About Us

MINDFUL EMPLOYER^® is the work of a voluntary, informal network of employers and support organisations and is open to any employer in the UK, whether small, medium or large, private, public or voluntary sector.

MINDFUL EMPLOYER is facilitated by WorkWAYS which provides information, advice and practical support for people whose mental health affects their ability to find or remain in employment, training, education and voluntary work. WorkWAYS is run and managed by Devon Partnership NHS Trust. In conjunction with the National Institute for Mental Health in England (which is part of Care Services Improvement Partnership), we are involved in addressing employment-related social inclusion issues of people with mental health problems on local, regional and national levels. Click here for more information and also for details of our comments and complaints procedure.

The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health have kindly secured funding from the Big Lottery Fund to enable further development of MINDFUL EMPLOYER in the South East.

MINDFUL EMPLOYER is a Registered Trade Mark of Devon Partnership NHS Trust. The name MINDFUL EMPLOYER^® and the logo can only to be used by signatories to the Charter for Employers who are Positive About Mental Health and supporting organisations who have signed our Partnership Agreement.  We are very grateful to Keith Portlock, Chairman of the Trust, whose Chairman's Initiative Fund provided substantial funding towards the process of approval and registration and also Ashfords, Solicitors for their legal advice, support and sponsorship.

Council of Reference

The initiative is overseen by a group of people representing different specialisms, sizes and sectors of employers and supporting organisations. They are willing to be contacted should you have a specific enquiry - alternatively, use the main contact links. Click here for more information.:

Alistair Macintosh, Executive Director, Exeter Community Initiatives (Voluntary sector; small employer)
Darran Armitage, Associate Director of Human Resources, Devon Partnership NHS Trust (Public sector; large employer)
Di Jacob, Occupational Health Advisor, University of Exeter (Public sector; large employer)
Janet Turner, Human Resources Advisor, Exeter City Council (Public sector; large employer)
Emma Towell, Equal Opportunities Advisor, Devon & Cornwall Constabulary (Public sector; large employer)
Roger Cousins, Community Care Trust (South Devon) Ltd (Private sector; small employer)
Stephen Lear, Managing Director, Headland Lear (Private sector; small employer)
Susan McAdie, Network Coordinator, Business Health Network (Employer network)
Tom Bromwich, Development Manager, PLUSS (Supporting organisation)
Vacant (Private sector; small/medium employer)
 

Partnerships

We are gradually developing informal partnership agreements with a range of organisations across the UK. This free arrangements enables other organisation to show that they work in partnership with MINDFUL EMPLOYER and to display the logo alongside their own. Please contact us if you would like to know more.

Partnership agreements have been signed with:

Addaction South West   
bWell Birmingham
Cheshire & Wirral Partnership NHS Trust
Creating Bridges in Kent
Leeds Mental Health Employment Consortium 
MHNE Employers Consortium in the North East
Milton Keynes MINDFUL EMPLOYER Network
Open Mind Consultancy in London
Pentreath Ltd in Cornwall
Plymouth Business Health Network
Retain (part of Richmond Fellowship) in various locations in the UK
Richmond Fellowship Wiltshire
South Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Step Up in Dudley, West Midlands
Surrey MINDFUL EMPLOYER Group 0845 650 2638
Wakefield & District Mental Health Employment Consortium

We also continue to receive support from the following:

Care Services Improvement Partnership
Employers Forum on Disability
National Institute for Mental Health in England
National Social Inclusion Programme
Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health
 

Employers

Launched in October 2004, MINDFUL EMPLOYER would not have been possible without those who gave freely of their time and provided invaluable support, advice, sponsorship and practical assistance in its planning and development. We have received such support from many different places and people. Representatives from the following employers made invaluable contributions during the initial development period from October 2003 to May 2005:
 

Ashfords Bonky Whale Party Shop Cornwall Partnership NHS Trust Devon & Cornwall Constabulary Devon County Council Devon Partnership NHS Trust East Devon Primary Care Trust EDF Energy Exeter Cathedral Exeter City Council Exeter College Exeter Enterprises Ltd Exeter Primary Care Trust Hospiscare Howmet plc Jobcentre Plus (Devon & Cornwall District)

Met Office Mid Devon Primary Care Trust Orange Blossom Spa Raise Your Sites Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust Royal Devon & Exeter Foundation NHS Trust Sainsbury's (Alphington, Exeter) St Loye's Foundation South West Tourism South West Water Stagecoach Devon The Plastic Surgeon University of Exeter Viewfinder Westbank

MINDFUL EMPLOYER continues to receive support from many different employers including our Charter signatories and others (too many to list individually) who wish to be kept in touch with the initiative.