Equality Week: What different generations bring to our team
For us at Mind, this week is Equality Week, an internal campaign where we hold space to discuss equity areas we might not otherwise examine as an organisation.
This year’s theme is age and intergenerational experiences: in the workplace and beyond.
Our team is made up of dozens of people from different backgrounds, and of different ages that bring different experiences and perspectives to our services. Through having a team of people of different ages, we have more knowledge to draw on, different and skills for us to utilise, and a wider base of ideas and opinions.
Who makes up our team
Mental health graduates and first-time employees
We have a number of recent graduates and people on their first role in mental health care.
This brings us the benefit of the most recent training and practices, as well as new ideas about how to approach mental health.
People who started their career in other sectors
We also have people join our team after starting their career in the private sector.
This is from Shelley, one of our equality and diversity case workers:
“Life certainly takes you on different journeys, and for me a few years ago I decided to make a career change. Following my heart, I have always felt strongly about helping and empowering others, especially with people who experience mental health issues.
I started with volunteering which then evolved into me working full time with the organisation and still here a few years on.
I have always admired the fact that HFEH Mind continues to promote diversity and inclusion in every aspect of our organisation’s work. Our team continues to grow and is interwoven with staff members from all walks of life, cultures, and ages – I am honoured to be part of such a great shared culture that encompasses such core values.
In my current secondment role as an Equality & Diversity Mental Health Case Worker I’m doing what I love which is to work with our community, and continuously learning about all our ways of life.”
Long-term team members
There are also people who have worked with us for a long time, across different roles and departments. Just this month we’ve seen some staff move from one department to another, taking their skills and applying them to different situations.
Having staff work in different roles and departments means everyone in our organisation develops a deep understanding of how we work, and helps us move forward as a team.
When working in mental health, it’s not just your qualifications and training that you bring to the table. It’s also your personal skills, your ideas, and your drive to make things better.
We wouldn’t be the organisation we are without the people that make up our staff, whether they’re just starting out with us, or if they’ve been here for many years.
Read more about Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing, and Hounslow Mind’s values, and how they shape the mental health services we offer. If you’re interested in joining the team, check out the mental health job opportunities we have on our vacancies page.
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Posted on: 28th January 2022
