PRIME Minister Rishi Sunak’s recent speech on Britain’s sick note culture highlights how something’s ‘gone wrong’ since Covid, an expert has warned. 

An estimated 850,000 more people are currently economically inactive according to reports. 

But Nathan Shearman, director of therapy and training at Red Umbrella and a qualified psychotherapist and counsellor, said it is a multi-faceted and complex issue to tackle.

He says: “We have known for a while that the number of people who are economically inactive has been going up. And the language around it is interesting – economically inactive suggests that you’re not contributing to the country’s economy, which misses the fact that these people in a lot of cases genuinely want to work, but simply cannot.  

“Access to services is vital. That’s where the government has a big responsibility in terms of providing the services needed. And that’s where a big part of this issue lies. For those who are off work with their mental health, the lead time to get mental health support is huge.  

“In most major cities, you’re looking at a six-month lead time for counselling and therapy through your GP. That’s potentially six months you’re going to be signed off before you can even get any help or support to start to get better. 

“We know that there have been a lot of budget cuts over the years and that mental health services are significantly underfunded as a result.  

“This means that employers can now no longer rely on the NHS to help provide the solutions if and when employees need support to get over mental ill health. 

“Employers must step up to fill some of those gaps and have plans in place to help both prevent and support. 

“There are steps that workplaces should be taking to improve people’s wellbeing and reduce the number of individuals that are being signed off sick.”

Outlining what some of those steps are he continued: “Education is really important from a preventative point of view, too, because if somebody comes forward and their line manager, for instance, just doesn’t know how to respond, this could be particularly detrimental. 

“Knowing how to respond and having a basic understanding of mental health is key, as there is there’s a lot of misinformation out there, as well as often, an old-school mentality surrounding mental health issues.

“That’s where mental health training becomes vital, such as Mental Health First Aid training for line managers to teach them how to support their teams. 

“That’s also really crucial when people return to work after experiencing mental health issues. There’s often an expectation that someone is just going to come back and resume working as normal, but that’s not expected with physical health issues.  

“Having managers trained up to support individuals within their team effectively when they come back means that they’re less likely to need to be signed off again. 

“Something invaluable that comes from mental health training is knowing how to make adjustments for people who may be struggling. Sometimes it’s as simple as saying ‘if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed, just know that you can talk to me, and I’ll help you any way I can’ or just letting them know they can take a break whenever they need to. 

“That means that employees are less likely to get to a point where they are feeling overwhelmed because they know they have options. It’s also about offering additional support such as employee assistance programmes or counselling and therapy services.  

PEMBROKESHIRE COLLEGE says it is proud to announce the success of its innovative Destination Design Thinking Programme, launched as a pilot last September. This ground-breaking initiative targets Level 3 Creative Media learners, offering them a unique opportunity to engage in design thinking while developing critical employability skills.

The Destination Design Thinking Programme runs alongside learners’ main qualifications, aiming to cultivate a 21st-century mindset that blends creativity, idea generation, and entrepreneurial concepts. By integrating these elements, the programme prepares learners for various career paths, whether they aspire to start their own business or pursue other ventures.

Throughout the programme, participants have benefited from direct engagement with top entrepreneurs and industry leaders from across the UK. Notable guests have included professionals from Afanti Media, Spotify, and most recently, Blue Bolt, a renowned visual effects studio. Blue Bolt’s
co-founder, Lucy Ainsworth Taylor, along with her colleague Nik Birmingham, served as inspiring role models for the learners.

Drawing from their experiences, they shared valuable insights into creativity, innovation, and business acumen. Lucy Ainsworth Taylor emphasised the importance of tenacity and perseverance in the industry, encouraging learners to build knowledge and experience before pursuing their entrepreneurial endeavours.

In addition to mentorship opportunities, participants have gained valuable work experience, including involvement in an international extreme sports magazine and as runners on Katherine Jenkins’ Christmas Special, thanks to Emyr Afan from Afanti.

Creative Media Production learner Dylan shared his thoughts on the programme so far, “Working on the Christmas special as a runner was exciting. I did have imposter syndrome and it was crazy to be given the opportunity. In turn I feel more motivated, and it has opened my mind to more career opportunities and career directions.”

By engaging with such industry leaders and their stories, participants in the Destination Design Thinking Programme are not only developing their creative skills but also learning how to transform their ideas into successful ventures.

“With Wales’s booming screen industry, it’s fitting that Pembrokeshire College has designed a programme to equip learners with the mindset and tools necessary to nurture a new generation of creative, social entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs,” Hayley, Pembrokeshire College.

For more information about the Destination Design Thinking Programme at Pembrokeshire College, please visit www.pembrokeshire.ac.uk

THREE exciting local talents are bringing their acts to St Dogmaels Memorial Hall next Sunday, May 12 at 3pm.

This promises to be a wonderful afternoon of performances of original pop compositions.  

Rosalind Powell, who is known both for her classical piano performances and through her singer-songwriter work, has curated the afternoon. The other performers will be Steve (Stephen P. Greenhalgh) with his Celtic folk rock music under his performance name Cariad, and Matthew Douglas who performs under the name Drift, with pieces from his new album Ailsa. Rosalind will be performing songs from her new album Sound Eagle. Tickets will be from the door (suggested donation of £7) and refreshments will be available.

The event is a fundraiser for the local climate campaigning group Cardigan Extinction Rebellion (XR), who are raising money to help local people going to London to join the Restore Nature Now demonstration on Saturday 22nd June. This will be a peaceful family-friendly demonstration, joining with Chris Packham, and tens of thousands of people from a wide range of organisations such as RSPB, the National Trust, WWF, Friends of the Earth, the Woodland Trust. Coaches will be arranged from the area to take people to London and back on the day. Contact [email protected] or 07787 197630 for more information about the concert in St Dogmaels on Sunday or about the demonstration.