Edinburgh Napier University strives to be a supportive and proactive employer and we work to fulfilling commitments outlined our Mental Health Strategy (2021-2024). The main purpose of the Strategy is to ensure that the University is recognised as an organisation that safeguards and promotes the mental health and wellbeing of its students and staff and that it treats all members of its community equitably and with respect, kindness and empathy. This is very much a whole university approach.
The Strategy sets out our response to the Universities UK StepChange Framework and to the Student Minds Charter and sets out the University’s vision, aims and high-level objectives for student and staff mental health.
There are 15 key objectives within the strategy supporting 4 aims around 1) Learning: 2) Support: 3) Work: 4) Live
From the Mental Health Strategy (2021-2024) we have created a Staff Health and Wellbeing Plan focusing on the aims around support, work and live.
My remit is focused on developing and implementing the staff Health and Wellbeing Plan and I work closely with various colleagues across the professional services and academic communities to implement, promote and evaluate our resources and support on offer with regards to prevention and intervention methods and offerings. I represent the staff perspective on the Suicide Safer Implementation Working Group with my focus on developing and implementing a staff training programme and the continued development the Mental Health Champion Network. Colleagues are welcome to drop by my table to learn more about the Mental Health Strategy (2021-2024) and how we all have an active part to play in helping to ensure the university is fulfilling its commitments. I will also highlight to colleagues the various resources on offer such as our Employee Assistant Programme (EAP) provider MCL Medics and how the app can benefit staff.