Published at 14:52, Wednesday, 04 April 2012

A FREE Stress Management Roadshow visits Cumbria this month to help local businesses manage stress at work.

Organised by stress consultancy Work-Life Solutions and hosted by NHS Cumbria’s Public Health Department, it aims to help employers and managers gain the skills to prevent and reduce stress in the workplace.

The event on Tuesday, April 17 at CREA’s Rural Enterprise Centre in Penrith is one of a number taking place across the UK to raise awareness of how businesses can help manage and reduce stress levels within their work place.

A recent survey estimated that during 2008 and 2009, over 400,000 people in Britain experienced work-related stress that was making them unwell. Around one in six workers thought that their job was stressful.

However, it is not just work that can cause high stress levels - people experiencing financial difficulties can also experience increased stress levels which can have a knock on effect both at home and in their jobs.

Symptoms of stress can include feeling low in mood or anxious, having difficulty sleeping or drinking to relax.

Stress Management Competencies are combinations of skills and behaviours that line managers need, to prevent and reduce stress at work. A four-year research programme sponsored by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), CIPD and Investors in People (IIP) led to the development of a Management Competency Framework for Preventing and Reducing Stress.

There are 70 free places available for the half-day event, which runs from 9.30am to 12.30pm on April 17.

To register contact Charlotte Chorlton, locality health improvement specialist, NHS Cumbria charlotte.chorlton@cumbriapct.nhs.uk or visit http://stress-competencies-cumbria.eventbrite.com for further information.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk