At Kenny Waste management we are committed to making sure everyone of our team stays safe and well. We are proud of our long history of adopting practices to maintain a physically safe environment but now we turn our focus on creating a workplace which treats a person’s physical and mental health equally.
It is common for physical first aid to be one of the tools organisations use to promote and protect their employee’s physical health, with over 7 in 10 employees knowing the basics, such as how to bandage a finger or treat a minor burn. But few of us would feel as confident in even talking to colleagues about common mental health struggles such as stress, anxiety or depression.
We are proud to announce that we now have three of the team who are qualified Mental Health First Aiders, and their role is to be a point of contact for someone who is experiencing a mental health issue or any form of emotional distress.
One of our recently qualified Mental Health First Aiders, Louise, has been reflecting on the course “These are challenging times and even the most resilient of people can people can feel low or just ‘not themselves’. The personal stories shared gave real insights into how a person’s mental health can fluctuate. It has given me a great perspective on how people can suffer without support, and how I can act as a signpost both in the workplace and outside of it.”
Kinga, another Mental Health First Aider said “The training was amazing and has been instantly beneficial to how I can help those I work with. I predominantly work with men who are less likely to talk about their mental health. I am now able to start conversations and simply listen and be non-judgmental. My message is that it’s Ok not to be OK, and if there is something on your mind – have a chat about it”.
It is common for physical first aid to be one of the tools organisations use to promote and protect their employee’s physical health, with over 7 in 10 employees knowing the basics, such as how to bandage a finger or treat a minor burn. But few of us would feel as confident in even talking to colleagues about common mental health struggles such as stress, anxiety, or depression.
Gary Greally, Kenny Waste Management’s Finance Director says “I firmly believe that by having more Wellbeing conversations we can create a working culture which encourages people to share their feelings and seek support when it is needed. Thinking about last year, there were several times when I met people who were feeling a little overwhelmed by life, both personally and professional, and it’s great that we have this resource in the business and it should be used if you feel the need and don’t sit in silence when we have people to help.”
Kenny Waste Management will be running a range of initiatives in 2021 to raise awareness of Mental Wellbeing, sharing ways to look after ourselves and support each other in the year ahead.
If you would like to know more about our approach to Wellbeing or be directly involved by collaborating on Wellbeing projects, please get in touch, we would love to hear from you.
