MID AND WEST WALES FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE (MAWWFRS) is kick-starting 2016 by pledging to be part of Time to Change Wales’ first national campaign to end mental health discrimination and stigma in Wales.
Time to Change Wales focuses on changing attitudes and behaviours towards mental health within the Welsh workforce and the communities we serve through its Organisational Pledge. Chief Fire Officer, Chris Davies was joined by Time to Change Wales, Hywel Dda University Health Board and Dyfed Powys Police as CFO Davies signed the pledge that commits MAWWFRS to working towards a better understanding to support people in the work place with mental health issues.
Time to Change Wales Champion, Frank Kitt gave a powerful, emotional and insightful presentation to members of MAWWFRS on the stigmas attached to mental health in Wales: “Mental health affects 1 in 4 people at some point in their life, and 1 in 6 people in the work place are affected by mental health. Time to Change Wales champions open discussions and an acceptance of those who suffer from conditions such as anxiety, depression or schizophrenia. People should no longer have to suffer quietly and unnoticed on their own”. CFO Davies said: “Signing this pledge will demonstrate that our organisation wants to step up to tackle mental health stigma and discrimination within our own organisation and the wider community we serve. “As part of this partnership, the knowledge that we will attain will allow us to work with members of the Fire Service who experience mental health, while our unique standing in communities will allow us to help people in the communities we support in addressing discrimination attached to mental health.”
The organisational wide pledge will start with a Service wide survey to gage how members of the Service feel towards, and respond to, the issue of mental health in the workplace. Anthony Metcalf, TTCW Campaign Co-ordinator said: “MAWWFRS is the fourth largest organisation in Wales to take this pledge that will demonstrate best practise in combating mental health stigmas in the workplace. “TTCW, with the help of organisations such as MAWWFRS aims to create a culture that makes it perfectly acceptable to openly discuss mental health issues that affect so many people”.
To find out more about the campaign please visit: http://www.timetochangewales.org.uk/en/
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