Digital Handbook

Making It Happen

Optional ideas informed by the EuroPris Staff Wellbeing Expert Group to help you explore the topic further and adapt approaches to your own prison service.

• Communicate with a clear mental health plan to strengthen awareness and confidence in support systems, including simple guidance detailing where and how staff can seek assistance (e.g., centrally accessible mental health information sheets).

• Strengthen people management capability to ensure staff receive meaningful support, including training for managers to recognise early signs of distress and hold supportive wellbeing conversations (e.g., structured coaching for supervisors).

• Use regular wellbeing check-ins to build trust and normalise mental health discussions, including integrating check-ins into routine supervision (e.g., scheduled monthly wellbeing prompts).

• Encourage open dialogue throughout employment to reduce stigma and foster open communication, including discussions at recruitment, induction and development reviews (e.g., induction modules emphasising mental health expectations).

• Improve working conditions and growth opportunities to protect morale and reduce strain, including flexible scheduling, job rotation or structured career development (e.g., accredited leadership or rehabilitation training pathways).

• Make mental health tools accessible to enhance selfcare, including visual materials, digital resources and printed guidance (e.g., workplace posters, intranet resources, printed guides and wellbeing toolkits to use on devices within prisons).

• Provide confidential counselling to support staff experiencing personal or work-related crises, including helplines and access to onsite psychological professionals (e.g., drop-in psychological support once per week).

• Develop peer support networks to strengthen early intervention and reduce isolation, including training peer listeners or Mental Health Allies (e.g., volunteer staff acting as recognised wellbeing contacts).

• Implement structured post trauma support to foster recovery, including psychological first aid, crisis response and post incident debriefing (e.g., debriefs for all staff following major incidents).

• Offer multiple support pathways to respect individual preferences, including chaplaincy, wellbeing mentors or access to alternative therapeutic services (e.g., spiritual support or talking therapy sessions).

• Monitor staff wellbeing routinely to identify organisational stressors early, including surveys, focus groups and incident-related risk reviews (e.g., quarterly wellbeing assessments).

• Use periodic psychological fitness evaluations to identify risks and support long term fitness for duty (e.g., scheduled psychological evaluations for high-risk operational roles).