CFRS Wellbeing Hub

Please see the clips from our Oct 2024 Menopause Café, hosted in collaboration with Cumbria Police, UNISON, and the FBU, with guest speaker Dr Cath Munro. 

Please also find the full transcript attached here: Transcript (WORD)

Please find a copy of Dr Cath Munro's slides here: Menopause Café Slides (PowerPoint)

Menopause Café with Dr Cath Munro video clips, parts 1 to 11:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Earlier this year (2024), we published our Menopause Policy, please see attached below. 

Document: Menopause Policy (WORD)

The aim of this policy is to encourage an environment where individuals experiencing menopause symptoms feel confident enough to raise any issues and enquire about adjustments at work. The menopause is a natural stage of life for a person with a female reproductive system. Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service is aiming to promote a greater understanding of the menopause and we are clear on eradicating any exclusionary or discriminatory practices. This policy also aims to provide useful guidance for employees impacted by family members who are going through menopause.

If you have any questions about the policy, please contact Wellbeing@cumbriafire.gov.uk 

Note: If you are an employee supporting a colleague or direct report with Menopause and Hormonal changes, please contact our HR team. 

The Fire Fighters Charity is an incredible resource for Menopause support, information, and courses, and these can be accessed by anyone employed by a Fire and Rescue Service and any loved ones or family members. Therefore, if you have a family member, partner, or close friend experience Menopause or Hormonal Changes, you can utilise the below.

• Menopause Awareness Webinar - link here (YouTube)
• Menopause online course - 6 week programme - link here (scroll to the Menopause course)
• Bitesize Menopause resources - taking just a few minutes to complete, but with valuable tips - link here (takes you to the start of the bitesize information)
• Menopause key coping strategies: link here
• Menopause symptoms, impact and tips: link here
• Menopause - How to offer someone support - link here
• Supporting the Menopause Workshop Handout (PDF)

The Fire Fighters Charity also offers residential programmes, please see the link to the 23/24 calendar linked below and this also links to the enquiry form. 

Link to Residential Courses here

The calendar for 2025 is launching shortly and we will share the dates for any Menopause Weeks asap. 

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU), with the assistance of the National Women’s Committee and the Institute of Occupational Medicine, have developed a good practice guide to give assistance to representatives and officials who may need to provide advice to members.

Please see the link to the document here

The document details the way members can be helped in the workplace; although it should be recognised that this is a very personal experience and different levels of support may be needed. Further information for members can be sought from a representative of the Fire Brigades Union for advice.

Please use the below link to access information on the work UNISON is doing to support employees in public services with the Menopause. 

Link here

This link includes information on how to access Member learning courses and activist workshops, as well as how to get involved with the Menopause campaign. Further information for members can be sought from a representative of UNISON for advice.

We currently have 18 Mental Health First Aiders across our service who staff can contact for someone to listen to them and show them where support is. 

For Internal Staff: To contact a Mental Health First Aider, please go to the Fire Hub SharePoint > Help and Support > Health and Wellbeing > Mental Health First aiders. 

Pictured below are our MH First Aiders after they completed their training in June 2024. Thank you to the brilliant Claire from Venture who delivered this training. 

CFRS Mental Health Working Group meet monthly and if you would like to join these meetings, please contact Orlanda Wright (Resourcing, Talent, and Wellbeing Lead) on orlanda.wright@cumbriafire.gov.uk or Wellbeing@cumbriafire.gov.uk for more information. 

Future Meeting Dates - TBC

We are very excited to be working on a Mental Health and Wellbeing app that will be accessible to all staff, family members, and loved ones. 

More information to follow shortly! 

Please see the below key links for the FireFighters Charity web pages:

The Fire Fighters Charity - Changing The Lives Of Our Fire Fighting Heroes (Main site)

Wellbeing Webinars and Workshops

Change in the workplace can cause stress, especially when an organisation goes through a period of major change that will involve redundancies.

Stress is not an illness it is a condition. However, if stress becomes excessive and prolonged an individual may get to the stage where they feel unable to cope with the pressures they are experiencing. As a consequence they may experience mental or physical symptoms.

If you start to feel that your levels of stress are getting too much, it is important that you get the help and support you need. Work-related stress is a workplace hazard and like any other hazard it is important that you report any concerns to your Line Manager as soon as possible so they are able to take any necessary actions to help to support you at an early stage.

Where can I access further information and support?

Your own GP - Your own GP should be contacted if you are experiencing symptoms of stress, anxiety or depression. Besides being able to help address your symptoms they are a valuable source of help and information.

NHS Choices - Stress support and signposting. including specifcs for stress about covid-19.

NHS Every Mind Matters Stress

Rethink Mental Illness - Stress - How to cope - If you are struggling to cope with life pressures, you might be stressed. This webiste explains the common symptoms and causes of stress. It also looks at some of the ways you can try to reduce stress.

You can also download their stress factsheet full of advice and resources that even has a stress diary to complete to help you identify your triggers.

The health and safety executive have listed some of the signs and symptoms that may indicate stress and a need to seek further help.

Help for Employees

They also have a workbook aimed at Managers to support Employees with Stress

Step by Step workbook for tackling stress

This below guidance documents have been developed to provide a resource for anyone who is supporting a member of staff with a mental health problem and to promote understanding and remove stigma around mental health.

Mental Health Support Guidance

Mental Health Support

Coping with Trauma Leaflet 

Every Life Matters 

Promoting Suicide Safer Communities and providing Suicide Bereavement Support across Cumbria

Covid-19 has now had a far reaching impact on our nations mental health. Its more important than ever that we take positive steps to look after our ourselves, to seek help when we need it, and check-in and support people around us.

Our revised Guide to looking after yourself and others contains practical information about things you can do now to look after your mental health and wellbeing, on how you can support others, and where to find support if you or others need it. Visit our Support Directory to find out more about where you can get help.

Every Life Matters Booklet 

Every Life Matters Website 

Information regarding Critical Incident Debriefs will be added here shortly.

The Occupational Health Service operates an employee self-referral scheme for counselling.

Please note counselling can be provided as an interim measure of support while the employee seeks longer term treatment and support through First Step. The First Step contact details are:

Telephone:  03001 239122

Email:    firststep@nhs.net 

Web:     www.cumbriapartnership.nhs.uk 

Once your referral has been triaged then you will be referred to a counsellor initially for up to four sessions.

Link: Self Referral for Counselling Portal Guidance (WORD)

Link: Occupational Health Portal

Please note: The Occupational Health Service is currently a hosted service, with Westmorland and Furness Council. For their dedicated pages, please go to this link: Occupational Health

Able Futures is an organisation that offers support for mental health at work. It is a nationwide specialist partnership set up to provide the Access to Work Mental Health Support Service on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Able Futures has a number of ways to support organisations, including helping employers manager mental health at work. 

Please see key documents below or contact HR (HR@cumbriafire.gov.uk) for more information:

Able Futures Employer Toolkit - Mental Health at Work (PDF)

Welcome to Able Futures (PDF)

Able Futures Support for Carers (PDF)

Reasonable Adjustments (PDF)

Requesting Reasonable Adjustments (PDF)

January 2024 - Able Futures Interactive Documents

Mental Health at Work Calendar (PDF)

Time To Talk Quiz (PDF)

February 2024 - Able Futures Interactive Documents

Random Acts of Kindness 29 Days (PDF)

Random Acts of Kindness Colouring Page (PDF)

March 2024 - Able Futures Interactive Documents

World Sleep Day - Epworth Sleepiness Scale (PDF)

World Sleep Day - 10 Tips (PDF)

World Sleep Day Colouring Page (PDF)

April 2024 - Able Futures Interactive Documents

Stress Awareness Colouring (PDF)

Stress Buster #Littlebylittle (PDF)

Stress Tips #Littlebylittle (PDF)

30 Day Stress Awareness Challenge (PDF)

May 2024 - Able Futures Interactive Documents

31 Days of Movement Challenge (PDF)

Mental Health Awareness Week Colouring (PDF)

5 Ways to Wellbeing (PDF)

Daily DOSE Challenge (PDF)

June 2024 - Able Futures Interactive Documents

Reasonable Adjustments Colouring (PDF)

Please use the below links to access support from the Firefighters's Charity:

Heading into retirement: tips to help the transition - The Fire Fighters Charity

Ways we can support you in retirement - The Fire Fighters Charity

If you are a manager and have a member of staff who has been diagnosed as being terminally ill we have additional information on how the People Management and Occupational Health teams can provide additional support where time is a critical factor.  Please see the Ill Health Fast Track procedure and contact People Management as soon as possible. Ill Health Fast Track Page

There are many things to think about and decide when arranging a funeral. It is often a difficult time for family and friends who are dealing with loss. A funeral is also, to some people's surprise, a lot more expensive than they thought, often costing thousands of pounds. Money Advice Service can give you a breakdown of costs and suggest a few ways to help you plan a good but affordable funeral. Funeral Plans

A will makes it much easier for your family or friends to sort everything out when you die - without a will the process can be more time consuming and stressful. If you don't write a will, everything you own will be shared out in a standard way defined by the law - which isn't always the way you might want. 

A will can help reduce the amount of Inheritance Tax that might be payable on the value of the property and money you leave behind. Writing a will is especially important if you have children or other family who depend on you financially, or if you want to leave something to people outside your immediate family.

Visit money advice service for more information on why you should make a will and what your options might be. Money Advice Service Making a will

Trade unions offer a free will writing service as part of their membership. Speak to your trade union representative if you would like to find out more about this. If you are a member of a Trade Union you may also wish to contact them for support. 

Contact Details

Trade Unions which are formally recognised by Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service are given below:

FBU - Fire Brigades Union | The Voice Of Firefighters (fbu.org.uk)

FRSA - Contact Us – National website of the FRSA

GMB email: gmbbranchsecretary@gmail.com

Unison email: d.armstrong@unison.co.uk

Unite - Ryan Armstrong, email: ryan.Armstrong@unitetheunion.org

The Cumbria Bereavement Services Partnership is a multi-organisational group that brings together all bereavement support providers alongside statutory and other voluntary organisations to help share the information and good practice for the benefits of the residents of Cumbria.  

To contact the group:

• Chair - deb.lee@northcumbriaccg.nhs.uk
• Admin - Wesley.Wilson@cumbriacvs.org.uk

Cumbria Bereavement Services Partnership

Local Charity Every Life Matters

Who we are: Every Life Matters is a Cumbrian Suicide Prevention and Bereavement Support charity. We are dedicated to supporting those affected by suicide and reducing suicide rates in our county through campaigning, training and promoting suicide safer communities.

How we can help: Every Life Matters offers practical and emotional support during the early weeks and months following a bereavement by suicide either in person, by telephone or online.

By Your side - Booklet that provides support after suicide in Cumbria 

Below are a number of different sources of information and support which may be off help to you. 

Additional information is available under the Financial Wellbeing section. 

Cruse - Specific advice for dealing with bereavement during the Corona pandemic. 

NHS Factsheet - Bereavement fact sheet and support.  

Mind Factsheet - General advice fact sheet for dealing with grief.

Dying Matters- Useful factsheets that contain practical advice particularly around talking to others about your or their wishes.

WAY - Widowed and Young Support for anyone who has lost their partner before their 51st birthday.

NHS - Supporting Children - Supporting children through bereavement.  

Child Bereavement UK - Support for children and young people up to 25 when they lose a loved one.

NHS Support for young people - Supporting young people through bereavement.

Cost of Living Support | Westmorland and Furness Council

Cost of Living Support | Cumberland Council

If you are struggling to feed yourself or your family there are organisations that can help. They are used by hundreds of people every week in Cumbria from all walks of life.

Many food projects make use of surplus food that would otherwise go to waste, distributing it locally or turning it into hot meals. 

Foodbanks can provide emergency food parcels in a crisis.

Cost of Living Support - food support | Westmorland and Furness Council

Cost of Living Support - food support | Cumberland Council

Baby Basics is a volunteer-led project aiming to support new mothers and families who are struggling to meet the financial and practical burden of looking after a new baby. Baby Basics started in Sheffield in the spring of 2009, this centre continues to support families across Sheffield working with a wide range of frontline health and social care professionals. There is an ever increasing network of Baby Basics centres across the country each staffed by a committed team of volunteers. Find your nearest Baby Basics Centre 

Baby Basics provides much needed essentials and equipment to mothers and families who are unable to provide these items for themselves; including but not limited to teenage mums, people seeking asylum and women fleeing domestic abuse and trafficking.

MoneyHelper is a free service provided by the Money and Pensions Service, providing free and impartial money and pensions guidance for people all across the UK.

It includes:

• advice and guides to help improve your finances
• Tools and calculators to help keep track and plan ahead
• Help with the cost of living, dealing with debt, benefits, pensions and retirement and much more

As well as information, you can start a webchat and talk to trained staff.

There is a wealth of information available on the Government funded website.  Money Helper

Are gambling problems affecting you, or those close to you? GamCare is the leading UK provider of free information, advice and support for anyone harmed by gambling. Home - GamCare - The leading provider of support for anyone affected by problem gambling in Great Britain

Being a compulsive gambler can harm your health and relationships, and leave you in serious debt.If you have a problem with gambling and you'd like to stop, support and treatment is available. Help for problem gambling - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Free Mental Health and Debt guide

There is a free 44-page PDF booklet supported by Mind, Rethink, CAPUK and others, for people with mental health problems and those caring for them.

It covers how to handle debts when unwell, work with banks, free debt counselling, specific tips for bipolar disorder or depression sufferers, whether to declare a condition and more.

You can contact Citizens Advice by phone, email or online chat: Contact your nearest Citizens Advice

Chat lets you talk to a trained adviser online. You can:

Talk to us about a debt problem - we can usually help between 8am and 7pm, Monday to Friday 

Talk to us about any other kind of problem - we can usually help between 10am and 4pm, Monday to Friday

Or you can contact an adviser through their national phone service,  

Adviceline: 03444 111 444

Text relay: 03444 111 445

If you have any questions about claiming Universal Credit you can talk in complete confidence to an adviser who can support you through the process. 

Citizens Advice Help to Claim

What are Credit Unions?

Credit Unions are community savings and loans cooperatives. They offer members the chance to save regularly and to access great value, low interest loans linked to the value of their savings.

Who are Credit Unions For?

Credit unions are open to everyone who lives or work in the areas that they serve regardless of your level of personal household income. If you want to benefit from saving on a regular basis and being able to borrow money at a low interest rate then join your local credit union today.

What are the Community Benefits of Credit Unions?

Credit Unions are financial cooperatives owned and controlled by their members and are run by and for local people. Any financial surpluses from a credit union go towards developing the credit union and / or are returned to local members through a dividend. The only shareholders are therefore the local members who use its services. Credit unions are therefore local, ethical and of benefit to local residents and the wider local community that the money is retained within. 

Credit unions offer an alternative to getting into financial difficulties from taking out high Annual Percentage Rate interest loans from legal doorstep lenders, payday advance services or illegal loan sharks.

Cumbria Credit Unions website

Find your nearest Credit Union.

List of domestic abuse support services

Domestic Abuse Policy Statement

Domestic Abuse Line Manager information

Domestic and sexual abuse resources

Domestic Abuse Poster

On 29 April 2021 the government enacted the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. This places a duty on Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service to assess the need for support and prepare strategies to provide services for victims in safe accommodation and to provide domestic abuse survivors with community in-reach services. 

Domestic abuse includes:

• coercive control
• emotional abuse
• physical or sexual abuse
• financial abuse
• harassment or stalking
• online abuse

If you or someone you know is at risk or experiencing abuse, help and support is available. 

To report an incident or in an emergency:

Cumbria police non-emergency call 101 or Cumbria Police online, in an emergency always call 999 

Copeland: Email: Housing.options@copeland.gov.uk Telephone: 01946 598300 24 hours

Allerdale: Email: homelessness@allerdale.gov.uk Telephone:  01900 702660 or 0303 123 1702 out of hours

Carlisle: Email: dutytorefer@carlisle.gov.uk Telephone: 01228 817200 office hours. Out of hours 01228 817386 (single women and families scheme) and 01228 817373 (single men's scheme)

Barrow: Email: dutytorefer@barrowbc.gov.uk office hours only Telephone: Office Hours 01229 876599 or Out of Hours 01229 833311

Eden: Email: housingoptions@edenha.org.uk Telephone: Office hours 01768 861499 or Out of Hours 0800 0614232

South Lakeland: Email: homeless@southlakeland.gov.uk  Telephonet: Office hours 01539 733 333/ 01539 793 199

Kendal and Eastern Area 0870 428 6905. Lakes, Ulverston and Western Area 0870 428 6906

Gateway 4 Women (Carlisle) : 01228 212090  admin@cumbriagateway.co.uk

Women Out West (Whitehaven) : 01946 550103/07516 416040  Wowadmin@ttcwestcumbria.org

Women Community Matters (Barrow) : 01229 311102  reception@womenscommunitymatters.org

Freedom Project (West Cumbria) women and men affected by Domestic Abuse: 01900 671167/07712 117986 hope@freedom-project-west-cumbria.org.uk

Springfield (South Lakeland- refuge support takes referrals Nationwide): 01539726171 cs@springfieldsupport.orgrefuge@springfieldsupport.org

Cumbria Victim Support : 0300 3030 157 (local) Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and 24/7 Support Line 0808 1689 111 Cumbria.Admin@victimsupport.org.uk

Safety Net for women and men affected by Domestic Abuse:  County Wide Service: 01228 515859 office@safetynet.org

The Birchall Trust for women and men affected by Domestic Abuse - County Wide Service

National LGBT Domestic Abuse Victims : 0800 9995428 

Mankind Initiative : 01823 334244 and Men's Advice Line 0808 8010327 

24 Hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone helpline : 01942 262 270

National Child Line : 0800 1111

The Domestic Abuse Alliance brings together organisations working on the frontline of domestic abuse across the UK with the legal sector to deliver joined-up instant legal assistance and protection.  They run the We Protect app. On this app, victims of domestic abuse can get free, legal advice. Referrals can be made online using a one page form or by telephone 0800 101 7110.

The aims of this Substance Misuse policy are to are to safeguard the public and employees, maintain service delivery, and to support members of staff who are tackling substance misuse. This policy stresses CFRS’s commitment to creating an environment where those employees who suffer with substance misuse are supported in dealing with their disorder and can seek advice and treatment. 

Substance Misuse Policy (WORD) - linked here. 

NHS - substance misuse advice and support for drugs

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/drug-addiction-getting-help/ 

NHS - substance misuse advice and support for alcohol

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-support/

Frank

Helpline for anyone concerned about substance misuse. Advice and information for drug misusers, their families, friends, carers.

www.talktofrank.com

Helpline: 0300 123 6600 (24Hr)

SMS: 82111

Release

Free and confidential drugs helpline that also provides free legal advice on drug issues for people who use drugs and their families.

www.release.org.uk/

Helpline:  0207 324 2989

Email: ask@release.og.uk   

Narcotics Anonymous 

Support for people who have substance use disorders or who are in recovery. 

Welcome to UKNA | UKNA | Narcotics Anonymous in the United Kingdom

Helpline: 0300 999 1212 (10.00am – midnight)

Alcoholics Anonymous

 Alcoholics Anonymous Great Britain (alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk)

Helpline: 0800 9177650

Email: help@aamail.org 

Al-Anon Family Groups 

They offer support and understanding to the families and friends of people with alcohol use disorders, whether they're still drinking or not. 

Al-Anon UK | For families & friends of alcoholics

Helpline - 0800 0086 811 (UK residents)

Email – helpline@al-anonuk.org.uk 

Cumbria Alcohol & Drug Advisory Service 

Free Helpline: 0800 2 54 56 58

(Wed 11-7 /Weekdays 11-5)

Be Drinkaware by visiting this useful resource on alcohol consumption and links with stress. Drinkaware

Antidote – run by members of the LGBTQ+ community, it offers and online alcohol and drug drop-in clinic via Zoom, as well as peer support and advice. 

Antidote: Drugs & Alcohol Support - London Friend

Helpline: 020 7833 1674 

(10am-6pm, Monday to Friday). Ask for someone from the Antidote Team.  

If you would like to contact a member of the Antidote team, please email: 

antidote@londonfriend.org.uk 

TransSober – support with drug and alcohol use for the trans and non-binary community.

TransSober | Support with drug and alcohol use for the trans and non-binary community in Brighton