Together Weekly 07.09.23

WORLD SUICIDE PREVENTION DAY

Sunday 10 September is World Suicide Prevention Day. Every 90 minutes someone in the UK or Ireland take their own life, with a suicide occurring on the railway every 37 hours. To mark World Suicide Prevention Day we’ve worked with Andy’s Man Club to produce a video to raise awareness and remind people that #itsokaytotalk.

Andy’s Man Club is a men’s suicide prevention charity, with over 140 group meetings taking place across the UK. They offer peer-to-peer support at the same time every week, Monday at 7pm. The groups provide a judgement-free place for men to talk about any issues and can help support each other.

Members Ian Watson, Michael Chapplow, Mark Dunkin and Liam Murnane boarded one of our trains to discuss their personal stories and how talking has helped to save their lives. You can watch the video here

Ian Watson, Driver, said: “I can’t emphasise the importance and power of talking. For someone in need, that step seems like a mountain to overcome, but once you’ve taken it, you’ll never look back.

“Stigma dictates that men should never express or share emotions with others and that archaic way of thinking is one of the reasons why male suicide rates are high.”

We’ve been working to reduce the number of fatalities on the railway through our 34 Safeguarding Champions, who are there to offer guidance to colleagues when dealing with a difficult situation. We’re also equipping colleagues with skills to recognise and support someone who may be vulnerable. The Learning & Development team have created an eLearn, in partnership with Samaritans, with more details later on in Together Weekly.

SAMARITANS LITTLE TIPS MANAGING SUICIDAL CONTACTS TRAINING SESSIONS

Samaritans have found that asking someone if they’re suicidal can protect people and provides a crucial opportunity to open up. You don’t have to be an expert to talk to them, just letting someone know that you’re listening and care about them can be helpful.

Little tips

Signs to look out for:

• Not wanting to do things they usually enjoy.

• Finding everyday things overwhelming.

• Not replying to messages, or being distant.

• Avoiding people or seeming quiet.

• Appearing restless or agitated.

• Easily tearful.

• Drinking or using drugs to cope with feelings.

If someone is feeling suicidal, it might be hard to get through to them. They might be distant or distracted or feel disconnected from the world and their own emotions. Asking someone if they’re having suicidal thoughts can give them permission to tell you how they feel.

You don’t have to be an expert to help someone open up. The fact that you care is what matters.

We have more Managing Suicidal Contacts sessions available for all colleagues. Suicide is a complex subject that can be very difficult to talk about and many rail staff are on the front line during a crisis. Delivered by the Learning and Development Team, on behalf of Samaritans, Managing Suicidal Contacts equips colleagues with the skills to manage a conversation with someone who is emotionally vulnerable and may be at risk of suicide. More information on the course can be accessed on E-hub via this link The course will help you to:

Showing you care builds trust to open up:

• Choose a good time, and somewhere without distractions.

• Use open questions that need more than a yes/no answer.

• ‘How are things? I’ve noticed you don’t seem quite yourself.’

• Listen well. ‘How’s that making you feel?’

• Avoid giving your view of what’s wrong, or what they should do.

• Acknowledge difficult feelings and circumstances

• Show that you have listened and heard

• Provide emotional first aid

• Make sensitive and effective referrals During the course you will learn about:

• What the barriers to listening are

• The emotional health scale

It’s OK to ask. You could try:

• Have you thought about ending your life?

• Are you saying that you want to die?

• Are you thinking of ending your life because you want to be dead, or is it because you want the situation you’re in or the way you feel to stop?

It’s normal to feel anxious about asking, but it could save someone’s life. Remember, just being there to listen and showing you care can help.

If it feels like the person is really struggling to cope:

• ‘Would you like to get some help?’

• ‘Have you talked to your GP?’

• ‘Would you like me to come with you?’

• ‘You can call or email Samaritans for free, day or night.’

• ‘If it helps, you can talk to me any time.’

• If you think it’s an emergency or someone has tried to harm themselves – call 999.

• The Samaritans Listening Wheel and using it to help people open up and to help you to respond appropriately to them

• How to end a conversation with an emotionally vulnerable person

• Where to signpost to further help Sessions are taking place on 16 October and 20 November, both 13:00 to 16:00, at the Hub in Huddersfield.

If you need to be released from duty to attend the training, please agree it with your Line Manager/Resources before contacting the Learning & Development team to enroll at landd.admin@tpexpress.co.uk

SAY HELLO TO OUR NEW APPRENTICES

Seven new apprentices joined our team this week. Here they’re pictured on a trip to Manchester airport, left to right is Gabriel Doherty (Customer Experience Apprentice), Jake Shore (Train Planning Apprentice), Owen Buckle (Performance Apprentice), Corey Leyland (Performance Apprentice), Matthew Barrick (Customer Experience Apprentice), Lucy Lightbown (Sustainability Apprentice), Victoria Treiber (HR Apprentice).

World Suicide Prevention Day 2023

How to spot when something might be up

RAIL WELLBEING LIVE 2023 – REGISTER NOW!

You can sign up for as many sessions as you like, and they will be available on demand for two weeks after the live event. BUT you must be registered to watch the catch-up sessions!

This is a fantastic programme designed to help anyone working in the rail industry, both at work and in your personal lives, and we’ve included a short promotional video you can watch to give you a flavour of what to expect. You can watch it here

There is something for everyone in the jam-packed agenda, with inspiration speakers, wellbeing sessions and physical fitness sessions.

Highlights include:

• Davina McCall – Lessons I’ve learned

• Sir Steve Redgrave – You can win at life

• Dr Alex George – Live well everyday

• Dr Ayan Panja – Transform your health

• Poorna Bell – Finding strength

• Owen O’Kane – How to be your own therapist

• Dr Megan Rossi – Gut health

• Daniel Fryer - The four thoughts that f**k you up

OUR NEXT ACTIVE HUB EVENT - THE BIG TEAM RUN

Our last Active Hub event was an amazing success, with us seeing colleagues come together as a team to plant trees and compete against their fellow colleagues.

We now have details of the next Active Hub event… the Big Team Run!

Starting on Monday 2 October, the event will see teams from different companies around the world competing against each other.

GOING THE EXTRA MILE!

This is a virtual running race covering over 650 miles, the length of the US Pacific Highway, with teams having only four weeks to complete the challenge.

Only two teams of eight are allowed per company, so you’ll need to be quick. You can register your interest at https://www.totalactivehub.com/ big-team-run, you’ll need to register by 25 September to be entered.

Every week we receive some amazing messages from customers about our colleagues! Here’s a few we were sent last week:

Returning this year is the Wellbeing Hero Award, so get nominating someone who goes above and beyond to improve the wellbeing of their colleagues. Nominate via the website by 29 September, and you can revisit the site to nominate at a later date than you register.

Sign up via the QR code attached or visit www.rwl2023.co.uk – sign up today! Please note that due to the systems used, there is a 15 minute wait to access the first time after registering from the confirmation email sent to you.

If you haven’t got an Active Hub account, you can register and track your fitness at here:

• If you have a TPE email, login with the password: TPExp2023!

Note: If your TPE email is not accepted, please follow the instructions below

• If you don’t have access to a TPE email, click ‘register’, enter your details and the code: TPE2023

Good luck!

We also have an example of a colleague going the extra mile to help a vulnerable teenager who was on his train.

A few weeks ago, Conductor Matthew Smithson, was working on a service from Scarborough to York, when a distressed teenager jumped on the train and locked themself in the toilet. Matthew introduced himself to the teen, asked them their name and managed to calm them. It was through taking time to get to know the teen that Matthew was able to get them out of the toilet and into the cab.

The police then arrived on the scene and escorted the teen into the station, but unfortunately they ran away. The police then chased them, but the teenager only turned back when they were told they could go into the station office with Matthew. The teen ended up escorted to hospital by the police for an examination, but was much happier than when they first jumped on the train.

Matthew’s train was held up whilst he was trying to engage with the young person so, rather than risk his customers being delayed, he and a colleague managed to transfer all his customers onto another service.