How Social Care Wales supports menopause at work
Through a dedicated menopause policy, staff resources and a peer support group, they are helping colleagues feel more confident, connected and understood during this stage of life.
About Social Care Wales
Social Care Wales is an organisation that helps keep the public safe. It also supports people who work in social care, early years and childcare across Wales.
The organisation has about 240 staff who work in different areas such as workforce registration, service improvement and research.
Social Care Wales offers hybrid working, which means staff can work some days at the office and some days from home or another place. They have offices in Cardiff and Llandudno Junction.
The challenge
Most of the staff at Social Care Wales are women (75%) and 41% of them are over 40.
This means many staff may experience menopause – a natural stage in life that can bring physical and emotional changes.
The organisation saw that people might need extra help and understanding during this time.
What Social Care Wales did
Social Care Wales has created a supportive and open approach to menopause at work. With most of their staff being women, many of whom are over 40, the organisation recognised the importance of providing clear information, practical help and safe spaces to talk.
Menopause Policy
Social Care Wales created a Menopause Policy. This shows their promise to make the workplace open, supportive and fair. It helps staff feel comfortable talking about menopause and how it affects them
Sharing resources
They share helpful information on their staff health and wellbeing pages, including:
- An e-learning course on menopause awareness (50 staff have completed so far)
- A specialist menopause helpline
- A link to the Menopause Policy
- Details about how to join the Menopause Support Group
New staff are shown where to find menopause support as part of their induction.
Menopause Support Group
The Menopause Support Group is run through Microsoft Teams. It has 29 members and meets every three months for an informal chat. Most of the support happens in the Teams chat, where members can:
- Share experiences and advice about menopause and perimenopause
- Talk openly in a safe and supportive space
- Share helpful links to websites, TV programmes, podcasts, apps or books
- Discuss HRT, alternative therapies and supplements
- Social Care Wales also promoted the group at an International Women’s Day event to raise awareness and encourage more staff to join.
The results
The Menopause Support Group has made a big difference. It has helped create a culture where staff feel supported and less alone.
Here’s what members say:
“It’s made a huge difference to my wellbeing and confidence at work. Knowing I’m not alone has helped me speak up about my needs and feel less anxious.”
“It’s good to know that other women are going through the same thing.”
“We share ideas, feelings and give each other support.”
“I’ve learned more about menopause from this group than anywhere else.”
“I like that I can join in when it suits me and there’s no pressure.”
Another member shared:
“It’s a great platform to share tips and tricks we’ve picked up over the years. It’s comforting to know someone is always there to talk to. You can contribute if you want, but there’s no obligation – some members just read the chats.”
Top tips for other employers
Here are some tips that employers can use in their workplaces to support employees:
- Create safe spaces – peer support groups like this can be simple but very powerful.
- Raise awareness – encourage open conversations and give managers training to understand menopause.
- Be flexible – small changes like flexible working, access to fans or cooler rooms and understanding about brain fog or tiredness can really help.
- Use virtual groups – online groups let people join in when it suits them.
- Give people time to talk – sharing experiences makes a difference.