HEALTH bosses have pledged to help raise awareness of mental health among its staff.

The North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group has signed the Time to Change pledge.

It represents the CCG committing to change how it thinks and acts towards staff with mental health issues.

The organisation has created an action plan with employees to help tackle the stigma around mental health and will focus on seven principles.

This includes gaining support from senior management, establishing employee champions and asking employees to share their stories.

It also aims to provide managers with the tools to support people and, where necessary, signposting them to appropriate services.

The Time to Change pledge has been signed by more than 900 employers across the UK.

Sam Hepplewhite, former CCG chief officer, said: “I’m very glad and proud to sign the pledge on behalf of the organisation to show our commitment to our employees that we will support them whatever mental health issue they may be experiencing.

“It is extremely important that we break down the barriers that prevent people from being open and honest about any concerns they are facing as well as tackle the stigma surrounding mental health.”

The Time to Change pledge - part of a social movement to alter attitudes by the charities MIND and Rethink Mental Illness - is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, Big Care and The National Lottery.

Figures released by the charities revealed that one in four employees are affected by conditions like anxiety, depression and stress.

The charities also found that mental health is the leading cause of sickness absence in the UK and costs employers, on average, £1,035 per employee per year.