Psychological support for health and social care staff during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond: Evaluating the impact of a four session psychological consultation model

Abstract

The psychological wellbeing of health and social care staff has been an area of growing concern for some years, which was further exacerbated by the pressures of working through the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, a network of staff mental health and wellbeing hubs was set up across the country. This article reviews the work of one such hub, evaluating a four-session psychological consultation model and its impact on staff wellbeing. Findings indicate that this brief intervention had positive impacts on the level of wellbeing for staff accessing consultation with the hub. Important features of the model include: use of highly qualified staff; reversal of the stepped care model; the external nature of the service; and rapid access, allowing staff to seek support at point of need. Implications for developing staff wellbeing offers in the future are discussed.