S U S T I N E R E M E N T A L H E A L T H I N H O S P I T A L I T Y

A F O L L O W U P N O T E S . . .

Thank you for having joined us to ignite and sustain discourse surrounding mental health in hospitality and finding positive ways to improve, care and lead.

Here, you can re-cap on key comments, advice and learnings as well as gaining access to articles and resources for aiding improvement personally and professionally.

SARAH RESTALL: CO DIRECTOR PILOT LIGHT CAMPAIGN, LONDONSarah is a specialist in supporting mental health in the workplace working with Pilot Light, a campaign dedicated to eliminating stigma associated with mental health in the hospitality industry. With a wealth of experience gained working for the Mind on the Time to Change Employers Team, her background includes offering expert consulting, coaching and support. In addition, Sarah has an impressive history of delivering to external forums as a key note speaker, panelist and panel facilitator. She resides with her Bengal cat by the beach in Margate where she regularly tops up her mental health reserves with long walks, bike rides and the occasional North Sea swim.

MITCH PHILLIP – TAIT: HEAD CHEF, OZONE COFFEE, EMMA STREET, LONDON Hailing from a small beachside town on the East coast of Australia, Mitchell has over a decade of experience working in the hospitality industry. Mitchell has worked at some of the most prestigious lodges and restaurants across Australia and New Zealand, including a Head Chef role at Auckland’s Clooney and Chef roles at the Sydney institution Marque and Queenstown’s Matakauri Lodge. Upon moving to London, Mitchell worked at Michelin-starred Leroy, before making the move to Ozone Coffee to take the role of Head Chef at their recently opened second site, Emma Street. While his career has facilitated the forging of his own food philosophies, it’s also motivated him to encourage positive change in the industry by setting up ‘The Illicit Project’: a non-profit pop up series that works to bring awareness and break stigmas around mental health in the hospitality industry as well as raise funds for various mental health charities and foundation.

JAMIE LUMSDEN: LIFE COACH AND HEAD CHEF, COLCHESTERJamie is the Head Chef of a private members club in Colchester and fills the rest of his time as a Life Coach. For the last few years, Jamie has been training with highly-experienced coaches and therapists – working alongside them to understand the unconscious mind, how it drives our attitudes and behaviours, and how it ultimately leads to our self-sabotage. Working within mental health and raising awareness within hospitality has become a passion for Jamie, long before it became as highlighted as it is now.

T H E S P E A K E R S :

Working in his first role as Head Chef at 24, he now tries to ensure his kitchen team are willing to talk and share about any issues they may have and encourage a positive mentality towards “speaking up”.

NICOLA CHAMBERLAIN: CLIENT DELIVERY MANAGER, MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID ENGLANDNicola Chamberlain is a Client Delivery Manager at Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England. In her role, Nicola supports organisations to identify and implement the appropriate level of mental health training, in line with their mental health and wellbeing objectives and in support of ‘whole organisational’ change – helping employers to build mentally healthier working environments for their people. Nicola has always had a passion for raising mental health awareness through education and training and ultimately breaking down mental health stigma.

In 2014 she joined MHFA England in its mission to normalise society’s attitudes and behaviours around mental health, by promoting the development of skills needed to look after our own and others’ wellbeing. She now works with employers across a range of sectors, with a focus on Hospitality as well as Leisure, Travel and Manufacturing, supporting businesses to effectively incorporate Mental Health First Aid training into their wider wellbeing strategies. Nicola also leads for MHFA England in the This is Me initiative.

E V E N I N G H O S T :

ALEX MILNE: HEAD OF PEOPLE AND CULTURE,OZONE COFFEE ROASTERS, LONDONFellow Kiwi and long-term friend of Ozone, Alex, joined us earlier this year to lead our newly formed People & Culture team… banging the drum for equality, integrity, kindness, diversity, openness and transparency across our business. Alex brings broad and varied experience from both the hospitality and corporate worlds, most recently at HIX, The Quality Chop House, The Good Egg and #ozonefam Iris & June. Fun fact, Alex was also an extra in Lord of the Rings.

. . .

Improving internal processes / approach doesn’t have to happen all at once. Creating cultural change in an organisation is a complex task that requires a multi-tiered approachIt is a journey. Start with quick wins – MHFA etc; write MH policy/commitment, make it visible. Get some training and see if it fits.

We all have it, we all need to manage it. You can go through times of good mental health and bad mental health.

We, individually and as employers, need to prioritise it just as much as we do physical health, even though it (or the treatment) might not be as obvious.

Estimates suggest that mental ill health costs UK employers £34.9 billion each year in reduced productivity, sickness absence and staff turnover. Proactively investing in improving the mental health of will address that.

D E F I N I N G M E N T A L H E A LT H :

H O W D O W E A P P R O A C H I T :Just have conversations.Ask how they are and then ask again: It is often after the second/third time of asking that the person will answer more openly. Listen more than speak though. Give OTHERS time to speak. Sometimes all they need however might be acknowledgment, silence. Accept there are no quick fixes.

M E N T A L H E A LT H F I R S T A I D :A concept that started in Australia in 2007. Think about it just as you would with physical first aid – learning more about recognising warning signs and what immediate action you can take. It is accessible via MHFE or other third-party organisations like Hospitality Action. Encouraged to form training groups.Doesn’t have to be just your company; band together with other companies and share the costs. Having a visible MHFA programme can go behond just being reactive. Can help build employees’ confidence to have open conversations around mental health and break the stigma; encourage people to access support early when needed, for a faster recovery; empower people with a long term mental health issue or disability to thrive in work; promote a mentally healthy environment, stopping preventable issues and allowing people to thrive and become more productive.

W H O S H O U L D B E T R A I N E D I N M H F A?

Depends on the organisation – some may train many or key crew dotted around the organisation within management roles. The latter is most encouraged and has proven to be most successful.

T I M E L I N E ?

If you feel someone is ask risk, dial 999. Keep yourself safe and the person safe.

R E C O G N I S I N G C R I S I S P O I N T O F E N G A G I N G E X T E R N A L H E L P :

M O R E F R O M T H E S P E A K E R S :JAMIE LUMSDEN

On talking:Implementation of talking is becoming a norm. Being able to sit down for 5 mins to chat. Even though services are busy there are other hours in the day where conversations can take place.

Kitchen and the dining room spaces are worlds apart. Kitchen is hot sweaty – and understanding boundaries is important but always having a space to talk is essential.

“I’m a Head Chef, I am still trying to work it out but from my experience, talking works”

On the kitchen as a space to work:If there was an answer for the kitchen space being notoriously challenging when it comes to wellbeing there wouldn’t be a problem. Traditionally the main emotion was in the kitchen was anger – this is changing with having other spaces and time if needed.

On finding time to unwind after work when a work day finishes outside of a traditional 9-5:Apps like Headspace. Meditation. Traditional ways to unwind with alcohol is just not healthy – there are alternatives.

On looking after ones own diet:You need to try and find the time before service / after service. Try and stick to a routine so that the energy is coming at a time that you need it. Try and sit down to have a meal.

On leadership training and management:It’s essential for leadership training to be implemented and with this open conversations will grow to be a normality.

On leaders showing vulnerability in order to open dialogue:As a leader you have to show vulnerability yourself. I can run my kitchen but I can also talk about my mental health. It is so important for leaders to step outside of a comfort zone and share something about yourself.

O N L E A R N I N G F R O M O T H E R S E C T O R S :The Construction industry was where the hospitality industry was three years ago. There are barriers that pulls many parallels to the hospitality industry. For example communication challenges based on language, which can make some conversations harder to start. Over 50% of people who work in both construction and hospitality have had mental health challenges. Key take away from learning from construction industry is how well they work together within internal networks: Companies are making improvements by making good decisions throughout the business from supply chains and other third party contractors. Working collaboratively for the better good works.

MITCH PHILLIP – TAIT

On generational influence:Industry changes down to the young generation wanting and needing change for the better – and now more than ever it is a necessity.

On nutrition reminders:Nutrition is very important and connected to good mental health – you can’t survive on Big Macs and Latte’s.

On personal culture and habits:Create a good culture for yourself and try your best to create an environment at home where you have a space for yourself and make time to cook. The hardest thing is committing (to better habits). We know what we need to do at lot of the time... logging in to headspace etc. We just need the dedication and time and reminders to keep at it.

On perception:More people are saying “that’s not ok” by management being more approachable and open. Kitchen culture which is starting to dissipate is a belief that if you are sad or can’t do it then you are not good enough and will get replaced.

SARAH RESTALL

On what can change:Learning experiences and spending time away from the environment. As a workplace – creating opportunity for staff to have experiences off site.

On unwinding: It is important to help put into practice ways to improve wellbeing. Everyone is entitled to do this no matter what the hours of work are.

On supporting your staff: An industry where there is a shortage of people wanting to work in it – Andrew Clarke ref – Sunday full staff meetings combined with a experience (tasting / supplier visit for eg). It helps reshape a job that is misinterpreted as temporary or a chore. It’s important to sustain interest in the industry.

. . .

. . .

• Full staff meetings – if possible combine them with an experience which is offsite.

• Value yourself enough to afford yourself 10 mins to sit down and have a meal

• Encourage people not to get to crisis point.• 24 hour counselling service• Local counselling colleges to get lower rates /

subsidies • Keep the conversation going – to grow awareness• Coming into a professional setting to openly

discuss this is encouraging but building trust and empowering people to have individual conversations is the biggest recommendation. Keep this topic open and flowing within your workplaces.

• Leaders – show vulnerability and be relatable as a person: Remind crew you might have “been there” too during challenging times.

Hospitality Action – number to speak to someone hospitalityaction.org.uk

Samaritans samaritans.org

Calm calm.com

Downloadable resources from MHFA mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/resources

Every Mind Matters nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters

Where’s Your Head At? Manifesto wheresyourheadat.org

We hope you enjoyed the event. To register your interest for our next Sustinere evening please email bianca@ozonecoffee.co.uk

R E S O U R C E S A N D R E C O M M E N D A T I O N S :

https://www.hospitalityaction.org.ukhttps://www.samaritans.orghttp://www.calm.comhttps://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/resources/https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/http://www.wheresyourheadat.org/mailto:bianca%40ozonecoffee.co.uk?subject=

Photography w i th thanks to @the1har r i s

Photography w i th thanks to @the1har r i s

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