PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Staff (12 December 2016)

Mental wellbeing forms a key theme in Defra’s employee Wellbeing Framework. The framework provides a structure for the Department to actively promote staff wellbeing, with a particular focus on reducing the incidence of stress and mental ill-health, while increasing awareness and empowering individuals to raise issues at an early stage. Our proactive approach to supporting staff with mental ill-health includes:

• reducing stigma around mental health and stress
• offering a wide range of e-learning packages and classroom training for managers and employees on mental health related topics
• promoting our Employee Assistance Provider
• empowering and providing budget for our employee-led staff network called Break the Stigma to support colleagues with stress or mental-ill health
• ensuring Line Managers have the resources, capability and skills to support individuals with mental ill-health. This includes robust attendance management guidance which advises early referral to Occupational Health.