- Remind them to stay hydrated, eat and have toilet breaks
- If it gets too hot, tell others and take a short break
- Beware exhaustion: Constant awareness and vigilance regarding infection control is a pressure – and it’s important to recognise it
- Be aware that masks etc. can rub the skin and distract; use a barrier cream on cleansed skin
- Counter the physical isolation of PPE – staff need to be able to communicate with others when possible, including, of course, their patients – remember patients may well also feel overwhelmed.
Managers and leaders
Making a difference, feeling competent and supported by your organisation and team really matters. Right now, we are in one of the most challenging times for managers and leaders and in a lot of cases it can feel like we’re in unchartered territory and it’s hard to know what the right decision is.
As a manager you can make a referral to us if you're concerned that Covid-19 has affected or is affecting the emotional wellbeing of someone in your team (any role including cleaners, porters, medics, nurses, students etc).
Anyone referred will be booked in for a call with one of the team. Staff can contact the Hub themselves directly but support from their manager can help.
- They may show you this through what they say or how they behave
- Be supportive and compassionate. It is not their fault but rather the situation
- People may display longer term stress and even burnout in an apparently disproportionate response to a single incident. Be aware of this
- People who are new to an environment or situation often need longer to process what’s happening. Make sure to allow for this.
- Tips for managers and team leaders from internationally recognised experts – including skilling up, decompression vs debriefing, moral distress and moral injury, stigma, home, work and redeployment and looking out for staff and supervisors who are struggling
- Workplace resources - find activities, training, events and tools to help change attitudes towards mental health in your workplace.
Who can use the Resilience Hub?
The Lancashire and South Cumbria Resilience Hub is intended as a support resources for all public sector workers and volunteers who have worked through the Covid-19 pandemic and their families.
This includes everyone from those who work in the NHS, local authorities and councils, ambulance service staff, care home workers, those working in social care and community workers.
We are hoping that the Hub will eventually be able to operate as a resource for everyone who has felt the psychological strain of Covid-19.
Do you need some extra support?
You’re managing incredible people but remember it’s a lot on your shoulders too.