Mind launches a toolkit with LawCare to promote better wellbeing in the legal sector

The new toolkit is online at the Mental Health at Work website. This UK-wide site allows all types of employers and employees to access free tools, advice and information – all in one place.

The legal toolkit includes resources from a range of expert organisations. The resources include tips on how to create mentally healthy legal workplaces, free online training to develop emotional competence and resilience, and a guide to managing stress in the legal profession. Mind invited colleagues from LawCare to put together this toolkit of resources.

Faye McGuinness, Head of Workplace Wellbeing Programmes at Mind, said: “We are pleased to launch this sector specific toolkit to the legal industry, in partnership with LawCare. It brings together resources from a range of expert organisations, many of which are free.

“We know that there’s a strong proven business case for legal workplaces to promote good physical and mental health for all staff – it leads to greater productivity, better morale, better retention of valued and experienced staff, and reduced sickness absence. We hope this toolkit encourages people to open up the conversation on mental health in the sector and to utilise the resources to help them get started.”

Simon Davis, President of the Law Society of England and Wales, has shared his own personal mental health story with Mental Health at Work. He said: “I felt tense and anxious, and experienced a feeling of doom. I spoke to no one because I did not know what to say – things could have deteriorated quite seriously.”Simon goes on to say: “Senior leaders have a responsibility to create a culture of openness in their law firms, where those who feel they cannot cope, or feel inadequate and worried, can share their thoughts with others without embarrassment or fear of any consequences.”

Research conducted by Mind in 2019 found that, of the 837 staff surveyed across 5 law firms, 61% stated their current mental health as ‘anxious’ and 70% of poor mental health attributed to problems at work.

The Mental Health at Work website brings together information, advice, resources and training that workplaces can use to improve wellbeing and give employees the mental health support they need.

A major report from Deloitte has found that one in six workers are experiencing a mental health problem at any one time, with stress thought to be responsible for almost half of working days lost in Britain due to health issues.

The report has found that the cost of poor mental health to UK employers has increased by 16% in the last 2 years, now costing up to £45 billion. Although it’s clear there have been positive changes affecting workplace mental health, there is still work to be done – many employees still don’t feel able to talk about their mental health (51%) and 39% of employees surveys said that work had affected their mental health over the past 12 months.

To access the legal toolkit and Simon’s blog, visit: www.mentalhealthatwork.org.uk/law

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Notes to Editors:

About Mind:

• We’re Mind, the mental health charity. We provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. We campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding. We won't give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets both support and respect. www.mind.org.uk

• Please note that Mind is not an acronym and should be set in title case.

• Mind has a confidential information and support line, Mind Infoline, available on 0300 123 3393 (lines open 9am - 6pm, Monday – Friday)

• Contact Mind’s Media Team for interviews or further information on 0208 522 1743. For out of hours support, call 07850 788 514 or email media@mind.org.uk.

• To access to a range of free images to accompany mental health news stories, visit: www.time-to-change.org.uk/getthepicture. These images have been developed by Time to Change, a campaign to change how we all think and act about mental health problems. Time to Change is led by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, and funded by the Department of Health, Comic Relief and the Big Lottery Fund.

About Mind’s Workplace Wellbeing programme:

• Mind’s Workplace Wellbeing programme aims to help people understand and start talking about the costs of neglecting mental wellbeing in the workplace.

• Mind offers free resources for employers to help improve mental wellbeing and employee engagement.

• For more information, including tips for employers and staff, please visit www.mind.org.uk/work

• Mind’s Workplace Wellbeing Index enables employers to celebrate the good work they’re doing to promote staff mental wellbeing and get the support they need to be able to do this even better. Forward-thinking employers can get involved in next year’s by visiting mind.org.uk/index 

 • Mind, with support from The Royal Foundation, Heads Together and 11 other organisations has created a free UK-wide Mental Health at Work website. This portal brings together information, advice, resources and training for employees and employers to promote good mental health at work: mentalhealthatwork.org.uk

• Time to Change is a campaign run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness which aims to change public attitudes and perceptions towards mental health. Over 800 organisations have signed the Time to Change Employer Pledge, demonstrating their commitment to ensuring employees facing mental health problems at work feel supported.

About LawCare

• LawCare is an independent charity offering emotional support, information and training to the legal community in the UK and Ireland. We work to promote good mental health and wellbeing in legal workplaces.

 • We’re here to help through our confidential helpline, email, webchat and one-to-one  peer support network. The helpline number is 0800 279 6888 (1800 991 801in Ireland) and you can access other support, information and resources at www.lawcare.org.uk (www.lawcare.ie)

• We are here to help all branches of the legal profession: solicitors, barristers, barrister’s clerks, judges, Chartered Legal Executives, paralegals, trade mark attorneys, patent attorneys, costs lawyers, and their staff and families.

• Our support spans the legal life from student to training to practice and retirement.