Pastoral & Professional Support Hub
Supporting Hertfordshire’s pharmacy professionals
Your wellbeing matters.
Pharmacy professionals provide essential care to patients and communities every day. The demands of pharmacy practice can be rewarding, but they can also bring pressure, uncertainty and challenges that affect personal wellbeing.
The Hertfordshire LPC Pharmacy Wellbeing & Resilience Hub brings together trusted support services, practical resources and professional guidance to help pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, trainees, locums and pharmacy teams maintain their wellbeing, build resilience and access support when they need it.
Whether you are looking for advice, reassurance, practical tools or someone to talk to — support is available.
Wellbeing and Support Resources
Include:
- Managing stress
- Looking after your mental health
- Wellbeing apps
- Self-care resources
- Support for healthcare professionals
NHS wellbeing resources provide practical tools and guidance to help healthcare professionals maintain their physical and emotional wellbeing.
Find local wellbeing and support services
The Hertfordshire Directory brings together local services, community support and organisations available across Hertfordshire.
You can search for support in areas including:
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Community support
- Health and care services
- Support groups
- Advice services
- Local organisations
Use the directory to find services that may support you, your colleagues or your pharmacy team.
Explore Hertfordshire support services:
Hertfordshire Directory – Support Services
Pharmacist Support is the profession’s independent charity supporting pharmacists, former pharmacists, trainee pharmacists, pharmacy students and their families. It provides free and confidential support across a wide range of personal and professional challenges. Support available includes:
- Emotional wellbeing support: A confidential space to talk through challenges, pressures and concerns.
- Listening Friends: A peer support service where pharmacists and pharmacy students can speak confidentially with trained pharmacist volunteers who understand the pressures of pharmacy practice. They can also signpost you to other organisations who can provide further specialised help and support via the Pharmacist Support website or Information and Enquiries Team. Listening Friends’ support is intended to be over a short term. If you feel you need longer-term help or help for more complex issues to do with your mental health, please have a look at Pharmacist Support’s counselling service.
- Counselling support: Access to professional psychological support for those experiencing mental health challenges or difficult life circumstances.
- Financial support: Help and guidance for pharmacists experiencing financial difficulties, including unexpected costs or reduced income.
- Addiction support: Specialist support for those experiencing challenges related to dependency or addiction.
Learn more about the free and confidential support available from Pharmacist Support
Useful for:
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Difficult days
- Needing someone to talk to
Contact a trained Shout volunteer by text at anytime, anywhere. Shout is a free and confidential 24/7 text support service, who you can contact if you’d like to talk through a tough day, are feeling worried, overwhelmed, or have a lot on your mind.
You only need to share what you feel comfortable with, and the Shout volunteer will work with you to take your next steps towards feeling better. Learn more about how Shout works.
Start a conversation with a trained Shout volunteer by texting the word ‘Shout’ to 85258.
If you’re feeling like you want to end your life, it’s important to tell someone.
Help and support is available right now if you need it. You do not have to struggle with difficult feelings alone.
Pharmacy owners may have additional arrangements for their staff via employee assistance programmes. If you are unsure if this is available to you, please speak to your employer.
Pharmacy owners and their teams continue to work hard to support local communities despite mounting pressures, and this is made even more difficult when they face abuse and aggression from frustrated members of the public. To support pharmacy owners and their teams Community Pharmacy England has issued an article which points to supportive information and resources: Curbing patient abuse. Further information can also be found on the CPE Security and personal safety webpage.
Supporting Pharmacy Teams
Resources for pharmacy owners, managers and leaders:
Useful for:
- Starting conversations about mental health
- Supporting colleagues
- Active listening
- Signposting appropriately
NHS England
- Support for line managers in having safe and effective wellbeing conversations
- Handling difficult situations: caring for yourself and others
Zero Suicide Awareness (ZSA)
Many pharmacy teams members will have completed the ZSA suicide awareness training in the 2020/21 Pharmacy Quality Scheme. This learning is still available for newer members or staff or those who want to refresh their knowledge:
NHS England’s wellbeing conversation resources encourage managers and colleagues to use supportive conversations focused on listening and identifying further support where needed.
Further Resources
How to have sensitive conversations: talking about mental health leaflet
Listen to the podcast –Gut feeling – a conversation about nutrition and mental wellbeing.
Designed for pharmacy managers, supervisors and leaders, this online six-module course covers key topics such as understanding mental health and wellbeing, the role of the manager in creating a positive workplace culture and practical tools to support team wellbeing. If you’re ready to take action for mental health, get in touch to see how our Embracing a Workplace Wellbeing Culture course can support your training needs.
Find out more – Embracing a Workplace Wellbeing Culture – Pharmacist Support
Professional Support
Whether you’re newly qualified or an experienced pharmacy professional, there are organisations that can support your professional practice.
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) is the independent regulator for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and registered pharmacy premises in Great Britain. It sets the standards for pharmacy professionals and registered pharmacies to help ensure safe and effective patient care.
Useful resources include:
- Professional standards for pharmacy professionals
- Standards for registered pharmacies
- Registration and renewal
- Revalidation requirements
- Fitness to practise guidance
- Ethics and professional decision-making
Community Pharmacy England represents NHS community pharmacy owners in England. It negotiates the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) on behalf of the sector and provides guidance, resources and updates to support contractors in delivering NHS services.
Useful resources include:
- Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF)
- Pharmacy First guidance
- Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS)
- Medicines supply and shortages information
- Clinical service specifications
- Business and funding updates
- Briefings and policy updates
Website: Community Pharmacy England
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) is the professional leadership body for pharmacists. It supports pharmacists throughout their careers by promoting professional excellence, education, leadership and advocacy.
Useful resources include:
- Clinical guidance and toolkits
- Professional development and credentialing
- Leadership programmes
- Career support
- Professional networks and events
- Research, journals and publications
Website: Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS)
APTUK is the professional leadership body for pharmacy technicians, supporting education, professional development and leadership across all sectors of pharmacy.
Useful resources include:
- Professional guidance
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
- Leadership opportunities
- Networking events
- Scope of practice information
- Career development resources
CPPE provides funded education and training for pharmacy professionals working in England. Its learning programmes help pharmacy teams develop the knowledge and skills needed to deliver high-quality patient care and support delivery of NHS services.
Useful resources include:
- Learning pathways and e-learning
- Independent Prescribing learning
- Consultation skills programmes
- Clinical topic learning
- Leadership and management programmes
- Workshops, webinars and assessment tools
Need Help Finding the Right Support?
If you’re unsure where to start, please contact the Community Pharmacy Hertfordshire team.
While we cannot provide counselling or clinical advice, we can help signpost you to the most appropriate organisation or service.
Together, we can help ensure everyone working in community pharmacy has access to the support they need to thrive.
