Claire’s Story: Caring for the People Who Care for Us
Tell us more about your role
“My role as a Senior Wellbeing Practitioner helps to provide mental health support among staff in the 999 Emergency Operations Centre and 111 Contact Centre, where the high-pressure, emotionally challenging environment can take a toll on individuals’ wellbeing.
“I am on-site and can provide immediate, face-to-face support, helping staff to process trauma, build resilience and access timely mental health interventions. I help staff to improve their individual wellbeing.
“My work includes carrying out one-on-one assessments, follow-up sessions, training managers and advising on wider wellbeing policies for NHS staff. It’s proven to be invaluable, with many formal assessments delivered and many more staff benefiting from informal support.
What are your interests outside of work, any hobbies or activities you particularly enjoy?
“Outside of work, I enjoy visiting the cinema, reading, attending live music gigs and volunteering at a local vegan animal sanctuary - Hugletts Wood Farm Animal Sanctuary in Dallington, East Sussex. It’s surprising how therapeutic hugging a cow can be!
I am also involved with the Sussex Badger Vaccination Project and West Kent Badger Group – aiming to prevent the spread of Bovine TB and dispel the myths around this condition. It is a cause extremely close to my heart.”
What challenges do 999 and 111 call handlers face?
“Working in an Emergency Operations Centre is challenging, and the control room environment is just so unique. When we looked at the data on referrals into our Wellbeing Hub, we could see that colleagues within our Emergency Operations Centres accounted for more referrals to our Wellbeing Hub than our other colleagues across the Trust, so it was clear that staff needed more on-site support.
“A 999-control room is a busy environment with very little downtime between calls. When some of these calls can be traumatic, abusive or perhaps even just really sad, it is so important to there is good support on hand to help if needed as staff will deal with things in different ways.
“We have a really diverse, especially in terms of age. We have a lot of staff in their first ever job and this can present challenges. So having the support of a wellbeing practitioner on site every day for these teams is invaluable as giving them tools to cope early on in their careers can help build resilience.”
What motivates Claire
What truly motivates me is seeing progress and positive change in people and knowing I’ve played a part in that. I love having the opportunity to make a real difference, which is why I’m in this role today.
My journey started by accident 33 years ago when I took a part-time job supporting three young adults with profound learning disabilities while studying law. That experience changed everything. It inspired me to switch my degree to Applied Psychology of Learning Disabilities, complete a master’s in Analysis and Intervention, and later qualify as a counsellor.
Since then, I’ve worked across the NHS, private and voluntary sectors in roles ranging from senior support worker to senior forensic counsellor. Every step has reinforced my passion for helping people overcome challenges and thrive.
In my current role, no two days are the same. One day I might be supporting a team leader concerned about a colleague; the next, I’m helping someone worried about their own wellbeing. Being out on the centre floor means staff can approach me easily and get the support they need. That ability to listen, to help and to make things better for someone - that’s what drives me every single day.
What do staff need support with?
“I find that a lot of the staff will talk to me following a traumatic call where they haven’t been updated on the situation, so they sit and build a picture in their head of usually the worst possible outcome. This will then be a vicious cycle and if a similar call comes in those emotions will be triggered once again. I am able to talk to them and find out what’s fuelling this and their thought patterns and signpost them to get the support they need to continue doing their job. Other staff may just want general advice; it could even be about their home life.
“What tends to happen during a staff referral is an initial chat with them and then I will do an in-depth assessment and signpost them on. If someone has had a work-related trauma, we can refer them to one of our team of external specialist providers. I talk a lot with the providers and get updates on how they are progressing.
“I also offer follow-up calls to staff after an assessment. Some people take the signposting and will be fine and then others really benefit from the follow-up calls.
“Sometimes the wait in the NHS for talking therapies is really long and I am able to offer them six to eight low-level intervention sessions much sooner for things like anxiety, bereavement and giving them coping mechanisms.”
Have you seen the challenges facing NHS staff wellbeing change at all pre pandemic and post pandemic? Can you explain further.
“During the pandemic, I worked for a mental health NHS trust with forensic patients. I became very aware of the pressures on staff wellbeing, particularly around recruitment and retention, as well as the impact of heavy workloads and fatigue.
I believe these challenges have continued and, in some cases, intensified since the pandemic. Many services are still managing the effects of staff shortages, which can take a toll on morale and mental health. At the same time, there’s been real progress in how openly we talk about wellbeing and more recognition of the need for support for NHS staff."
Why do you do this role?
“The people I work with are what make this role so rewarding. The best part is seeing real change after an assessment. Recently, I spoke with someone who rated their wellbeing as 3 out of 10 and couldn’t imagine things improving. We arranged a referral to a specialist provider and when I checked in with them the other day, they told me they now feel like a 7. Moments like that are why I do what I do.
“An anonymous staff member said: “I have all the correct support in place and I just wanted to say thank you so much for talking to me on the phone. You really make such a difference so thank you so much.”
What advice would you give or what next steps would you suggest to an NHS staff member struggling with their mental health, who might be reading this feature?
“If you need someone to talk to, consider texting SHOUT to 85258 for support 24/7. Organisations like The Samaritans are also available 24/7 on 116123. Additionally, Check My Wellbeing (Check my wellbeing – Self-assess your psychological and emotional wellbeing ) is a useful assessment tool
Prioritising physical health, establishing healthy routines and connecting with others are all excellent self-care strategies.
Internally, consider talking to your manager to ascertain what internal supports are available to you. Having a wellbeing conversation can help you develop a plan that may include making reasonable adjustments to your work environment, as well as signposting you to internal support.
Please be assured you are not alone. There is a wealth of support available to you.”