MIND – Managers Guide – Supporting Staff With Mental Health Problems

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

Right now 1 in 6 workers is dealing with a mental health problem such as anxiety, depression or stress. This can stop people performing at their best.

Organisations perform better when their staff are healthy, motivated and focused.

Smart employers support employees who are experiencing mental health problems to cope and recover. The support people receive from employers is key in determining how well and how quickly they are able to get back to peak performance.

Standing by people when they experience a mental health problem is not only about keeping hold of a valuable staff member – it also sends a message about the organisation’s values.

All employees need to see that their employers live up to their stated values and treat their people well. Trust and integrity are key drivers of engagement and organisations that support staff reap the benefits in terms of loyalty and commitment from all employees.

We all have mental health – it moves up and down a spectrum from good to poor and it’s affected by a range of factors both in and outside of work. Starting a conversation about it doesn’t have to be difficult – MIND can show you how to effectively support staff and increase employee engagement, motivation and productivity.

This ‘MIND’ guide sets out simple, practical and inexpensive steps that any organisation can take to support staff at every stage of the mental health spectrum – whether they’re stressed or have a diagnosed mental health condition. The approaches in this guide are universal principles designed to support a diverse range of people across a range of workplaces. It looks at:

1. How to create a culture that supports staff to be open about their mental health.
2. How to have a conversation with someone about their mental health.
3. How to support someone experiencing a mental health problem.
4. How to manage an employee’s time off sick and their return to work.

MIND is not providing legal advice but practical guidance for employers. The guide is also useful for Trade Union Reps, helping measure the performance of employers and managers by helping check if they are stepping up to the mark and doing the right things and doing enough to support workers suffering mental health issues and in distress.

Having clear policies and approaches for managing mental health helps organisations ensure consistency in developing and delivering a clear positive culture and approach on mental health and communicating this clearly to all of the workforce.

Find attached pdf file copy of “MIND – Managers Guide – Supporting Staff With Mental Health Problems.”

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB105 MIND – Managers Guide – Supporting Staff With Mental Health Problems

MIND – Managers Guide – Supporting Staff With Mental Health Problems

POST OFFICE: HORIZON SCANDAL – BEIS SELECT COMMITTEE INQUIRY & WESTMINSTER HALL DEBATES

Further to LTB 095/20 dated 27th February 2020.

BEIS Select Committee Inquiry into Horizon Scandal & Effect on Postmasters

Branches will be aware that last week the Prime Minister confirmed in response to a question raised during PMQs there will be a public inquiry into the Horizon scandal. The Union welcomes this inquiry, which is something we have been calling for, due to the appalling way in which these Postmasters have been treated, with many of them losing their homes, life savings and reputation, with some even being convicted and imprisoned.

Rachel Reeves Labour MP, Chair of the BEIS Select Committee, has today announced there will be a BEIS Select Committee Inquiry held over two sessions on Tuesday 10th March and Tuesday 24th March in relation to “…issues emerging from the Horizon IT Court cases, looking at the impact on sub-postmasters and its effect on the future viability of the Post Office, and examining the lessons the Government and Post Office Ltd have learned from a scandal which saw hundreds of sub-postmasters accused of fraud.” 

Rachel Reeves announced the inquiry on the BBC Breakfast news this morning and attached to this LTB is an associated press release.

The Union will be giving evidence at the first session next Tuesday along with two former Postmasters and the NFSP. At the later session on 24th March, the Committee is expected to question the current Post Office CEO, Nick Read, the former CEO, Paula Vennells, Fujitsu, a BEIS Minister and a representative from UKGI (UK Government Investments). We will also be making a formal written submission to the inquiry.

Westminster Hall Debate – Criminal Cases Review Commission

There is also a Westminster Hall debate scheduled for 1.30pm tomorrow, 5th March, sponsored by Lucy Allan MP (Jacob Rees-Mogg’s PPS) regarding the Criminal Cases Review Commission’s process for review of convictions relating to the Post Office and the Horizon system. 

https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CDP-2020-0040

The CCRC is currently considering the cases of more than 50 Postmasters who have been prosecuted or imprisoned due to accounting irregularities relating to Horizon. CCRC commissioners can refer cases to the Court of Appeal if they believe there is a real possibility that the convictions in question could be quashed. There is an expectation that the outcome of the CCRC’s deliberations will be communicated at some point this month.

Westminster Hall Debate – Post Office Network and APPG Meeting

Marion Fellows MP (SNP) has secured a Westminster Hall debate on the Post Office Network and coincidently this will also take place on Tuesday 10th March. Marion Fellows has been particularly active in asking questions in parliament relating to the Post Office’s franchising plans and other topical issues such as access to ATMs from Post Offices. Marion is also the Vice Chair of the APPG for Post Offices. The next APPG meeting is due to take place on 16th March and as reported in Computer Weekly, the APPG will be reviewing the Horizon Scandal as follows:

“March’s APPG will hear from subpostmasters affected that want the government to pay the court costs and for a judge-led public inquiry to be called.

Gill Furniss, Labour MP for Sheffield Brightside & Hillsborough and shadow minister for steel, post and consumer protection, said: “I and the rest of the APPG will shortly be meeting with key stakeholders, including Alan Bates, to discuss the best way to redress the grievances suffered by Subpostmasters. We hope that this insight will aide us in drawing more widespread attention to the issue, both in Parliament and across the country.”

She added that support within Parliament for a public inquiry into the scandal is growing, with an increasing number of MPs raising concerns on the matter. “It also crosses party lines, MPs and peers from nearly all the parties in Parliament work together through the APPG on Post Offices to get justice for the subpostmasters affected by this scandal,” she said.

“This surge in support is welcomed and we are exploring a range of ways to pressure the government into launching a full public inquiry. As a precursor to this, it is also our hope that the BEIS Committee and the National Audit Office will be investigating this matter. I have written to both of these bodies to this effect.”

Bates said the APPG might be able to dig deeper now that the court case is concluded. “They should now be able to ask a lot of questions they could not last time due to the court case,” he said.

He said his main goal is to recover the costs of the action. “We think this should be paid by BEIS because they did not do their duty,” he added.

The subpostmasters then want a public inquiry into the scandal. “We want a full public inquiry, preferably judge-led, to find out who knew what, when and why they made the decisions they did,” said Bates.

House of Lords – Question from Lord Arbuthnot

Additionally, on Thursday in the House of Lords, Lord Arbuthnot (former Conservative MP) who has been championing the Horizon cause against the PO has asked the following oral question of Government:

“Level of compensation received by sub-postmasters as a result of the Horizon accounting system litigation, as compared to the losses those sub-postmasters incurred due to Post Office Ltd’s policies” – Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom

The narrative for the various parliamentary activities described above demonstrates there is cross-party support for Postmasters affected by the Horizon scandal. Hopefully a consensus will build up and this will lead to a fair solution that recognises the trauma experienced by Postmasters at the hands of the Post Office.

Clearly momentum is gathering around this scandal and no doubt we will be reporting on further developments as and when they occur.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward                 Terry Pullinger                               Andy Furey

General Secretary    Deputy General Secretary (P)      Assistant Secretary

20LTB104 Post Office – Horizon Scandal – BEIS Select Committee Inquiry & Westminster Hall Debates

Attachment 1 to 20LTB104

Beware of Criminals Pretending to be WHO (World Health Organisation):

Formed in 1948 by the United Nations and today working across 150 Countries worldwide, the World Health Organisation (WHO) works worldwide to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable. The goal of the WHO is to ensure that people have universal health coverage, to protect from health emergencies, and provide people with better health and well-being. Through their work the WHO address:- disease prevention, mental health promotion, climate change in small island developing states, antimicrobial resistance and the elimination and eradication of high-impact communicable diseases.

Criminal elements, says the UN health agency, are posing as ‘WHO’ representatives, and recommends that, if anyone is contacted by a person or organization claiming to be from the Organization, they should take steps to verify their authenticity. During this time of great concern as Coronavirus spreads, threatening a worldwide pandemic the WHO have issued a warning and have asked organisations to pass this message on.

Criminals are disguising themselves as WHO to steal money or sensitive information.  If anyone is contacted by a person or organisation that appears to be from WHO, verify their authenticity before responding to any communications which may be a ‘scam’.

The World Health Organisation will:

• never ask you to login to view safety information
• never email attachments you didn’t ask for
• never ask you to visit a link outside of www.who.int
• never charge money to apply for a job, register for a conference, or reserve a hotel
• never conduct lotteries or offer prizes, grants, certificates or funding through email
• never ask you to donate directly to emergency response plans or funding appeals.

Be aware that criminals use email, websites, phone calls, text messages, and even fax messages for their scams.

You can verify if communications are legitimate by contacting WHO directly and reporting any scams (see below).

Phishing: malicious emails appearing to be from WHO

WHO is aware of suspicious email messages attempting to take advantage of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus emergency. This fraudulent action is called phishing.

These ‘phishing’ emails appear to be from WHO, and will ask you to:

• give sensitive information, such as usernames or passwords
• click a malicious link
• open a malicious attachment.

Using this method, criminals can install malware or steal sensitive information.

How to prevent phishing:

1. Verify the sender by checking their email address.  Make sure the sender has an email address such as ‘person@who.int’ If there is anything other than ‘who.int’ after the ‘@’ symbol, this sender is not from WHO.WHO does not send emails from addresses ending in ‘@who.com’ , ‘@who.org’ or ‘@who-safety.org’ for example.
2. Check the link before you click.  Make sure the link starts with ‘https://www.who.int’.  Better still, navigate to the WHO website directly, by typing ‘https://www.who.int’ into your browser.
3. Be careful when providing personal information. Always consider why someone wants your information and if it is appropriate. There is no reason someone would need your username & password to access public information.
4. Do not rush or feel under pressure. Cybercriminals use emergencies such as 2019-nCov to get people to make decisions quickly. Always take time to think about a request for your personal information, and whether the request is appropriate.
5. If you gave sensitive information, don’t panic.  If you believe you have given data such as your username or passwords to cybercriminals, immediately change your credentials on each site where you have used them.
6. If you see a scam, report it.  

Reporting a Scam to the WHO can be done via this link:-

https://www.who.int/about/report_scam/en/

WHO Website: https://www.who.int/

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

20LTB103 Beware of Criminals Pretending to be WHO (World Health Organisation)

UK Government Launch Coronavirus Action Plan:

The UK government has published its official ‘Coronavirus Action Plan’ following an announcement by the Prime Minister at an official launch at Downing Street on Tuesday 3 March. The action plan provides information on the government’s plans to contain the spread of Coronavirus and what action could be taken if the virus does spread. The document provides the public with information on:

• The government’s plans to contain the spread of the virus
• How action will develop as the virus spreads
• What people can do to protect themselves and their families

The plan also includes information on the government’s 4-stage strategy to:

1. Contain
2. Delay
3. Research
4. Mitigate

It sets out advice for how the public should respond in each stage, including what to expect if the outbreak becomes a pandemic.

Actions if the virus spreads to pandemic levels could include:

• Police, fire and rescue services carrying out business continuity plans in response to staff shortages
• Support for businesses facing short-term cash flow issues because of the virus to minimise impact on the economy
• Emergency registration of health professionals who have recently retired
• Introducing emergency indemnity coverage for health care workers to provide care or diagnostic services and relaxation of rules around staff to pupil ratios in education and childcare settings
• Every government department to have a ministerial lead on the virus to help oversee government response to Coronavirus

The UK is currently focusing on containing the spread – the first stage of the plan.

The next stage of the plan involves delaying the outbreak until warmer months to avoid overlapping with seasonal flu and other winter pressures on the NHS. A public information campaign will be introduced to support this. The campaign will include advice for the public on preventing the spread through proper handwashing.

The government may also ask businesses to consider more home working and discourage unnecessary travel as part of a ‘social distancing’ strategy to delay the peak of the outbreak.

If UK scientific experts advise that the virus has begun to circulate more widely in this country and can no longer be delayed, the government will carry out plans to mitigate the threat to people, with an emphasis on the most vulnerable.

The plans were signed off at the Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms (COBR) this week and ministerial COBR meetings will be stepped up if the virus escalates.

The government, through the PM announcement and launch stated as follows: ‘All the plans are backed by research and so far the government has so far invested over £40 million in research to find a vaccine. The public’s concerns about the global spread of this virus were fully understood, and it’s likely to become more significant in the coming weeks. Keeping the country safe is the overriding priority and the ‘Action Plan’ is an indication of the commitment to do everything possible – based on the advice of world-leading scientific experts – to prepare for all eventualities. They are committed to make sure the NHS gets all the support it needs to continue their response to the virus so far.  The government concluded that they have always said this outbreak could worsen before it gets better. However, the ‘Action Plan’, backed by world-leading infectious disease experts, sets out what actions the public can expect from the government now and if the virus does progress. Protecting the most vulnerable is the absolute priority.’

Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Chris Whitty stated at the launch: ‘Everyone has a role to play in combatting the Coronavirus threat and he urged everyone to take stock of the simple methods that offer the best protection. It’s simple advice but it’s the single most important thing we can all do. Simple as it sounds, the single most important thing individuals can do to protect themselves right now is wash their hands properly and regularly, for at least 20 seconds, with soap and water. He concluded that people should always follow the most current public health and travel advice as it develops.

The ‘Action Plan’

This ‘Action-Plan’ document sets out what the UK as a whole has done – and plans to do – to tackle the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, based on the nation’s experience dealing with other infectious diseases and our influenza pandemic preparedness work.

The exact response to Coronavirus (COVID-19) will be tailored to the nature, scale and location of the threat in the UK, as the understanding of this develops.

The document sets out:

• What we know about the virus and the disease it causes
• How we have planned for an infectious disease outbreak such as the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
• The actions taken so far in response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
• What we are planning to do next, depending on the course the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak takes
• The role the public can play in supporting this response, now and in the future

The current Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, which began in December 2019, presents a significant challenge for the entire world. The UK government and devolved administrations, including the health and social care system, have planned extensively over the years for an event like this. The government advised that the UK is therefore well prepared to respond in a way that offers substantial protection to the public.

See attached copy of the UK Government ‘Coronavirus Action Plan’ published 3 March 2020.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

20LTB102 UK Government Launch Coronavirus Action Plan

Coronavirus_Action_Plan_-_UK Government_Published 03.02.20

A final ballot message from DGSP Terry Pullinger

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A ballot day message from General Secretary Dave Ward. Please get this played to every member today via any means possible.

One from Deputy General Secretary (Postal) Terry Pullinger will follow at 0700

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DO NOT REPLY 🛑

RMPFS – Royal Mail Dispute

Enquiries have been received over the position of CWU members in Royal Mail Property & Facilities Solutions (PFS) in regard to the current industrial action ballot in Royal Mail. This LTB is intended to provide clarification.

RMPFS is a separate bargaining unit and a legally separate entity from Royal Mail Group and the issues currently in dispute do not directly affect RMPFS members. The Union cannot include those members in the RMG industrial action ballot. Only those employees balloted can be called upon to take subsequent industrial action and the Union cannot therefore legally call upon members in RMPFS to participate in any industrial action arising from the dispute and ballot.
If industrial action is called, appropriate advice will be issued before it takes place.

All enquiries regarding the content of this LTB should be addressed to the PTCS Department, quoting reference 320. Email address: khay@cwu.org and Outdoor Department quoting reference 120. Email address: outdoorsecretary@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Carl Maden – Acting Assistant Secretary                            

Mark Baulch     Assistant Secretary

20LTB101

A message to logistics and distribution members from Davie Robertson

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