Leadership Learning Circle on Men's Health and Wellbeing

The next session of our informal ‘Leadership Learning Circle’ discussions for managers will focus on understanding key men's health issues.  

The virtual event will take place on Tuesday 20th June via MS Teams. The Learning Circle will support our leaders to understand some of the key health issues facing men today, including mental health and suicide awareness, addiction and prostate cancer.

The event will be hosted by David Walker and John Hammond who are both Co-Chairs of the Trust’s Men's Wellbeing Network, alongside Paul Firth who works within the Suffolk and North East Essex ICB specialising in health and wellbeing. These experts will share their knowledge around early interventions when key signs of men's health concerns become evident, the effect of it on individuals, their close friends and family members and the wider Trust. They will also be joined by Hein Scheffer, our Director of Strategy, Culture and Education, who will be sharing his own experience of dealing with prostate cancer and the impact it had on him. 

As we are aware men can experience specific health issues. There are some alarming statistics which explain the impact of this on their well-being. Men are more likely to die from suicide than any other health problem, with the most common age being between 45-49. Men tend to pay less attention to their health and therefore may drink more alcohol, use more tobacco and make riskier decisions which can have a negative impact on their well-being.

It's important to highlight these topics and raise awareness through this learning circle session, in order to support our leaders in reaching out when warning signs appear and help them to signpost colleagues to support, if and when they may need it. 

How does Learning Circles work?
‘Learning Circles,’ was launched last year and is a series of informal discussion groups, carried out remotely over MS Teams, giving managers the opportunity to talk about a variety of topics. The sessions are aimed at providing managers at all levels of experience with some practical ways to tackle issues they may face as a leader.

They are a ‘safe zone’ for open conversation where managers can share experiences and gather different perspectives from colleagues on how to approach similar situations in future.

Who can attend?
Any leader with line manager responsibility is welcome. Half of the available slots will be reserved for operational and AOC managers; the other half will be for corporate and support service managers. Each session will be for ten people. Specialists from the senior leadership, HR and staff side will be on hand to assist with facilitating the discussions. 

How do I sign up?
Ensure you liaise with your line manager before signing up for this learning circle as places are limited per sector. You can sign up to the course via the following link Mens Health: Understanding Mens Health & Wellbeing (eastamb.nhs.uk).

 Published 4th May 2023