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Specialist Health and Work Services
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we’re with you at work
The Specialist Health and Work Service (SHAWS) continued to provide support to those affected by cancer remotely by telephone and video call.
We have supported people with a range of issues relating specifically to the pandemic, including anxiety around Covid-19 safety, mask wearing, lack of support, shielding, Covid-19 risk preventing clients returning to work and issues with furlough/redundancy.
We have helped people explore their options around reasonable adjustments, such as home working or extra safety measures, continuation of skills training, and support in expressing needs to employers, during this particularly difficult time. We have also spoken directly with employers, trade union representatives and occupational health assessors, where appropriate, to discuss client needs both in relation to Covid-19 as well as their cancer diagnosis.
“It was good to know that what I am going through is ‘normal’ and although my confidence is not what it was, I felt I could speak about what was going on with me in a safe place.”
Workshop Participant
cognitive behavioural therapy support
The mental wellbeing support we can provide within SHAWS has also been enhanced by the team addition of our Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) master’s placement student. Complementary CBT sessions have been offered to people for support with anxiety, assertiveness, depression, sleep disorders and more.
In addition, SHAWS Practitioners were able to refer people for complementary virtual relaxation sessions with a therapist from the Wellbeing Team at Beatson Cancer Charity. We also developed a great partnership with local Social Enterprise Company, Morphfit, who offered a dedicated gentle movement exercise class for those supported by Beatson Cancer Charity weekly via Zoom.
new workshops
We piloted our first virtual workshops delivered via Zoom. In February 2021 we delivered workshops on the topics of ‘Developing Your Daily Routine’ and ‘Effective Communication in the Workplace’. Feedback was very positive and will inform future workshop delivery. These workshops have allowed us to support people with similar challenges in an open and interactive group setting.
who we help
Due to an existing difficult situation within her workplace Anne* had been signed off work with stress. She never imagined this would be further complicated by a Breast Cancer diagnosis a few months later.
*not client’s real name
Anne’s cancer diagnosis came at a time when she was already seeking a transfer to a different department within her workplace, due to major changes in her role. Anne’s confidence was very low and the breakdown in relationship with key colleagues had affected her level of trust overall. Communication between Anne and her employers was challenging and problematic with a lack of clarity on what had been agreed to as part of her return.
Working with Kirsty, her Specialist Health and Work Practitioner, Anne was able to plan and clearly articulate her challenges in employer meetings. She attended relevant workshops to help her build her confidence, not only in what her rights at work were, but also how these could be communicated to the relevant people. Support with understanding how she responded to the stress and anxiety of the situation allowed Anne to develop a wider range of coping strategies and wellbeing techniques. These techniques helped Anne with the difficult process of resolving her work issues and in planning how to phase and support herself on her return to work. Working with her employers and the support of Kirsty, Anne successfully returned to work with confidence in the support of her employer and colleagues.
top 3 reasons for referral:
22% 19.8% 18.7%
Explore Options for Withdrawing From Work
Employee Rights Support
Return to Work Planning Assistance
