— Comments Off on Keeping Well – Support for health and care staff

Keeping Well – Support for health and care staff

Free, fast and confidential wellbeing and psychological support – for health and social care staff in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes.

By care professionals for care professionals.

We are here to provide wellbeing and psychological support to all NHS staff and staff providing care to others in the community, including residential homes and voluntary sector organisations in the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK) area.  

The service is open to all health and social care staff – primary care, hospitals, voluntary care and third sector organisations, local authority staff including social care, care home staff, public health, clinical commissioning group staff, community health and mental health staff.

The service provides rapid access to support in a variety of ways, including a ‘live-chat’ (coming soon to the site) where health and care workers can, in confidence, talk to expert clinicians about any personal or professional challenges that are impacting on their stress, anxiety or mood. This could be new mental health symptoms or a worsening of pre-existing difficulties.

Get help quickly  

  1. Web, live chat (coming soon): www.keepingwellblmk.nhs.uk
  2. Call or complete an online contact form
    1. If you live in Bedfordshire: Fill in the  form or phone 01234 880400
    2. If you live in Luton: Fill in the  form or phone 0300 555 4152
    3. If you live in Milton Keynes: Fill in the  form or phone 01908 725099

How we can help

Our team can help by offering a range of free and confidential support including a safe space to chat or speak about your struggles and wellbeing needs with a trained wellbeing professional. Coronavirus has brought considerable challenges; you may have worries about your own or your family’s health.

  • Low mood and depression
  • Stress, anxiety and worry
  • Social anxiety
  • Health anxiety
  • Panic attacks
  • Low self-esteem
  • Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Phobias including of needles
  • Post Covid or long Covid symptoms

Read more information here.

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— Comments Off on Trustees wanted – The Denbigh Alliance

Trustees wanted – The Denbigh Alliance

The Denbigh Alliance in Milton Keynes seeks two non-executives/directors with demonstrated experience in change management, corporate governance or human resources to join its board. Board meetings are held in Milton Keynes when safe to do so.

The Academy Ambassadors programme brings the expertise of the business world onto boards at multi-academy trusts (MATs) throughout the country to raise standards of education and improve the life chances of young people, which is critical to our social and economic success.

The opportunity

The Denbigh Alliance is currently made up of two schools. Denbigh School is well-established and also hosts a Teaching School, School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) a Maths Hub and a Computing Hub and thus provides outreach and support to a number of schools across the area. In recent months the Executive Team have worked hard to open a brand new school, Watling Academy, which welcomed its first intake to temporary accommodation in September 2020 and will move to its permanent home in a brand new building when completed in Spring 2021.

The board seeks two business leaders with board level experience in

  • human resources or
  • corporate governance or
  • change management

As a key member of the board you will support the trust in achieving the following over the next 12 – 24 months:

  • Sustainable and manageable Trust growth
  • To ensure a firm foundation for the brand-new Watling Academy and ensure a smooth transfer to its permanent location, supporting its growth to full capacity of 1800 students
  • Recruiting and retaining skilled trustees to support and challenge the Board and the Executive Team.

Register interest in this position

Closing date: 2nd February 2021

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— Comments Off on MK Homelessness Partnership – Support our research!

MK Homelessness Partnership – Support our research!

Image caption: MK Homelessness Partnership logo

Support the MK Homelessness Partnership in their research in shaping the future of volunteering in the homeless sector …

We want to hear the views of both organisations and their volunteers on whether providing mental health and wellbeing support for volunteers working with homeless people during the COVID-19 pandemic (in a confidential and safe environment) can improve the volunteer experience for both the volunteers and the organisation. Volunteering in the homeless sector has undoubtedly changed since the start of the pandemic. Never more so has there been a need to harness the power of volunteers to help organisations support vulnerable people – without them it would not be possible. Covid-19 has put additional stress on all of us and whilst volunteers are focussed on the wellbeing of the people they support, in order to provide that support they must look after their own mental health and wellbeing.

Are you a volunteer? How important is it for organisations to support the mental health and wellbeing of volunteers during the pandemic?

Please share with us your thoughts by joining our online volunteer forum on Wednesday 13th January 11.30am – 1:00pm. You will be joined by other organisations to prompt discussions around the benefit/s (if any) in providing access to a confidential and impartial outlet to support volunteer mental health and wellbeing, and the impact it could have on their organisation and the recruitment of volunteers.Please reserve your place through EventBrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/shaping-the-future-of-volunteering-in-the-homeless-sector-volunteers-only-tickets-133059710175 

Please sign up by end of the day Friday 8th January 2021.

Are you an organisation that works with volunteers? How important is it for organisations to support the mental health and wellbeing of volunteers during the pandemic?

Please share with us your thoughts by joining our online volunteer forum on Wednesday 20th January 11.30am – 1:00pm. You will be joined by other organisations to prompt discussions around the benefit/s (if any) in providing access to a confidential and impartial outlet to support volunteer mental health and wellbeing, and the impact it could have on their organisation and the recruitment of volunteers.Please reserve your place through EventBrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/shaping-the-future-of-volunteering-in-the-homeless-sector-organisations-tickets-133060253801 

Please sign up by end of the day Friday 15th January 2021.

Once confirmed we will send you a Zoom link to access the meeting. This link will be sent the day before the forum is being held. Only those who are on our attendance list or MKHP guests will be sent a link and admitted on to the call. If your Representative changes for this forum please let us know so we can transfer access.

If you have any questions, please contact me on kate.mundle@mkhp.co.uk or telephone 01908 38236

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— Comments Off on MK-ACT are hiring!

MK-ACT are hiring!

Housing IDVA

Closing date: 8th January

We have an exciting opportunity to work for our organisation in partnership with Milton Keynes Council (MKC) providing a high quality service as a Housing IDVA to support those who experience Domestic Abuse (DA).

Providing targeted independent domestic violence advocacy and support for people who approach The Homelessness Prevention Team for help which is as a result of DA or where DA is a contributory factor. Part of your role will also to be to increase the capacity and skills of Housing staff at MKC to identify DA, understand associated risks, and improve their responses to disclosure. Part of your work is to empower our clients, keeping the safety of them and their children central to their interventions. We are looking for an individual who is committed to working in a multi-agency setting, which is fast paced. You will be joining our
caring, strong and hardworking team.

This post is a fixed term for 1 year, with the possibility of it being extended dependent on funding.

MK-ACT is an equal opportunities employer committed to quality, equality and diversity and
welcomes applications from all sections of the community. This post is subject to safer recruitment
procedures and regulations and an enhanced DBS check and is open to female applicants only
under Schedule 9 (Part 1) of the Equality act 2010.

Salary scale (F MKC) : £ 25, 991
Hours:  37.5 hours per week (secondment considered)
Work Pattern: Office hours Monday – Friday

You will be based at MKC, Civic Offices within Milton Keynes, but you will have some meetings within MK-Act offices working in close contact with the MK-Act teams. As a Housing IDVA you will have an in-depth working knowledge of DA and experience of working with victims of DA in relation to their housing. Our ideal candidate will be specialising in working with clients for whom housing and risk of tenancy breakdown is a factor. You will be able to work on their own initiative but also seeking support from the team when required.

Closing date: Friday 8th January 2021, 5pm

For an application pack please contact: sue.burke@mk-act.org

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— Comments Off on Volunteer recruitment and management in the age of COVID

Volunteer recruitment and management in the age of COVID

FREE Zoom training
26th January 2021, 10am – 12pm

A well thought out volunteering programme has always been necessary for effective
volunteer recruitment and management. But it may be difficult to know where to start if
you are new to volunteer management or want to refresh your approach – and the current
coronavirus pandemic brings an additional set of challenges.

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— Comments Off on Supporting Young People’s Mental Health

Supporting Young People’s Mental Health

YiS are offering a FREE mental health and wellbeing session for those supporting young people’s mental health.

About this Event

Community Action: MK are delighted to be able to facilitate this FREE offer from YiS Young People’s Mental Health, of a mental health and wellbeing session for those that are working to support the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.

This session is aimed mainly at volunteers who support young people, but can include parents/ carers and young people themselves.

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