Devon Wellbeing Hub testimonial – West of England Specialist Gender Identity Clinic

Posted by Devon Partnership Trust in News, Recovery and wellbeing on 30th June, 2023

Mo Low, Practice Lead at the West of England Specialist Gender Identity Clinic, based at The Laurels in Exeter, shares her experience of the support her team received from Jody Merelle, Psychotherapist at the Devon Wellbeing Hub.

Why did you contact the Devon Wellbeing Hub? What made you reach out for help?

I was encouraged to get in touch after a colleague of mine gave some really good feedback about a Hub workshop led by Jody.

A lot of our team have previously self-referred (or I’ve referred after supervision) to the Hub and have all really benefited from the support they received - especially because it’s been so difficult recently and continues to be. There’s a lot of pressure on us at the moment.

What did your session involve?

Before the workshop, I had a conversation with Jody about what we wanted so we could ensure it was tailored to our needs

The session was held at the Rougemount Hotel and 31 team members attended. It was a full afternoon and Jody ran various activities, focussing on individual wellness at work and how to build resilience. The team also discussed the achievements the clinic has had over the past 12 months and future goals.

What feedback did you receive after the workshop?

After the session, the team were asked to complete an evaluation form which included some of the following questions and responses:

• Something to take away with me:

"How many achievements there have been in the past six months"

"A new perspective on work processes"

"What a great team we are and the progress we have made together"

• Something I enjoyed:

"Spending time with colleagues"

"Seeing everyone face-to-face"

• Something I intend to do as a result of today:

"Ask people how they are twice and mean it"

"Learn to know when I need to take a wellbeing break from my desk/work"

"Be more open and honest"

"Look after myself more"

Would you recommend the Hub to others?

Absolutely. Jody also mentioned that she could provide reflective space and group supervision for teams which we’re considering.

It was helpful that it was an external service. Some of the things people spoke about are really personal and not necessarily about work.

What advice would you give to other teams who might be struggling?

I would definitely advise people to have an initial conversation with the Hub. It’s confidential and different things can be offered, depending on your need. They also respond very quickly.

The Hub is really needed. Just because the pandemic is over, it doesn’t mean the support is no longer necessary. The Hub has supported the morale of our team and made our staff feel looked after and valued.

Jody said:  “It was a real privilege to work with the gender identity service. Gender identity is also something personal to my family so I know just how important it is for this kind of support to be available.

“Working with this team highlighted how integral those with lived experience are to services and how much their wisdom can positively impact service development. I hope that our brief time together played a small part in reminding team members just how valuable their services are.”

Get in touch

If you work in healthcare, social care or the police in Devon and lead a team who would benefit from support, please get in touch by calling 0300 303 5455 or email dpt.devonwellbeing@nhs.net, mentioning ‘team support’. If you are looking for 1:1 support, you can fill out the simple referral form on the Devon Wellbeing Hub website.

If you’ve been supported by the Devon Wellbeing Hub and would like to share your experience, please get in touch with Lauren Batten, Staff Wellbeing Communications and Engagement Coordinator, at lauren.batten1@nhs.net