Time To Talk Day

Let's talk!

On 6th February it was ‘Time To Talk Day', which was part of a campaign by See Me Scotland to tackle some of the stigma around mental health. It’s a simple concept.Talking about our mental health is an effective way to improve our mental health.

We really loved this campaign. Mental health in the care sector is so important. We recognise that our care team bring their whole selves to work; afterall the job requires you to be tuned-in and to connect with guests. But some days can be emotionally demanding. Talking and making time for each other is an important part of our working culture. We believe that everyone needs support at different times to be their best selves. We encourage conversations wherever we can - and have not put a TV in our staff room for this reason! Team members are often very good at looking out for one another and recognising that we all have ups and downs with mental health.

Quite simply the ‘See Me’ campaign aligned with beliefs and values we, at Leuchie, already have and hold. So! We rolled up our sleeves, we put up the campaign posters for all staff to see and discuss, we shared #timetotalk tweets and we posted on Facebook, to many likes and smiley faces. And now we are going a step further. Because we think 'Time To Talk Day' is way too important for just one day we’re implementing the sentiments of the campaign by putting in initiatives to let everyone be themselves at work, to improve supervision meetings and to encouraging everyone to take part in an exercise which examines the importance of valuing the person.

From a personal viewpoint, there have been days where I’ve been lifted by kind words from a colleague. Having gone through mental health problems in the past I look back and know that I didn’t talk enough. Being part of a working culture that is supportive is important to me, and it’s a source of pride that in my role as Head of HR I can continue this.

Many who visit Leuchie describe it as a special place and it is.  By properly taking care of our staff we can ensure our team continues to take great care of our guests, making every holiday experience as good as it can be.

Ross Macnab
HR MANAGER