Artwork design to summarise the CHERISH workshop 2021.
In order to mark Carers Week 2021, the CHERISH research team collaborated with the University of Westminster to host a CHERISH carers event on Thursday 10th June 2021. The event aimed to raise awareness of people caring/supporting individuals who may be experiencing difficulties with their mental health and/or wellbeing. Whilst poor mental health has been on the rise for several years amongst this group, it has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, placing greater demand on supportive provisions from professionals, charities, and organisations. In addition, friends, family members, colleagues, and many others are finding themselves in a supporter/carer role. Whilst this can be a rewarding experience, it can also be overwhelming. It is important that supporters/carers look after their mental health and wellbeing and feel supported in their role.
The CHERISH Carers Workshop, organised with the support of the Health Innovation and Wellbeing Research Community, offered a variety of talks and panel discussions from academics, persons with lived experience, and professionals working in different sectors to support mental health. Talks focused on the diversity of what a supportive role may look like, ranging from informal to professional experiences, ways to look after yourself as a supporter/carer, and discussions about the role organisations such as Universities, charities, health care services can play in supporting supporters/carers.
The workshop ran over two sessions, with panel discussions at the end of each session. After permission from our speakers, we are now delighted to share a selection of recordings from the day:
Morning Session
Opening & Welcome – Dr Nina Smyth & Vice Chancellor, Peter Bonfield.
Hannah Davies – Wandsworth Carers Centre. Hannah discusses what it means to be a carer, and different types of caring roles as well as the support available to carers.
Jonathan Kasstan – Lecturer in French & Linguistics at University of Westminster. Jonathan explores his work and the connection between language and well-being amongst Somali communities in London, as well as implications for other cultural groups.
Panel discussion with Dr Dominique Thompson, Hannah Davies & Jonathan Kasstan.
Afternoon Session
Laura Culshaw: Doctoral Researcher, University of Westminster, & Assistant Psychologist in the NHS. Laura discussed her research focusing on understanding self-harm amongst University students and the role of carers. Laura explored the implications of these findings on the development of the CHERISH support website.
Dr. Kathryn Waddington: Reader in Psychology. Author of the book ‘Towards the compassionate university: From golden thread to global impact’; University of Westminster. Kathryn’s talk drew upon the material from her book and explored ways in which we can put compassion into action for both individuals and institutions.
Sally Olohan (MBE): Head of Student Support and Residential Life at University of Westminster. Expert in higher education student support and wellbeing issues, with experience in service design, policy and strategy development. In her talk, Sally explores the diverse range of initiatives delivered at Westminster, as well as collaborations with external organisations aimed at supporting individuals who find themselves providing support for others.
Andy Norris: Head of Culture and Inclusion at University of Westminster. During the workshop, Andy provided an overview of the staff perspective, talking about the range of support available for staff wellbeing and inclusion at Westminster.
Panel discussion with Laura Culshaw, Dr Kathryn Waddington, Sally Olohan & Andy Norris. This session was ended with a facilitated breathing exercise from CHERISH team member, Dr Tina Cartwright. Feel free to use this recording to follow along!
For a full overview of the CHERISH carers workshop – see here.
