supporting those working in critical care in Scotland

Mentoring

• The purpose of a mentor is to act as a sounding board, a facilitator (i.e. to help you help yourself) and a coach, all within a reasonably structured format that the mentor has been trained in.
• Each mentoring relationship is different and usually, but not exclusively, deals with work-related problems. Some involve a quick meeting to talk over a specific issue; others more long-standing or complex problems. It can, and hopefully will increasingly, be used as an entirely routine, supportive part of normal personal & professional development throughout one’s career.
• Mentoring is not counselling, and if a session is felt to be straying into territory that the mentor is not trained in, they can help signpost to alternative options.
• Local mentors will be happy to be contacted to talk more or arrange a meeting(s); to find a local mentor check on the SICS website under ‘mentoring’ or ask locally. Equally, if you’d rather speak with someone outside the region, it should be easy to do so.
• For more information, and to arrange contact with a mentors outside the region, visit the Association of Anaesthetists Mentoring Site or find more on the SICS website under ‘mentoring’.

NHS Occupational Health

• Occ Health is a service made up of nurses & doctors who are specialists in dealing with fitness of the individual for work, and of the fitness of your workplace for you. They offer multiple free, confidential services for NHS employees, including:
  • • Health surveillance
    • Short-term counselling
    • Medical & physiotherapy referrals
    • Sickness absence advice and assessment
• You can usually email, call or you can be referred by your employer directly.
• As this is a service within work, they may advise you and/or your direct line manager that you should not be working, or working differently, if there might be an impact upon your health or the safety of others.

Local Mental Health Assessment Services

• Many local authorities will run local mental health assessment services allied with the emergency department or psychiatric hospital.

Social care crisis centres

• Some cities have community-based services for those who are already using mental health services (including GP) or have done so in the past. It’s an alternative to contacting the hospital, and is sometimes run as part of social care services, partnered with the health board and the council.