11 minute read
Health & Wellbeing
NEW YEAR-NEW YOU
One You Hounslow is the local integrated health and wellbeing service for Hounslow. Whether you want to lose weight, get active, drink less or stop smoking now or in the New Year, we can provide friendly local support on your journey to a healthier you.
We all need a bit of support sometimes Cook & Eat Programme These are free 4-week programmes so if you are looking for help to stop smoking, eat more healthily, where you can learn to eat more healthily and meet other people in your be more active or maybe connect more local area. You can find testimonials from previous with others, One You Hounslow can help. 0NEYOU participants and dates for upcoming programmes on our Cook and Eat page. Our health advisors can help you set goals towards a healthier you, so don’t delay and get in touch with One You Hounslow you, so don’t delay and get in touch with One You Hounslow today! HOUNSLOW
If you smoke, then stopping smoking is the single best thing you can do for your health. Visit the Stop Smoking page
so if you are looking for help to on our website to find your nearest stop smoking clinic where our friendly stop smoking specialist will support you on your journey to becoming smokefree! stop smoking, eat more healthily, Get Active We have lot of ways for
people of all ages to be more
be more active or maybe connect more active, including lots of local opportunities on our Get Active
page.
with others, One You Hounslow can help. The Hounslow activities map shows opportunities to get active
across the whole borough.
Our health advisors can help you set goals towards a healthier you, so don’t delay and get in touch with One You Hounslow today! ® • � 020 8973 3530 ► www.oneyouhounslow.org @ONEYOUHOUNSLOW e Our health advisors can help you set goals towards a healthier you! 020 8973 3530
Healthier Me Programme Our Healthier Me programme has become very popular and is a 12-week adult weight management programme led by our registered nutritionists. Contact us to find out if you are eligible to join this programme – call us or register on the Healthier Me page on our website. Free Community Health Walks Our community health walks run at the same time and place every week and are available at different locations across Hounslow. To find your nearest walk and sign up visit our Free Community Health Walks page.
Supporting those with mental health conditions back into the workplace…
We’re in the middle of what’s been coined a “recruitment crisis” - yet whilst this gains momentum, leaving job vacancies crying out for applicants, an equally ambitious workforce of skilled, committed and motivated individuals wish for sustainable employment to re-connect with life and find a brighter, better future for themselves.
However, for those managing a mental health condition, the pathway to work may need more than the standard induction training, instead they need a bridge into the workplace. London based charity Twining Enterprise work with clients every day who have experienced a mental health condition but want to get back into the workplace, using evidence-based employment support models like Individual Placement and Support (IPS) to make the transition. Chief Executive at Twining Enterprise, Oli Jacobs, explained, “Many of the clients who find their way to us come via our partnerships with the NHS, community-based social enterprises or by selfreferral, and have already spent time receiving mental health therapies, but may still require a different type of support to fully get their lives back on track.
This is where our Employment Specialists step in – to understand a client’s current employment situation, what their working aspirations might be, and what may be a realistic route to finding, securing and sustaining fulfilling work to support their healing and form part of a wider recovery journey.”
One of Twining Enterprise’s clients, Jacinda, found herself unemployed for almost one and a half years, creating a lack of confidence, low self-esteem and triggering severe stress from previous workplace bullying and a lack of parental support. Despite finding it hard to trust people, her Twining Enterprise Employment Specialist gradually gained her confidence, sitting alongside her and sharing information about jobs, interviews and even workwear.
Jacinda explained, “We can be a victim of our own circumstances, or we can use the problems as a step to succeed. Because when we decide to get out of our fears, the universe conspires to help us and the right people appear to support our journey.”
Jacobs goes on to explain, “It’s stories like Jacinda’s that makes our work so rewarding! There is nothing more satisfying than working with people who maybe haven’t had happiness, job satisfaction or even a basic routine for many years, suddenly starting to blossom after finding work they love.”
Twining Enterprise also works with employers that share the same ethos of supporting often marginalised people back into the workplace and providing them with that magical second chance to find their rightful place in society.
Helen B.
‘I had been interested in Ozone therapy for quite some time.’ Dr Hala says, ‘After my eldest Son developed a back injury while weightlifting, he had several Ozone injections at the injury site.’ She recalls. ‘The results were amazing, in a matter of weeks he improved drastically and was able to walk without pain, and now he’s back to lifting weights.’
As an NHS consultant Dr Hala has always been passionate about medical treatment and saw big potential in Ozone therapy. ‘I explored IV Ozone therapy just as we were coming out of the lockdowns of the Covid pandemic.’ Dr Hala says. ‘You take samples of the patients’ blood, ozonate them, and return them to the body. The effects are incredible; improved oxygenation of the whole body, increased energy & focus, boosted immune system, and increased production of antioxidants.’
Since the pandemic Dr Hala has performed IV Ozone therapy on her clients, many of which seeking relief from the symptoms of long-covid. ‘The timing could not have been better for my clients and even my family, as the Covid pandemic hit close to home.’ Recalls Dr Hala. ‘My youngest son was hospitalised with Covid and pneumonia and even after he was discharged, he felt very weak and short of breath. He had gone from competitive boxing to struggling to get up the stairs’ she adds. ‘I gave him weekly IV Ozone sessions and in just under 2 months he was ready to get back to boxing, though I did make him wait until he was fully recovered’ Dr Hala laughs.
Not just for health and wellbeing, Ozone therapy is a great addition to the world of aesthetics. As the effects are throughout the whole body, even your skin will reap the benefits of IV Ozone. ‘Your skin is an organ. Just like any other organ it functions better with more oxygen, so your skin will look better, and you’ll feel better.’ she explains. ‘That’s the beauty of Ozone therapy, you combine feeling better with looking better all in one treatment.’
Supporting menopausal workers is a win-win
The menopause affects all women at some point in their lives. According to NHS figures, women in the UK typically reach the menopause, at around 51 years of age. The severity of symptoms and the length of time they last can vary from person to person.
Healthcare group, Bupa points out that 3.5 million of the UK’s female workforce are aged 50 or over. Menopausal women are also the fastest growing demographic in the workplace. If companies have for too long failed to listen or support these employees, they can no longer do so.
Common symptoms of the menopause include loss of confidence, poor memory, difficulty sleeping and fatigue. All these factors can negatively affect work performance. The menopause is not in itself classed as a disability and there are currently no direct menopause discrimination laws protecting workers in the UK.
Although it’s not directly a disability, the Employment Tribunal has acknowledged that symptoms of the menopause can amount to a disability, and a claim for discrimination may succeed on a case-by-case basis. The perceived lack of clarity here has inevitably come in for criticism.
There have been calls from many quarters for clearer definition regarding menopause in the workplace and employers’ responsibilities. The Women and Equalities committee set up an inquiry into menopause in the workplace and the extent to which women with menopausal symptoms suffer discrimination at work. The committee’s report was published at the end of July 2022 and the Government’s response is expected soon. This could potentially lead to changes to the Equality Act 2010. Even if there are no specific legislation changes related to menopause in the workplace, employers should make sure they have steps, procedures and support in place to help staff affected.
Supportive employers
Having regular conversations with staff and listening to their concerns might help resolve issues early on. This could mean an employee avoiding long, unwanted absences, not feeling isolated and encouraged by a support network in place. A proactive approach could also prevent any potential legal action, demonstrating that the employer has not been negligent in any way.
Rather than seeing support as an unwelcome obligation, employers are being encouraged to identify the tangible benefits provided to both employer and employee. Notably, retaining high quality staff central to the success of the operation. A 2019 survey conducted by the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD) found that three in five menopausal women- usually aged between 45 and 55- were negatively affected at work and that almost 900,000 women in the U.K. left their jobs over an undefined period of time because of menopausal symptoms.
The implication here is that women are leaving businesses at the peak of their experience which will inevitably impact productivity. Women in this age group are likely to be eligible for senior management roles, and so their exit can lessen diversity at executive levels. It can also contribute to the gender pay-gap and feed into a disparity in pensions. There is clearly good reason for companies to act positively.
The menopause has been the unspoken issue of many women lives for far too long. Menopause is a very personal journey that each woman has to go through. For some, it can pass by with little to no impact. However, for others it can have catastrophic implications physically, mentally, and emotionally. Raising awareness and educating businesses on how best to support is critical and all businesses should be reviewing and improving their policies and employee support in this area.
For some woman, just as they are reaching the peak of their career, they can wake up one morning and feel like their whole self has changed and they might not even understand why? I know this because it happened to me. Getting the right support, the right treatment, and the right advice as early as possible is critical and this is where employers can step in and help.
Sam Leigh | Managing Director of Lampton Community Services Coalo – Greenspace – Recycle
I am very lucky to be going through the menopause at a time when lots of woman are talking about it now. There are lots of newspaper articles, books, Podcasts and celebrities talking about menopause which enables us as women to understand it a little more and discuss it with our friends, family and employers. It has certainly allowed me to talk about my experiences, the brain fog, the tiredness, the hot flushes and seek help via the GP, that perhaps others didn’t have. It is part of the main stream conversation now and menopause is no longer a mystery or indeed a dirty word!
Janet Leatherland, Treaty Shopping Centre
