Hear our panel of experts discussing some of the top COVID-related mental health challenges facing individuals and organisations across West Berkshire at our 1 hour online ‘Question Time’ event which was held on Wednesday 9th June 2021.
The panel was chaired by Chris Boulton, CEO Greenham Trust and the panellists were:
- Matt Pearce, Service Director – Communities and Wellbeing (Consultant in Public Health), West Berkshire Council
- Dr Heather Howells, Woolton Hill Surgery
- Victoria Rowland, Dementia Lead West, Age UK Berkshire
- Laura Hunter, Head of Operations, Flag DV
- Grace Green, Director Home-Start West Berkshire.
“COVID has highlighted health inequalities but also helped bring them to the fore” Dr Heather Howells.
“It is important to take time to reflect on why you are doing things and what the outcome might be. You can’t always be all things to all people” Laura Hunter.
“We’ve learnt to be kinder to ourselves” Grace Green
See content from previous Community Forums and the dates for future Forums here.
Questions covered included:
- Given that there appears to be some agreement that Covid is here to stay (at some level) should we also be looking at how we adapt to living with Covid in in the longer term rather than largely focusing on dealing with a timeline consisting of a beginning – middle – end and recovery phase?
- We are in some sort of progression to a higher degree of relaxation of the lockdown rules, what mental health issues are you seeing from the people you are in touch with, how have those issues changed and how do you think they are likely to change over the next few weeks and months?
- How do we see organisations positioning themselves, providing services and working generally in the virtual world vs the face-to-face world going forwards?
- I’ve had local friends and family members talk of a sense of ‘guilt’ almost, when they go out and about and try to get back to normality. That such a long period of lockdowns and restrictions and perhaps others judging when they see people out and about, has led them to question whether it’s ok to be out socialising and meeting friends or going away for example. What can we do to help that and encourage people to get out meeting others to boost their mental health, and in a safe way get back to ‘normal’?
- Is anxiety about jobs, changing work patterns, job security, work-life balance and changing work patterns going to cause more mental health issues as we start returning to work?
- What personal lessons have representatives on the panel learnt over the last 12 months in terms of how you operate as an individual and as an organisation?
- Where do you see us being in 12 months’ time?
