The UK Psych Health and Safety Podcast

In this episode, Sheila Lord and Dr Jacqui Wilmshurst delve into the innovative implementation of a four-day working week at Grant Instruments, a company known for producing scientific equipment. With insights from Kevin Belgrove, who manages the R&D team, and Yasmin Mackay, who was instrumental in pushing for this change, we explore the motivations, challenges, and outcomes of transitioning to a shorter work week.

In this week’s episode, Sheila & Jacqui, delve into psychological health, safety, and approaches to wellbeing in the workplace. The conversation also poses the questions “what next?” and “how do we take employee health and wellbeing into a new era?”

In this episode, Sheila Lord and Dr Jacqui Wilmshurst talk to Mike Russell, the Chief Inspector of Greater Manchester Police, about his innovative approach to retention and well-being in the police force. Mike shares how he implemented stay interviews, and created a psychologically safe way to engage with officers who are considering leaving the job, and how this has resulted in significant savings and improved morale.

In this first episode of the new UK Psych Health and Safety podcast, hosts Sheila and Dr. Jacqui Wilmshurst introduce themselves and discuss the importance of psychological health and safety in the workplace. They also share their plans for future episodes!

In this episode of the UK Psych Health and Safety Podcast, Sheila is speaking to Dr Ines O’Donovan. Dr. O’Donovan is the CEO of Jeunessima, the world’s premier Lifestyle Company, helping women over 40 live longer, happier, and successful lives. She also has a PhD in Management Learning, Leadership & Employee Engagement and an MBA in Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Technology under her belt, and translates all her wisdom, research, and experiences into simple practical tips that women can easily integrate into their daily lives. In this episode they discuss how leadership has changed over time, leading virtual spaces, multigenerational virtual workplaces, dynamic employee engagement, ageing and mental health, and the immense cost of ignoring women’s health in the workplace.

For the 50th episode of the Workplace and Wellbeing Podcast, Sheila Lord is speaking to Roy Magara. Roy is an employment solicitor advocate for Magara Law which represents both employers and employees in cases surrounding mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. They discuss mental health and safety at work, case law surrounding harassment, constructive knowledge and foreseeability, and what companies can do to harbour a healthier workplace environment.

This week on the Workplace Health and Wellbeing podcast, Sheila Lord is joined by Lindsey Simpson from Spark Team communications. Lindsey is a Communications and Engagement specialist working on improving culture & approaches to workplace mental health. She is also the lead researcher on the Workforce State of Mind Survey. In this episode they talk about communication and discuss the importance of communication in terms of an organization's performance engagement and well-being.

In this special crossover episode Sheila Lord is speaking to Mindy Gibbins Klein about mental health in the workplace and how organisations can introduce mental health support programmes, all of which have a definitive return on investment.

In this week's episode Sheila Lord is speaking to Sharon Vibert, Director of Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace. They are discussing ways to support employers to becoming menopause friendly, by following best practice standards and embedding menopause into the culture of an organisation.. They also cover many of the myths that surround menopause and how managers can create a safe work environment for employees dealing with menopause

The well-being of the employees is the key to everything that an organisation stands for. Well-being of staff covers both physical and psychological health. We don’t function well without both. This week, in a special crossover episode, Sheila has been talking to Adam Clarke of Praxis42 about the benefits of investing in well-being, building skills, being a manager, communication, comfort zones, and much more.

This week on the UK Psych Health & Safety podcast, Sheila Lord is joined by Derek Mowbray, Director at The Management Advisory Service (MAS), and a charted psychologist who is passionate about building and sustaining positive work cultures. They are discussing how leaders and managers can build and sustain cultures and exhibit behaviours that lead to trust, commitment and engagement, and as a consequence produce high-level performance in individuals and their organisations.

In today's podcast, Sheila Lord has a fascinating conversation with Bob Cummins, Executive Director of Sodak, about how companies can create a safer, healthier, and more effective place of work through behavioural insights. They also discuss the meaning of “behaviour” and Bob outlines the elements that influence other people's behaviour Bob believes in using behavioural science to improve organisations through the behaviours of their people. In 2013 he formed SODAK, with the express aim of helping people understand people.

This week on the UK Psych Health & Safety podcast, Sheila Lord and Peter Kelly are speaking to Richard Heron. Richard has worked as the chief medical officer and the global head of health for BP the last 16 years. He’s a member of the national forum for health and safety, the National Health Service expert advisory group for health and wellbeing, and also an Honorary Fellow at Nottingham University. Throughout this episode, they dive into numerous aspects of well-being in the workplace, and what organisations can do to improve well-being in the workplace.

In this week's episode Sheila Lord and Peter Kelly are speaking to Dr Christian Van Stolk - Executive Vice President at RAND Europe. He has worked broadly on health and well-being. His work in the past has focused on working on the health and well-being of staff in the National Health Service in the UK and looking at the connection between productivity, health, and well-being outcomes.

In this episode, Sheila Lord and Peter Kelly are talking to Kevin Daniels, Professor of Organisational Behaviour at the University of East Anglia about how, as employers, we go about prioritising the business case for wellbeing. Kevin also tells us about a recent project he has been involved in Evolve Workplace Wellbeing which launched May 16th Kevin has a background in occupational psychology and is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society, Academy of Social Sciences and Royal Society of Arts. Kevin has led many projects funded by Economic and Social Research Council, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Health and Safety Executive amongst others. He has held or holds editorial positions at the scientific journals: European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, Human Relations and British Journal of Management.

In this cross-over episode Sheila Lord and Lisa LLoyd, Chartered Psychologist & Psychotherapist and Founder of It's Time for Change, explore the ISO 45003 and how it can benefit employee experience.

This week Sheila joins James MacPherson Managing Director and Chief Operational Risk Consultant @ RiskFluent on his Rebranding Safety podcast. Amongst over things they are discussing where mental health sits within an organisation and who has responsibility for it, ISO’s (how and who), behaviour and culture change and they give their thoughts on how mental health is currently being dealt with.

In this special edition of the UK Psych Health and Safety Podcast, to mark Men's Health Week 2022, Sheila Lord has been speaking to Emily Pearson, Co-founder & Managing Director of Our Mind's Work and Paul Bannister, Director at ManHealth. Emily is the founding manager of Our Minds Work & Paul is the founder of Man's Health and both work together to tackle male-specific stigma and normalize help-seeking behavior among men for ultimate mental wellness. Amongst other things, they are discussing how we go about engaging with men on mental health when a lot of well-being initiatives are not male-focused and also talk about their Manbassador program.

In this episode Sheila Lord is speaking to Peter Cheese, CEO of the CIPD the professional body for HR and a fellow of the Australian HR Institute, about the role of HR in workplace well-being and the development into more cross-functional working with other disciplines such as wellbeing, H&S and Leadership. Since January 2019, Peter has been co-chair of The Flexible Working Task Force, a partnership across government departments, business groups, trade unions and charities, to increase the uptake of flexible working. He is also Chair of Engage for Success and the What Works Centre for Wellbeing. Peter writes and speaks widely on the development of HR, the future of work, and the key issues of leadership, culture and organisation, people and skills. In 2021, his book ‘The New World of Work’ was published, exploring the many factors shaping work, workplaces, workforces and our working lives, and the principles around which we can build a future that is good for people, for business and for societies.

In this episode, Sheila Lord and Peter Kelly are speaking to Kevin Lyons, Senior HR Manager at Pearson Group about the role and value of mental health first aiders as part of an organisation's approach to wellbeing, and the structure and support needed for MHFA’s in the context of the changing nature of work. Kevin drives many projects across the business including the global Mental Health First Aider Community and MHFA training programme within Pearson. Kevin is also involved in many diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and he is passionate about wellbeing at work.