation, improve mental wellbeing generally in their businesses?
Simon Newton (27:40):
I think often one of things I look for in terms of that is... I guess, there's warning signs and things like that which you would look out for. And I think it's certainly in terms of... We look for things like, withdrawal and a reluctance to want to engage in the life of Restore or anything like that. Often, individuals might be... drop off that particular radar so they become more isolated. There might be more sense of unpredictability. I guess, not meeting their usual routines and all that sort of stuff is often a sign in terms of... Sometimes I was thinking [inaudible 00:28:31] not meeting those normal flow of deadlines, which we all get. So if those start to slip, this often can be the little things to look out for in terms of that.
Simon Newton (28:41):
And I think also it's just... If one notices, if an individual often is attempting to try and seek out help. People are often, so it's noting those contacts I think is often a sign. If our systems can pick up or note that when an individual is coming forward and picking up. We can keep notes of that. If people are struggling, then they often talk about it in some form or another, it's terms of that. It's having our business in a radar attached to that to be able to sort of pick it up.
Simon Newton (29:22):
Generally, when mental wellbeing suffers, we look like it's suffering. You can almost read people's, I don't know, manner and all that sort of thing. But it's important to be in tune to body communication and language in terms of that sort of thing, because often we display what's going on very... We might think we hide it but often it's around in terms of that. And also, I guess, the things you might look for in terms of... the sort of HR things about absence and all those sorts of things and potentially those are the kind of those... Those sort of things would indicate, there could be issues in terms of around.
Simon Newton (30:11):
So I think it's about... What we try and what we say in Restore is to... It's really important to try and sort of to have those conversations. To sit down with those team members or whatever it is, and just ask in a human way really, just what's going on. Just start to make a normal conversation which is what it should be, just in terms of exploring those. An early opportunity. Often and I've been guilty, that's certainly my only part of the career, was in a sense kind of... I remember I had an experience quite a few years when I was starting out in management. I remember as an individual and I left there. I was quite frightened. I wasn't sure what to say. I didn't know how to tackle it so I left it. Then it manifested itself in something more, potentially, a much longer absence when the thing... Because it came out. Often these issues come out in some way or another. So I think it's about having those conversations.
Simon Newton (31:11):
Then it's about sort of, not being frightened to put together a plan around that really. And that's where... There are certain elements of mental health. It's often about, seriousness. Often if we have an employee who's got really serious mental health problems then there is, obviously, sort of health intervention, specialist intervention, which one has to work with one's HR to be able to flag. There is a step before that often, which is about having those sorts of initial conversations, to tackle some of those areas and putting a little planning. And we often, mind talk about it, but putting ways around is the five ways to wellbeing which you may be familiar of, which is a...
Simon Newton (32:03):
It's really a philosophy around that sort of covers ways of maintaining wellbeing. But this idea around connecting and being active, taking notes is learning and giving. There's five core things there. Often planning around some of those areas can do the trick in a sense of... And then wrapping it around the context of the business environment one's working in, is often a really good way forward. I think it's just worth saying out there that, we've all got the potential and capability to have those conversations with individuals, because actually in everyday life we do that. It's just part of just being living and connecting with individuals. So we shouldn't be frightened to take those values and put them in the business context, and actually have the courage to better do that, because I think it, potentially, can have great results really.
Matt Meyer (33:09):
Yeah. I think that's really interesting and it's so easy. I think in a commercial environment, in a business environment, to think you've got an excuse not to be human, and actually a lot of what you're talking about is humanity. It's about the way we interact with each other outside work and there's no reason why that can't be replicated in work. I'm blessed with a very positive culture in my business and the best businesses that we work with really have replicated that human family type culture in their organizations and clearly that's a good ambition for anybody.
Matt Meyer (33:46):
One of the best pieces of advices I was once given for dealing with mental health issues... I've worked with colleagues who have quite serious mental health issues through to people who were just struggling and have some lighter wellbeing issues but nonetheless are all important. The advice I was given was to be patient. And also to make sure you look after yourself, when you're trying to deal with these. On that latter point, I wondered if you had any thoughts on that really. How those involved in supporting mental health can make sure that they themselves are kept safe and well.
Simon Newton (34:29):
There's two things to that. I think what I was talking there earlier, just briefly before was about, looking after oneself in terms of as a manager or as a senior leader is important. So the basic themes around making sure that we connect with other people they're being active, those sorts of things are equally important for us as individuals to try and practice that and to try and ensure that we have, a vibrant life as much as one can do, in terms of outside work and we look after ourselves, I guess, in terms of that and be attentive to our own selves in terms of... This is really important I think in terms of, trying to tackle some of those areas.
Simon Newton (35:21):
I think the other thing it's just kind of... There is an element of knowing one's limitations. We can't solve the world. And sometimes mental health problems can be really entrenchable and don't go away very easily, I think is the terms of that. So I think patience is a key thing, but I think we need to know also, recognize our own limitations. We have to get that feeling when we feel like, perhaps things are... We haven't quite got a handle on this or things aren't quite reproving. We're not seeing the improvement in an individual perhaps that we would like to see. That we know, it's okay to ask for help and use the structures around the organization, in terms of other structures which may be available, external support that may be available. I know various organizations have different structures around that, but I think don't be frightened, I guess, to be able to take those sort of decisions and to open it up.
Simon Newton (36:23):
We're lucky in Restore really, because we have a sort of a senior management executive team, which, if we have issues related, I guess to, for example, mental health in the workplace, then we can collectively look at it and share our experience in terms of it, in that area with each other. So it becomes less of a one-on-one problem it becomes more of... We can use the team around us to be able to try move it forward. And I think it's knowing what's out there. There may be people in the organization that, who got knowledge around in more detail about things that we can specifically do related to issues related much to significant depression or significant stress or any other kind of... It's using the expertise of people around and that's important, I think.
Simon Newton (37:19):
We're blessed really in Restore, obviously. It's our business. It's kind of in terms of that, but I'm aware for people, taking part or listening to this podcast, that's not the same so it's about sorts of... Don't be frightened to seek out support and advice around those particular issues because there are plenty of it around now, I think, to be able to offer that. There's also plenty of, sort of guidance, the way to build up plans and to try and build strategies around that. One of the key... I think it's also about sort of, I guess, allowing people to take ownership of their own plan because people have responsibility in it. It's not about you as an employer taking... In a sense, you're not responsible for a person's... It's a joint... People have responsibility so it's making sure that comes into the planning process in terms of, to make sure that it's shared and it's open, and it's empowering and that type of thing. But it isn't around the employer, having a magic wand and solving everything and taking responsibility for solving it, it's a joint issue, if that makes sense.
Matt Meyer (38:38):
Simon, there's a lot in there that's insightful, but also, and what I'm really grateful for a lot in there is very practical. So that's been some really interesting insights into your work but also some of the issues that many of the leaders who are listening to the podcast will be facing. How can people find out more about Restore and what you do? And also, acknowledging that not everyone's in the Oxfordshire region, how can they look to help more broadly? Where can people engage with organizations, charities like Restore?
Simon Newton (39:12):
I think in terms of... Let's take Restore. We obviously have a lovely website which people are more than welcome to check out. Please do. restore.org.uk in terms of that. It gives a really good flavor, I think, of the particular work, which we do. We've also got various, Facebook, and all the usual social networking stuff which we do. Please check us out, that's really kind of important. I think, we haven't talked much, but some...
Simon Newton (39:45):
Partnership is very important to Restore. In Oxfordshire, we have a mental health partnership. So we're engaged with, right from big Oxford Health, which is the health body which delivers mental health care, to a whole load of other third sector organizations. So we're effectively joined together in a strategic way. That's something which I think is really important actually. It gives us resilience to be able to tackle, but it's also a wonderful flow of information across that in terms of...
Simon Newton (40:21):
And I think, there are organizations I would urge employers to look at. Our partners, like for example, Oxfordshire Mind to National Mind have lots of stuff which is really worth engaging with. There's Mindful Employer, which is an organization based around the Devon Partnership Trust, which has got lots of resource around for helping line managers work with mental health in the workplace. There's an awful lot out there really, if one looks. So please don't be frightened to have a look, it's well worth it in terms of that. Have a look at that. That's what I would probably recommend sort of having a look.
Matt Meyer (41:05):
[crosstalk 00:41:05]. That sits really nicely, Simon, with the general message of, keep your awareness levels high, and everyone can make a positive contribution.
Matt Meyer (41:15):
Thank you so much for your time today, and look forward to keeping in touch. Thanks, Simon.
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