THE Vale of Glamorgan council has signed up to the Time to Change campaign to help end the stigma and discrimination faced by people with mental health problems.

Councillor Stuart Egan, Cabinet Member for Adult Services, signed the pledge of support for the campaign after taking part in a workshop for councillors and staff that highlighted the importance of a mentally healthy workplace.

The move follows the publication of a survey of people with mental health problems in which over half of respondents said they had experienced stigma and discrimination from their work colleagues.

More than a third said they would not feel comfortable telling their manager that they had been off with a mental health problem.

Following the presentation Cllr Egan said: “This is a very important report that highlights the first national campaign to end the stigma and discrimination faced by people with mental health problems.

“Some employees are afraid to disclose mental health problems to their employer, and some of those who do have reported experiencing snide remarks from colleagues. That needs to change.

"As an employer we have a duty of care to end the awkwardness some people feel when talking about mental health. The more we talk about mental health problems, the more we can do to help those affected.”

Time to Change Wales Programme Manager Antony Metcalfe said: “We recently conducted a survey in which over a third of respondents felt strongly that their organisations weren’t encouraging staff to talk about mental health, so it is great to see the Vale Council pledging their support for the campaign and taking steps to build a mentally healthy workplace.

"We hope this will give everyone the confidence to talk about mental health.”

You can find out more about Time to Change Wales and how to start conversations about mental health by visiting www.timetochangewales.org.uk.