Practical Health and Wellbeing Support

Don’t let money worries get the better of you

The cost of living and economic climate has caused numerous risks to the financial wellbeing of the workforce. More and more organisations are taking note of the importance of supporting their employees with financial wellbeing at work. 

As the cost of living crisis continues to bite, the potential for significant financial distress and the very real risks and growth of in-work poverty – which is already experienced by one in eight workers – means many more employees will almost certainly be struggling to cope (CIPD, 2023).

For advice on how to cope with the cost of living and look after your wellbeing, read the cost of living newsletter – with increased costs often comes greater stress; here’s how to cope this winter from our Employee Assistance Programme provider Vita Health Group.

For more information please click here Financial wellbeing - Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board

Place2Be has launched a free programme of support and arts and craft resources for keyworker parents and carers, including all NHS colleagues, to support the mental health and wellbeing of their children.

For more information please click here

How to access our Health & Wellbeing Champions if you’re struggling and want to understand what health and wellbeing support is available to you in the ICB. Details include what their role and responsibility as a H&W Champion covers and how they can help and support you.

Overview:

Health & Wellbeing Champions are colleagues, based across the ICB, who are passionate about health and wellbeing and supporting their teams. Our network of Health & Wellbeing Champions are a positive and proactive voice for wellbeing in the workplace. They help by encouraging colleagues to access useful health and wellbeing information and support, raise awareness of wellbeing activities and promote health lifestyles and positive mental health.

Each of the ICB’s Health & Wellbeing Champions are volunteers who care about your health and wellbeing and want to help.

Who are your Health & Wellbeing Champions?

Isabel Sojka – BI Analyst (Performance)

Agnes Annan – HR Business Partner (People Services)

Jacquie Clements – Senior Business Support Officer (Operations)

Mark Edwards – Associate Director for Workforce Transformation (People Services)

Aurelie Frantschi – Business Intelligence PHM and Transformation Lead (Performance)

Emily Perry – Primary Care Manager (Primary Care)

Heather Aylward – Engagement Manager (Chief of Staff)

Ajay Kashyap – Organisational Development & Learning Manager (People Services)

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Support colleagues to lead happier and healthier lives

• Promote the NHS People Promise by incorporating its key elements into wellbeing initiatives and priorities

• Support the development of an annual plan of health and wellbeing activities

• Support the delivery of health and wellbeing as part of the corporate induction programme

• Create a safe and inclusive space to talk about health and wellbeing

• Help to create and reinforce a culture that values employee health and happiness

• Be able to support colleagues with sensitive concerns regarding their mental health and wellbeing

• Encourage meaningful wellbeing conversations

• Act as an information resource, signposting colleagues to the wellbeing support available, as appropriate.

• Participate in relevant internal and external working groups/projects applicable to the health and wellbeing agenda

• Input into executive level strategy and planning so that a meaningful difference can be made

Please note: Health & Wellbeing Champions will not be expected to provide individual advice to colleagues. The role is intended to provide a network that can listen to the needs of colleagues and signpost to appropriate support.

Commitment:

• Contribute ideas and feedback to the MHFA/H&W Champion Network

• Attend the quarterly network meeting

• Organise and/or support wellbeing activities and events on an ad-hoc basis

• Contribute to internal staff communication, as required.

• Able to provide support to colleagues – this would be on an ad-hoc basis and wouldn’t be expected as an ongoing arrangement.

What are the benefits of being a Health & Wellbeing Champion?

• You will have the opportunity to feedback and help contribute to wellbeing developments.

• The role helps you connect with other colleagues across the ICB

• You will be able to share information and advice that could help improve the wellbeing of yourself and your colleagues.

• It can be a great personal development opportunity.

We want to help create a happy and healthy work environment and we need your help to do this. Does this voluntary role sound like something that would interest you? If so, please get in touch with Elise Ryan via email or Microsoft Teams at elise.ryan1@nhs.net. 

1. ICB special leave policy

2. Advice and support

ICB special leave policy

The ICB’s special leave policy has information about bereavement/compassionate leave and child bereavement leave/pay.

Read the special leave policy

Advice and support

Our mental health first aiders (MHFA) are available if you need someone to talk to. Find out who our ICB’s MHFAs are and more about their roles and responsbilities.

Mental health first aiders

You can access the employee assistance programme (EAP) online or by phone.

Find out more about EAP and how to get in touch

Advice, tips and tools to help you make the best choices about your health and wellbeing.

For more information please click here

NHS staff have been given free access to a number of wellbeing apps to support with their mental health and wellbeing.  Our NHS colleagues are invited to sign up to these apps, using their work email address, for support with managing stress and anxiety, building resilience, aiding better sleep, and taking a moment to be mindful.

Click each link below for more information, including how to access support and when this free offer expires.

Bright Sky - free to download, confidential mobile app providing support and information for anyone who may be in an abusive relationship or those concerned about someone they know.

Headspace - a science-backed app in mindfulness and meditation, providing unique tools and resources to help reduce stress, build resilience, and aid better sleep.

#StayAlive - a suicide prevention resource for the UK, packed full of useful information and tools to help you stay safe in crisis.

Unmind - a mental health platform that empowers staff to proactively improve their mental wellbeing.

Zero Suicide Alliance - Zero Suicide Alliance provides you with a range of free online learning sessions that provide you with a better understanding of the signs to look out for and the skills required to approach someone who is struggling, whether that be through social isolation or suicidal thoughts

A new staff support service to help staff who experience Long Covid or Menopause symptoms has been launched in your area. This free service will be open to all staff who work in one of the twelve Hertfordshire and West Essex ICS organisations (including all the NHS trusts, local county councils and the East of England Ambulance Trust).

This staff support service will aim to help staff with Long Covid or Menopause through helping them with their symptoms which include: fatigue, breathlessness, brain fog, anxiety issues and joint pain.

Support will be provided through fast access to a multi-disciplinary team consisting of a respiratory physiotherapist, occupational therapist, mental health specialists, GP with a special interest in menopause alongside an array of complementary therapies and lifestyle programmes. Some of the therapies and programmes include: breathlessness programmes, specific exercise classes, insomnia programmes, Yoga/Pilates classes for staff with Long Covid/ Menopause, acupuncture sessions and much more.

Some of the therapies will operate throughout satellite bases in the Hertfordshire and West Essex  and others will be remotely based.

Not only can the service team help those staff who are experiencing symptoms whilst at work but also help those staff who are off long term sick with Long Covid or Menopause.

Please contact us on: hct.staffsupportservice@nhs.net to find out more about this service and how to be referred into this service.

Going through the menopause can be a hugely difficult time – and feeling supported and understood at work can be an important part of getting through this.

1. Breaking the silence around menopause at work

2. Menopause related absence

3. Menopause support sessions

4. Other resources

Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care System is menopause friendly accredited through Henpicked.

The accreditation recognises how staff experiencing or impacted by the menopause can be more open, have honest conversations with colleagues and managers, and ask for reasonable adjustments. 

Menopause resources - Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board

Menopause awareness sessions for managers

Find out how to support your staff.  Are you a manager who has people in your team possibly experiencing menopause?  If so, this training is for you. We will talk about:

• how to have conversations at work about menopause

• where to get help

• where to go for more information.

Upcoming sessions:

Menopause awareness sessions for staff

Are you experiencing menopause symptoms that affect you? This informative and interactive session aims to help you work out what’s right for you and plan your next steps. The session will cover:

• what menopause is

• why it happens

• how to manage your symptoms

• signposting to support and information.

Upcoming sessions:

A session for men only to discuss and share information on how to support the people in your life who may be going through the menopause.

New dates coming soon.