Staff support

The OU provides a range of resources and services to support our colleagues in areas around mental health and wellbeing.

OUWellbeing App

OUWellbeing is a new app which makes looking after your wellbeing fun, interactive and stimulating by providing you with the tools to start building healthy, positive habits into your everyday life. It’s available to staff and students with content tailored to each group.

Download it here from the iOS or Android app stores and remember to use your OU staff email address to sign up.

Mental Health First Aiders

As part of our Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, we are launching a Mental Health First Aider Scheme, to train staff across the University in the principles of mental health first aid. 

We recognise that expanding this scheme across the University is an important element for creating a safe and healthy workplace, where mental health and physical health are valued equally.  It is hoped that increasing the number and distribution of Mental Health First Aiders across the University, will help to increase awareness of mental health issues and reduce the stigma and discrimination that is sometimes associated with this topic.

Mental health first aid is the help offered to a person who is: exhibiting signs of developing a mental health issue; experiencing a worsening of an existing mental health issue; or who is in mental health crisis and requires some level of intervention. Mental health first aid is provided to a person until the immediate crisis or need is resolved and/or professional help is received. A Mental Health First Aider is a member of staff who has attended and passed a Mental Health First Aid training course, delivered by an accredited Mental Health First Aid Instructor.  

The Mental Health First Aiders Framework (pdf 203kb) outlines the approach to setting up and maintaining a Mental Health First Aider Scheme across all units within the University. 

Suicide Safer University Strategy

This strategy is about improving the support available to those who are in need of help. The primary purpose of the Suicide Safer University Strategy (pdf 692kb) and Action Plan (pdf 160kb) is to:

• help to raise awareness of suicide prevention and mental health across the entire university population
• reduce the potential for suicide
• ensure students and staff who have been affected by suicide, have suicidal ideations or have attempted suicide have access to appropriate support.
• In addition to the Suicide Safer University Strategy, we also have Guidelines for responding to distressed and suicidal students

As part of our commitment to developing a whole institute approach for the support and protection of staff and students, our Suicide Prevention, Intervention and Postvention Strategy and Action Plan (2022) is also available. 

Internal support

• Tap into your support networks such as colleagues, your line manager, People Services and unions for support with your mental health and wellbeing. 
• Be aware of University policies and tools that support your wellbeing, such as agile working, occupational health, stress risk assessments; wellness action plans and reasonable adjustments.
• A range of training and development activities are arranged throughout the year.  These are often promoted on OU Life and can be accessed via My Learning Centre.  

Internal online resources

• Mental health and wellbeing on My Learning Centre provide links to internal and external support for mental health. 
• Wellbeing+ provides information and links to external sites for maintaining good physical and mental health. 
• Health and Wellbeing Guide (pdf 867kb) gives tips for staying mentally and physically healthy.  
• Working from home safely has guidance from the Health & Safety team about how to keep healthy whilst working from home.
• Mental Health and Wellbeing Conference 2021 is a SharePoint full of resources from the conference, focused on learning, work and inclusivity.

External support

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

The Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is available for all staff and their spouse or partner (provided the partner lives with the employee), and children between the ages of 16 and 24 who are in full-time education.

The website provides proactive ideas for encouraging good physical and mental health (username: Open password: Uni). 

You can also download the ‘My Healthy Advantage’ app to your mobile phone and set preferences for the topics that interest you. When you log in for the first time, you will need the OU’s unique code - MHA065347. 

For more immediate support or to arrange up to 6 confidential counselling sessions (which can be extended to 12 in exceptional circumstances and in discussion with counsellors), call the 24-hour helpline on Freephone number: 0800 0280199 (Republic of Ireland: 1800 936071).

Shout 85258

Shout is a text service which offers help for both staff and students if you’re struggling to cope, feeling anxious, stressed or overwhelmed and need to talk with someone, whether that's during the day or at night. Text the word OU to 85258 to start a conversation. More information is available via the Student Help Centre.

External online resources

• Headroom is a new BBC News site that contains numerous articles, tips, podcasts, and tools to help and improve mental health. 
• Mind provides a wealth of information to support and improve mental health.
• Mental Health UK provides information about improving your physical and mental health.
• NHS - Every Mind Matters gives advice, information and guidance about looking after your mental health.
• Rethink Mental Illness provides help and support for people living with mental illness.

If you have any queries about the information on this webpage, please contact edi-team@open.ac.uk.