The State Apartments of Speaker’s House tour

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During this fully guided tour, you will visit the State Apartments of Speaker’s House, the rarely seen part of the Palace of Westminster where the Speaker conducts official business and resides. You will discover the history and traditions of the role of the Speaker and see the magnificent artworks on display, including a unique set of 46 portraits of Speakers through the years, dating back to the 16th Century.

For full details please visit: https://ukparliament.seetickets.com/timeslot/the-state-apartments-of-speaker-s-house-tour

Best Practice Guide on Whistleblowing – Guidance for MPs as Employers

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Following the recent publication of the Best Practice Guide on Whistleblowing (guidance for MPs as employers). The Members’ HR Team would like to invite you to join them for one of the upcoming familiarisation sessions that will provide information that sets out the way in which employees may raise a whistleblowing concern and how those concerns should be addressed.

The session will cover:

  • What is considered as a whistleblowing concern
  • How a whistleblowing disclosure is raised
  • The legal protection and requirements under whistleblowing law
  • The practical steps that should be taken to ensure a fair and thorough investigation

30 June, 9.30am https://parliament.learningpool.com/mod/facetoface/view.php?id=5192

28 July, 9.30am https://parliament.learningpool.com/mod/facetoface/view.php?id=5193

Professor Chris Williams Helping you – and your constituents Live Life to the Full

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Thursday 26th May – 10am – 11am

Living life to the Full (LLTTF) is one of the UK’s most popular wellbeing resources, and is widely recommended in health, social care and charity settings. A free access site at www.llttf.com provides online wellbeing skills, and courses to help those living with stress and low mood,  long-term physical health problems including long-covid, new parents and others. It helps people to understand their feelings, and learn key life skills based on the popular and evidence-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) approach.

Award-winning author Professor Chris Williams, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Glasgow, and twice past-President of BABCP – the lead body for CBT in the UK,  will give an overview of the resources, and how they can be used to support your constituents, your families, friends and ourselves.  Dr Williams is also Director of Five Areas Ltd which has developed a range of widely recommended wellbeing resources. He is an award-winning author and his books, classes and websites are widely used in the UK, Ireland, and North America. The free-access www.llttf.com life skills course is the most recommended CBT product in NHS England IAPT services and mental health trusts (Bennion et al, 2017 BMJ Open). His work has been translated into Somali, French, Chinese, Italian, Urdu, Ukrainian and Romanian, as well as six other languages.  Contact details for Professor Williams are below.

To register for the meeting, please email [email protected]

Mental Health First Aid drop-in session for Members and Members’ staff

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Please note that links to the old Parliamentary intranet have been removed as of October 2023. Please use search on ParliNet to find relevant current details, if available.

https://parlinet.parliament.uk/house-of-commons-members-staff/

Do you know how to support your own mental health and that of your team? Have you seen an increase in the number of constituents and colleagues who are presenting with mental health concerns and would you know where to signpost them if you needed to?

Organised by Tracey Crouch MP and the Members’ Services Team, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England will be hosting a taster morning in Attlee Suite from 9am-1pm on 19 May 2022 to explore what you need to support yours and others’ mental health and wellbeing.

See here for full details.

The State Apartments of Speaker’s House tour

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You can now book a one-hour, fully-accessible tour of the State Apartments of the Speaker’s House, which includes the Grand Staircase, the Crimson Drawing Room, the State Dining Room, and the State Bedroom. The tour starts and finishes in Westminster Hall which you are welcome to explore afterwards.

See here for full details and booking: https://ukparliament.seetickets.com/timeslot/the-state-apartments-of-speaker-s-house-tour

Time to Talk Day 2022

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To mark Time to Talk day this year, we will be running a series of events from Thursday 3 February. Over five days we will hear from colleagues across Parliament, who will share their experience of living with a mental health problem.

Join our Time to Talk Day campaign and let’s start talking about mental health:

  • Thursday 3: Anxiety. Online live session, 10.30-11am
  • Friday 4: Burnout. Blog Post
  • Monday 7: Depression. Online live session, 10.30-11am and Blog Post.
  • Tuesday 8: Bulimia. Online live session,10.30-11am
  • Wednesday 9: Having conversations about mental health. Online live session, 10.30-11am.

To sign-up email [email protected] or visit the H&W Learning Hub.

If you are on the Estate tomorrow (Thursday 3 February 2022), come and visit our Wellbeing Stall in Portcullis House Atrium to find out more about the wellbeing services available

WWG – Talk from Hope Virgo on Eating Disorders

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Thursday 20th January at 2pm

Hope Virgo is an Author, Founder of #DumpThe Scales Campaign and a multi award winning international leading advocate for people with eating disorders as well as being a recognised media spokesperson, having appeared on various platforms including BBC Newsnight, Victoria Derbyshire, Good Morning Britain, Sky News and BBC News.

For four years, Hope managed to keep her eating disorder hidden, keeping dark secrets from friends and family. But then, on 17th November 2007, Hope’s world changed forever. She was admitted to a mental health hospital. Her skin was yellowing, her heart was failing, she was barely recognizable. Forced to leave her family and friends, the hospital became her home. Over the next year, at her lowest ebb, Hope faced the biggest challenge of her life. She had to find the courage to beat her anorexia.

In today’s session you will hear a harrowing but inspiring story of recovery, get practical advice on how to manage your wellbeing and know how to talk to those around you who may be impacted by eating disorders.  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopevirgo_/?hl=en

To register for this event, please email [email protected]

Working Mind Six Week Online Mindfulness Course – starts 20 January

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As we approach the new year, many of us will be looking ahead at the next 12 months, setting new year’s resolutions, and vowing to make positive changes in our lives. This new year, why not resolve to be more mindful for 2022?

Mindfulness promotes resilience and wellbeing. It can help us to manage change and uncertainty, which will be particularly valuable as we navigate the unknowns of the new year.

We invite you to take part in the Working Mind six-week mindfulness course, open to members’ staff of either House. Sessions will take place every Thursday 12-1pm from 20 January to 24 February. Book your place via ACTor email [email protected]

The six-week course is an opportunity to experience the principles and practices of mindfulness, and explore how mindfulness can help you thrive inside and outside of the workplace. The course will be delivered by Awaris and will take place online via Zoom.

Not sure if mindfulness is for you? A Mindfulness Taster session will take place on Wednesday 12 January, 9.30-10am. This workshop will introduce you to mindfulness as a way of reclaiming your attention and developing greater focus, clarity and wellbeing. It is suitable both as a stand-alone session, and as a taster for those interested in signing up for one of our longer mindfulness courses. Book your place.

For further details about the mindfulness course, please email [email protected]

Managing your Money Worries Webinar -18 January

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At this time of year, it is not unusual for many of us to experience financial anxiety or the “January blues”. After all, our spending often goes up during the festive season which can lead to increased financial pressures in the new year. Our finances underpin most areas of our lives and money problems can cause serious issues— even affecting our mental health…

Join us for a financial wellbeing workshop on Tuesday 18 January, 2-3pm. Book your place on the Health & Wellbeing learning hub on ACT or email [email protected]

The session will offer expert, non-judgemental advice on how to manage your money worries. You will learn how financial wellbeing and mental wellbeing are linked—and how to improve both in one fell swoop. The session will also cover:

  • Key facts behind financial wellbeing, and the ways they affect our mental health
  • The emotional impact of money worries, as well as the physical toll
  • Practical tips and advice on managing money, using credit wisely, and being financially aware

The session will be delivered by Joy Whitehead from Health Assured, our EAP provider. If you have any questions about the session email [email protected]