WWG Talk – Cultivating Psychological Safety

Time: 14:00 – 15:00
Date: Tuesday 11 August 2026
Location: Online via MS Teams
Booking: Please email mpsstaff-wwg@parliament.uk from your parliamentary email address

Work Well Being

In this 60-minute introductory talk we explore what we mean by the term psychological safety and why it matters. We share a neurobiological model to understand and master our own internal sense of safety and explain the benefits collectively on how we work together, understand each other, and align. The talk explains how this contributes to creating an equitable and fair working environment.

It provides individuals with tools to help them gain and maintain a sense of agency and self-awareness in situations that can be challenging to navigate.

Relevant for all staff, participants will leave the session with a greater understanding of the concept of psychological safety and the actions they can take to create a safe working environment for themselves and those around them.

Outcomes

Explore what a psychologically safe working environment is like and why it matters
Learn tools to master your own internal sense of safety regardless of the external environment
Find out about the neurobiology of safety and how to apply that in your day to day working life
Learn an easily applicable model to navigate challenging situations with a greater sense of ease.
Find out about safe boundaries for yourself and what is expected of you at work

Dr. B. is a medical doctor, author and thought leader in the fields of mental health, workplace wellbeing and the science that brings these together. She is an Associate at Work Well Being, helping organisations strengthen wellbeing, leadership and team performance through practical, evidence based training. Since 2014, Work Well Being has supported hundreds of organisations across the UK.

Results of the 2026 MPs’ Staff Survey

The Final Report of the MPs’ Staff Survey for 2026 has now been published and you can find it here.

Please see also this message from Jo Willows, Director of Members’ Staff Engagement.

If you need support, please do look at the Wellness Working Group Sharepoint site: https://hopuk.sharepoint.com/sites/hct-wellbeinghub/SitePages/What-suport-is-there-.aspx

Working Through Cancer Network Event: 9 July

Time: 14:15 – 15:15
Date: Thursday 9 July 2026
Location: Online and PCH
Open to: parliamentary staff
Information/booking: dan.horrocks@parliament.uk

You are warmly invited to the next Working Through Cancer Network event where you can hear more about the purpose of the network, the support we are building and how to get involved.

We are delighted that The Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will be joining us to speak about his personal experience of cancer, the challenges of balancing treatment with public life and the insights he has gained from navigating a cancer diagnosis whilst serving in one of the most senior roles in Government.

About the Network
The Working Through Cancer Network exists to support parliamentary staff and others affected by cancer — whether as a patient, carer, line manager, or colleague. We are also developing practical support, including a buddy system and guidance for navigating the help available in Parliament.

RSVP
If you’re planning to attend, in person or online, please RSVP to dan.horrocks@parliament.uk so we can get an idea of numbers.

We hope you will be able to join us for what promises to be a thoughtful and inspiring discussion.

ICGS annual report 2025-2026 published

The Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) team published its annual report for 2025-26.

The ICGS was the first scheme of its type in any legislature and underpins the Behaviour Code, which sets out the standards of behaviour expected of everyone in Parliament.

You can read the report here: ICGS Annual Report 2025-26.

NEW DATE – London and South East Roadshow

The London and South East roadshow has been rescheduled for Thursday 10 September 2026.

You are invited to attend the upcoming roadshow event for London and South East offices. The event will be delivered by the Members and Members’ staff Services Team (MMSST) in the House of Commons. We really hope that you will be able to attend.

If you have already signed up, you will not need to re-register for the new date; MMSST will shortly send you a new calendar invitation.

To register to attend please email mmsst@parliament.uk

BEAT Eating Disorders Casework Service

Do you have a constituent with an eating disorder that has been denied NHS care?

If you are supporting a constituent who has (either themselves or as a carer) been denied a referral, assessment, information, or treatment for an eating disorder, Beat Eating Disorders’ free casework advisory service may be able to help.

We regularly hear from people whose care is not in line with clinical guidance. Our team has an in-depth understanding of eating disorder treatment pathways and can advise MPs and their staff on the steps that can be taken to challenge and overturn these decisions.

We can provide advice on what treatment guidelines say should happen, who to contact, and the content of correspondence to services and decision-makers. We can also support you throughout the process as you work to resolve a constituent’s case.

We are proud of our track record. To date, we have successfully supported the overturning of every decision referred to our advisory service. As Steff Aquarone MP said after using the service: “I can say with certainty that without your initial case management direction, I would not have been able to act with the necessary speed to support my constituent in this vital and complex case.”

To access the service, please complete the form here: beateatingdisorders.tfaforms.net/234

We will contact you within 10 working days.

The advisory leaflet can be found on the MMSST Caseworker Hub.

New open access online Political Staffer Resource Centre

The Political Staffer Resource Centre offers recommendations, advice and support for political advisers, their managers, and advocates for reform.

It’s an open access resource developed by Professor Jennifer Lees-Marshment at The University of Dundee from research on the human resource management of political staff – see https://www.dundee.ac.uk/political-staffer-resource-centre

It shares practical recommendations from interviewing political staffers and those working in close association with them about what best practices they had experienced, observed and developed over time when working in parliament and government. It covers:

The role of a Political Staffer – the different roles, skills required and motivations
Recruiting and selecting political staff – what to look for, where to find people, how to assess them
Orientating and onboarding political staff – how to learn the job, how to help other staff learn the job, including both informal and formal approaches
Ongoing training and career development – content to cover, how to train them on the job, self-training, and formal programmes
Making workloads in political offices feasible – prioritisation, planning, structures, self-managing workloads, enabling breaks and work-life balance
Giving impactful feedback – on the spot, more in-depth reviews, giving usable feedback and making room for dialogue
Building positive cultures in political offices – creating positive teams and safe spaces to grow and develop
Maintaining morale and motivation – setting a clear purpose, highlighting making a difference, being more connected and involved
Wellbeing strategies for political offices – acknowledging the pressures, restricting non-urgent out of hours contact and supporting effective leave

To access the resources complete a simple form https://www.dundee.ac.uk/political-staffer-resource-centre/access-gated-content It’s free to register.

And please share with anyone you know who is interested in this area – whether they are a current staffer especially if they are managing other advisers; a new staffer starting out; a civil servant who supports political staff; a politician who wants to understand how to get the best out of their staff; or a campaigner fighting for reform and investment in political staffing.

We want the resource centre to grow over time through global peer learning, so we have created a mechanism for people to share additional ideas for how they put these principles: just use the sharing solutions form https://www.dundee.ac.uk/political-staffer-resource-centre/sharing-solutions-form.

If you have any feedback, please email us on politicalstaffer@dundee.ac.uk

Political Staffer Resource Centre https://www.dundee.ac.uk/political-staffer-resource-centre

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome awareness month 2026

Online talk: Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome awareness month 2026

Time: 1400-1500
Date: Thursday 14 May 2026
Location: Online via MS Teams
Further information: Promoting Ehlers Danlos Awareness month or email ParliAble@parliament.uk

Did you know? Although at least 1 in 500 people in the UK are diagnosed with Ehlers‑Danlos Syndrome (EDS) or Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD), many more remain undiagnosed due to low awareness among the public and healthcare professionals.

To mark International EDS Awareness Month, Gabrielle Fleming partners with ParliAble to share her experience of living with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome – a hidden disability.

“For years, I lived with symptoms I couldn’t explain while trying to build my career. By sharing my experience, I hope others feel seen and supported, and know that with the right adjustments, chronic conditions don’t have to define or limit us.”

The session will cover:

Introduction to EDS
Gabrielle’s personal story
Workplace adjustments and how you can support colleagues with EDS/HSD
Resources for further information and support
Q&A

Everyone is welcome – whether you’re affected personally, supporting a colleague, friend or family member, or simply curious to learn more.

About EDS
Ehlers‑Danlos Syndromes are a group of genetic connective tissue disorders often associated with hypermobility (‘double‑jointedness’). Symptoms typically appear in childhood, but issues like chronic pain, fatigue, and mobility challenges may develop later in life. Experiences vary widely from mild to significantly disabling.

Members’ Office Management Call – 8 April 2026

This week’s guest speakers on the MOM call will be Dementia UK. Find out about supporting constituents affected by the condition, and how to access free, bespoke training sessions for your team, delivered by dementia specialist Admiral Nurses.

Digital will also provide an update on their Enabling Members value stream.

There will also be the regular weekly updates from the Parliamentary Digital Service, the Parliamentary Security Department, the Human Resources Team, IPSA, and the House of Commons Library.

Time: 1100
Date: Wednesday 8 April 2026
Location: online via MS Teams
How to join: email MMSST@parliament.uk citing your role and the member you work for, and ask to be added to the mailing list and receive an invitation to the weekly call

*** Please note that this call is only for those in an office management role within an MP’s office.

MPs’ Staff Survey of Well-being 2026

CLOSING TODAY!

The Wellness Working Group undertakes an anonymous survey of MPs staff to better understand the pressures and effects that our jobs have on our wellbeing. We are delighted that Dr Weinberg from Salford University has agreed to run the survey again for us this year. The survey is completely anonymous and a chance to be able to help us enact change and to help us all obtain better work places and practices.

Please click here to complete the survey.

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The more people who respond to the survey, the greater the representative nature of the results, but please remember you are under no pressure to participate and you may change your mind about taking part.