Health Care and Mental Wellbeing for International Workers
Prior to arrival in the UK, you will need to provide your new recruit with information on access to health services for the candidate and, if relevant, their family. Your welcome pack and induction should include registering with a GP and dentist.
International care workers have the same rights to health care as British citizens by virtue of their sponsorship.
It is advisable to encourage your international worker to establish their footprint in the UK by registering for their National Insurance (NI) number and NHS number. Getting their NHS number quickly will not only enable them to see a GP, but currently under COVID-19 regulations will also enable them to get their COVID vaccination quicker and with less administrative burden. You should encourage their new worker to register themselves and their family with a local GP.
For quick navigation of this guide, please use the links below:
General Practitioners
A full list of all GP surgeries across Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth, and the IOW can be found here so that you can supply the link to the practice closest to their accommodation.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight primary care networks – www.hantsiowhealthandcare.org.uk
NHS 111
NHS 111 is available to make it easier and quicker for patients to get the right advice or treatment they need, be that for their physical or mental health. It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Consider including a link to NHS 111 in their welcome pack.
To get help from NHS 111, workers can:
Go online to 111.nhs.uk (for assessment of people aged five and over only)
Call 111 for free from a landline or mobile phone
Urgent Treatment Centres
As part of the welcome pack provided by you to your new worker you may wish to supply the addresses of local Urgent Treatment Centres. You do not need to be registered with a GP to access one of these centres. However, some are walk-in whilst others require an appointment via 111.
Southampton
Practice Plus Group Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC), Southampton
Alma Medical Centre, Southampton Urgent Treatment Centre
www.almamedcen.nhs.uk/southampton-urgent-treatment-centre
Hampshire
PHL Group Lymington Urgent Treatment Centre
https://phlgroup.co.uk/our-services/primary-care/lymington-urgent-treatment-centre/
Gosport Urgent Treatment Centre
https://www.porthosp.nhs.uk/departments-and-services/gosport-urgent-treatment-centre/96458
Andover Minor Injuries Clinic
Portsmouth
St Mary’s Urgent Treatment Centre Portsmouth
https://www.porthosp.nhs.uk/departments-and-services/st-marys-urgent-treatment-centre/96456
Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight Urgent Treatment Centre
https://www.iow.nhs.uk/our-services/urgent-treatment-centre.htm
Dentists
NHS Dentists with open lists are not easy to find. A full list of NHS dentists close to your worker’s home can be found here with availability:
https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist
In an emergency, a worker can call NHS 111 to source dental help.
Mental Health
Working in care is a very rewarding profession. However, it can be a high pressure and stressful role. For overseas workers there is sometimes the added impact of living away from loved ones and acclimatising to an unfamiliar environment. Supporting your new recruit’s health and wellbeing is fundamental to your financial investment in them as a long-term skilled professional.
Supporting their mental health and wellbeing starts from the moment they are appointed. It is important that everyone in their team is supportive and has each other’s health and wellbeing at heart and ‘checks in’ with others. Encouraging this culture of mutual support will nurture your recruit from their first day. Provide them with a buddy and consider who might be the best person to do this and have the skills, confidence and expertise to hold a sensitive conversation with their colleague. Many staff will already have the listening skills, emotional intelligence and sensitivity needed for this role and this conversation, but others may need more support to feel confident having these conversations. Consider additional training for them as a Mental Health Champion or First Aider.
Health and wellbeing conversations should be held regularly and could be incorporated into existing processes, such as one-to-ones/supervisions and appraisals. Alternatively, you could think about developing a new stand-alone process. Consider how any actions to support your colleague will be recorded from the conversation. One way is to use a Wellness Action Plan which can be adopted for all workers as good practice.
It is important that you (and any buddy) knows where to directt people for support. This section provides a wealth of available support that you could include in an induction pack or make available to buddies and your wider staff group.
Consider also how can you understand more about your new workers and whether there are any culturally appropriate approaches you may need to adopt?
Wellness Action Plans
You could consider putting a Wellness Action Plan in place for your new workers from day one as part of your commitment to their health and wellbeing. In fact, it is good for all workers to have one. Wellness Action Plans are a personalised, practical tool for everyone to use at work, whether we have a mental health problem or not. They help us identify what keeps us well at work, what causes us to become unwell, and how to address a mental health problem at work should you be experiencing one. Having a Wellness Action Plan supports the conversation between the worker and their manager, for them to better understand the needs and experiences of the worker and better support their mental health, which in turn leads to better performance and increased job satisfaction.
Here is the link to a guide on Wellness Action Plans.
https://www.mind.org.uk/media/12145/mind-wellness-action-plan-workplace.pdf
Test Mental Health Champions and First Aiders
You might want to recruit Mental Health Champions or First Aiders for your workplace. Workplace mental health champions are employees who challenge stigma and encourage positive mental health in the organisation and for its workforce. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a training course which teaches people how to identify, understand and help someone who may be experiencing a mental health issue. It teaches the first aider to listen, reassure and respond, even in a crisis – and even potentially stop a crisis from happening.
Havant and East Hampshire Mind provides all the tools you would need to do this:
Become a Mindful Employer
You might also want to sign up to the Mindful Employer Charter. Open to all employers, the Charter for Employers Positive About Mental Health is not about comparing employers against one another. Instead, it is about recognising those employers who are committed to supporting the mental health of their staff – no matter how far along they may be in that journey – and it is about helping employers to adapt the best and most up-to-date clinical practise to achieve this goal. Signing the charter gives employers access to a free confidential independent advice line for their employees, many resources and discounted training.
https://www.mindfulemployer.dpt.nhs.uk/our-charter
Other Support: NHS
Of course, the main link for your worker will be to the NHS and there is a wealth of support available from the NHS through 111 or through their GP.
If they want to talk to someone external about how they are feeling they can contact 111 Mental Health Triage Service. This can be accessed by phone by dialling 111 and online at www.111.nhs.uk
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/
https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-health-issues/
Other support: national organisations
The Care Workers Charity
The Care Workers Charity can provide support sessions from a qualified therapist who can help your worker with issues such as depression, anxiety, stress, addiction, or PTSD. It is a free service and the Care Workers’ Charity will pay the service provider (Red Umbrella) directly for your sessions.
www.thecareworkerscharity.org.uk/mental-wellbeing-and-health-support/
The Samaritans
The Samaritans provides emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope or at risk of suicide throughout the United Kingdom. Your worker can get in touch about anything that is troubling them, no matter how large or small the issue feels.
Call free on 116 123
https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/if-youre-having-difficult-time/
Mind
Mind is a specialist mental health charity that provides advice and support to anyone experiencing a mental health problem.
A worker can call their helpline on 0300 123 3393 or 86463 via text.
The website also provides tools and resources for employers to support mental health in the workplace:
https://www.mind.org.uk/workplace/mental-health-at-work/taking-care-of-your-staff/
Shout
Shout is a free, confidential, 24/7 text support service for anyone in the UK who is struggling to cope. To start a conversation, your worker would need to text the word ‘SHOUT’ to 85258. Their trained volunteers are here to listen at any time of day or night, and messages will not appear on their phone bill.
Skills for Care
Skills for Care also has advice and support for employers on mental health on their website.
A search online will reveal many private counselling services which your recruit may wish to use. The following support resources focus on affordable services available across Hampshire Portsmouth, Southampton and the IOW.
Counselling Services
A search online will reveal many private counselling services which your recruit may wish to use. The following support resources focus on affordable services available across Hampshire Portsmouth, Southampton and the IOW.
Hampshire
Italk
Italk is the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service for most of Hampshire. They are a partnership between Solent Mind and Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust. They support people to improve their mental wellbeing through guided self-help tools and evidence-based talking therapies. As a primary care service, they work alongside GPs to help people to recover from the most common mental health problems like anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD and phobias. All their treatments are available free of charge on the NHS for people aged 16 and over, who are registered with a GP.
Telephone: 023 8038 3920
E mail: [email protected]
Solent Mind
Solent Mind works across Hampshire, Portsmouth and the IOW providing a range of mental health support services.
https://www.solentmind.org.uk/support-for-you/our-services/
Tel: 02382 027810
E mail: [email protected]
Hampshire County Council
Hampshire County Council has a wealth of resources to support mental health and wellbeing in the workplace here:
Havant Adults’ Safe Haven
Havant Adults’ Safe Haven. This service is open for face-to-face mental health support at the Wellbeing Hub in Leigh Park Havant. A team of Crisis workers, Mental Health Practitioners and drug and alcohol support workers, help provide support and advice to people experiencing a mental health crisis. They are open 365 days a year from 6pm-10pm. No appointment is necessary, and your worker can just drop in. Freephone 0300 303 1560. This line will only be monitored during their opening hours.
www.easthantsmind.org/crisis-services/adults-safe-haven/
East Hampshire
Petersfield Counselling Service provides affordable counselling to the people in the local area
Website: https://www.petersfieldcounsellingservice.co.uk/index.htm
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 07436 324533
Hart Voluntary Action
Hart Voluntary Action provides 121 Counselling for Adults for people in the district.
Referral Form: https://www.hartvolaction.org.uk/counselling/121-adult-counselling/adult-counselling-referral-form/
Rushmoor Mental Wellness
Rushmoor Mental Wellness platform provides bitesize courses and wellness events for residents in Farnborough, Aldershot and North Camp.
Website: https://www.seedl.com/o/rushmoor-health
Basingstoke
Basingstoke Counselling Services provides affordable counselling for people living in Basingstoke and the surrounding areas
Website: https://basingstokecounselling.org.uk/
E Mail: [email protected]
Telephone: 01256 843125
Andover Mind
Andover Mind provides low cost counselling.
Website: https://www.andovermind.org.uk/services/counselling/
Referral Form: https://www.andovermind.org.uk/information-advice/referral-form/
Winchester
Olive Branch Counselling provides affordable counselling for the people of Winchester and surrounding areas
Website: https://www.theolivebranch.org.uk/
E Mail: [email protected]
Telephone: 01962 842858
Winchester Wellbeing Centre provides courses, workshops and one to one emotional support for people who have a GP in the Winchester area.
Website: https://www.solentmind.org.uk/support-for-you/our-services/winchester-wellbeing-centre/
E Mail: [email protected]
Telephone: 01962 859012
Eastleigh
Eastleigh Wellbeing Centre provides groups, workshops and 1:1 emotional support for anyone with a GP in the Eastleigh area.
Website: https://www.solentmind.org.uk/support-for-you/our-services/eastleigh-wellbeing-centre/
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 023 8061 1458
New Forest
New Forest Wellbeing Centre provides groups, workshops, activities and 1:1 emotional support for anyone with GP in the New Forest excluding Waterside and Totton.
Website: https://www.solentmind.org.uk/support-for-you/our-services/new-forest-wellbeing-service/
E Mail: [email protected]
Telephone: tel:014 2562 0642
Southampton
The Lighthouse.
If staff live in Southampton, they can visit the Lighthouse. It’s an informal, non-judgemental, out-of-hours mental health service for anyone over the age of 18 who requires short-term support with their mental health.
The Lighthouse has two locations in Southampton, Shirley and Bitterne. Staff can access the service by texting “Lighthouse” to 07451276010. The team will then respond and offer text support, telephone support or face to face. The service runs from 4.30pm to 11.30pm, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It is open to anyone over the age of 18 who lives within the local area of Shirley or Bitterne and feels they are at a crisis point with their mental health.
The Lighthouse Shirley is located at: 147 Shirley Road, Options Wellbeing, The Annexe, Southampton, SO15 3FH It is within walking distance of Southampton Central Train Station and various local bus routes. There is very limited parking in the streets around the site.
The Lighthouse Bitterne is located at 432 Bitterne Road, Bitterne Village, Southampton, SO18 5RT. It is a 20-minute walk from Bitterne Train Station and a 5-minute walk from the Bitterne Library or Bitterne Shops stop. The nearest car park is the Peartree Gardens Car Park and West End Road Car Park.
https://www.southernhealth.nhs.uk/our-services/a-z-list-of-services/lighthouse
Southampton City Council
The City Council has a website full of mental health resources available in the city.
https://www.southampton.gov.uk/directory?keywords=mental%20health&page=1
Life Changes
Life Changes is an independent affordable community counselling service situated in central Southampton which is available to all individuals over 18.
https://www.lifechangescounselling.org.uk/about
E Mail through webpage: https://www.lifechangescounselling.org.uk/contact-us
Telephone: 07444 001845
Option Wellbeing Southampton Counselling
Option Wellbeing Southampton Counselling Services provides affordable counselling
Website: https://optionswellbeing.co.uk/counselling-and-therapy-support/
Email through the website: https://optionswellbeing.co.uk/southampton-counselling-services/
Telephone: 023 8063 0219
Portsmouth
Portsmouth City Council
Portsmouth City Council also provides a directory of mental health support available in the city.
www.portsmouth.gov.uk/services/health-and-care/health/mental-health/adult-mental-health-support/
and local mental health and wellbeing groups:
HIVE Portsmouth
HIVE Portsmouth also provides a list of community mental health and wellbeing groups in the city.
https://hiveportsmouth.org.uk/hive-directory/search/110
The YOU Trust
The YOU Trust provides generic counselling services through Counselling with YOU for people living or working in Portsmouth. Fees are very low and in keeping with your recruit’s income on a sliding scale.
www.theyoutrust.org.uk/counselling-with-you/
E Mail: [email protected]
Telephone: 02392 794 357
Portsmouth Counselling Services
Portsmouth Counselling Services also provides low cost access to Psychological therapies for residents in Portsmouth.
https://www.portsmouthcounsellingservice.org/
E Mail: [email protected]
Telephone: 07973759950
All Saints Counselling Services
All Saints Counselling Services is part of the Portsmouth Diocesan Council for Social Responsibility. They provide confidential, professional and affordable Counselling Services for those living in the Portsmouth area.
Website for referral: https://www.allsaintscounselling.org.uk/contact-us/
E Mail: [email protected]
Telephone: 07464 477994
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight Community Mental Health Support Hub
The Isle of Wight Community Mental Health Support Hub brings together a wide range of resources to signpost your worker to the support they need to help them manage their mental health. With information about self-help tools including links to apps, videos and workshops, advice and information sources, helpline numbers and local support services and groups it will help them find the help they need in a way that works for them.
https://www.iwmentalhealth.co.uk/
The Isle of Wight Community Mental Health Services
The Isle of Wight Community Mental Health Services serve the local community to provide a comprehensive assessment and range of treatments and services to adults of all ages with mental health problems.
https://www.iow.nhs.uk/our-services/mental-health-services/community-mental-health-services.htm
Safe Haven Two Saints
Safe Haven Two Saints. This service in Newport, Isle of Wight, provides a safe space for people experiencing a mental health crisis. Support from their staff can be accessed by telephone, email, or face to face during evenings, weekends, and bank holidays.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday – 5 pm to 10 pm
Weekends and bank holidays – 12 noon to 10 pm
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 01983 520168