The charity sector faces “unique stresses” which make it especially crucial to safeguard the mental health of staff, the chief executive of Mind has said.
Writing in this month's Charity Finance magazine, Paul Farmer calls for organisations in the sector to recognise this by putting plans in place to safeguard employees and protect mental wellbeing.
In an article entitled How to improve mental health and wellbeing in charity workplaces, Farmer writes that “the challenges around workplace mental health" are more pressing in the sector than elsewhere.
“With an increased demand for different kinds of support services, we’re seeing frontline workers put under all sorts of extra pressures,” he says. “Reduced public funding and changes to data protection and fundraising practices mean extra work for various teams.
“We’re also surrounded by people who are supremely passionate about their work, and who will happily go the extra mile to do what needs to be done, but if not managed well that passion can become problematic and create a tendency to overwork.
He says the sector’s leadership must particularly prioritise its own wellbeing.
“Leadership within the sector is therefore crucial,” he says. “Despite what we might like to believe, senior leaders are not immune to stress and mental health problems at work – only by acknowledging this can we begin to set the best example.
“Taking responsibility for our own mental wellbeing, being honest with ourselves about what our limitations are, and doing our best to maintain a good work-life balance is the only way to make sure our staff do the same.”
He says charities can take simple practical steps to improve mental health and wellbeing, such as communicating the value of mental health, developing a plan to identify potential problems, and introducing flexible working hours.
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