The Midland Academies Trust, which supports schools in Nuneaton and Earl Shilton in England, has signed the Mindful Employer Charter as part of its commitment to support its employees’ mental wellbeing.
Established in 2004 by the Devon Partnership NHS Trust, the Mindful Employer Charter is a UK-wide initiative that provides organisations across the public, private and voluntary sectors with easier access to professional workplace mental health training, information, and support. The initiative aims to help empower employers to take a lead in supporting the mental wellbeing of its members of staff.
According to the Midland Academies Trust, which includes The George Eliot School, Hartshill School, Health Lane Academy and the Nuneaton Academy, by signing the charter it has made a public statement of its desire to support the mental health of its staff across the organisation.
The trust’s commitments will include proactive support for employees experiencing mental ill-health and a promise to ensure that there is no discrimination towards individuals who have mental health issues, including those applying for job vacancies. It will undertake a review of its position every two years to ensure that positive ways of working are maintained over time.
Marion Plant, chief executive of the Midland Academies Trust, explained that as an employer, the trust recognises that in the UK, people experiencing mental ill health continue to report stigma and discrimination at work.
“Having signed the ‘Charter for Employers Positive about Mental Health’, we are committed to creating a supportive and open culture, where colleagues feel able to talk about mental health confidently and we aspire to appropriately support the mental wellbeing of all employees,” she said.