The Wellness Programme

Development of the Programme

The Workplace Wellness Programme was initially developed by Sheffield Hallam University on behalf of the Yorkshire & Humber Academic Health Science Network.

The Programme is the only staff wellbeing service in the country that was developed by an inter-disciplinary team of academics and informed solely by scientific literature with vast, robust evidence to prove its’ effectiveness across a variety of sectors and industries.

Evaluation

NHS trusts that prioritise staff health and wellbeing have been found to perform better with improved patient satisfaction, higher levels of staff retention and local levels of sickness absence.

Evaluation of the programme among NHS staff showed that almost nine out of ten participants agreed that the project had a positive impact on their motivation to make changes to their lifestyle or health as a result. This included increasing physical activity (71%), improving health eating, nutrition or diet (71%), implementing strategies for weight management (37%), introducing mental wellbeing strategies (32%), reducing alcohol intake (11%), improving back care (7%) and quitting smoking (3%).

In a second study of employees from three NHS trusts, 95% of staff reported making changes to their health or lifestyle and 98% agreed that the staff health and wellbeing programme would be a valuable workplace benefit.

For further information about the Wakefield Workplace Wellness Programme, email:
wellness@spectrum-cic.nhs.uk.

Staff at public sector organisations will be able to take advantage of a free Wellness Check, which is aimed at improving individual health and wellbeing, through behavioural change. Each staff member, who takes up the Check, will have an hour-long assessment by a qualified Wellness Nurse. This includes testing an individual’s cholesterol levels, blood pressure, resting heart rate, diabetes risk, lung function, aerobic fitness and body composition (including body fat percentage – BMI).

Results are generated instantly and presented in a personalised report for the staff member to reflect on and to work towards their personal wellbeing. This is provided along with instant feedback and advice on how to make positive health and lifestyle changes, and a comprehensive action plan for change.

Twelve months on from the wellness check, the individual will have an annual review to look at the journey they have taken, any positive lifestyle changes they have made and what additional support may be needed.

All Wellness Checks are kept confidential and details are only shared with the individual’s consent. The Wellness team of nurses will maintain a professional and non-judgemental approach throughout.

Benefits to staff

• Individuals will gain a greater understanding and awareness of their own health and wellbeing
• Individuals will be advised on support they can access for changes they wish to make
• Less sickness by preventing diseases
• Individuals can feel better through the changes they are making
• Individuals can recover from illnesses sooner, as they strengthen their health and wellbeing
• Greater work and personal life balance by spending quality time at both
• Improved morale resulting in better quality of work
• Better quality of work leading to greater satisfaction

Wellness Clinics will be held at each organisation from Autumn 2016 and a timetable will be advertised to staff.

For further information about the Wakefield Workplace Wellness Programme, email:
wellness@spectrum-cic.nhs.uk.

A new team of Advisors is being recruited by Spectrum Community Health CIC to deliver Wellness Checks to staff at key organisations in the Wakefield District. The Wellness team will initially be offering the Checks at the three spearhead organisations: Spectrum, Wakefield Council and Wakefield CCG. To help with this, the team will operate out of bases at Navigation Walk, White Rose House and the Council (venue to be confirmed).

As well as having three bases, to run clinics, the Wellness team will also be mobile and be able to visit staff on other sites. A programme of clinics will be advertised so that staff can book in their sessions.

The new Wellness team should be up and running by Autumn 2016.

For further information about the Wakefield Workplace Wellness Programme, email:
wellness@spectrum-cic.nhs.uk.

Poor staff health and wellbeing is estimated to cost the UK economy around £100 billion a year. In the public healthcare sector alone, the average cost of absence is £1,153 per employee, per year. Reducing NHS staff sickness absence by a third would directly save an estimated £555 million per year.

Programme Effectiveness in the NHS

In partnership with the Yorkshire and Humber AHSN, a six-month feasibility study was carried out on 50 staff members at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals in 2012. This yielded a saving of £36,223 (at an implementation cost of £13,200), solely based on the reduction in sickness absence of participating staff. Savings from reduced absenteeism are likely to be many times more. The programme elicited significant improvements in levels of aerobic fitness, weight and cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Almost nine out of ten participants agreed that the project had a positive impact on their motivation to make changes to their lifestyle or health. This included increasing physical activity (71%) and improving healthy eating (71%).

In a second study of 277 employees from three regional Trusts, the highly favourable ROI, staff feedback and significant improvements in health were repeated. Most quality of life parameters also demonstrated significant improvements. The results are shown in the infographic below; illustrating potential NHS savings of £35.4 million pounds over 10 years, in addition to the ROI.

The 2 year Workforce Wellness Programme and Wellness Summit is being delivered on behalf of the Wakefield Health & Wellbeing Board by the following partners:

Spectrum CIC (lead organisation)

Spectrum Community Health CIC is a social enterprise that delivers a range of community and offender healthcare services on behalf of the NHS, Local Authority Public Health services and other partners.

Spectrum delivers enhanced primary care services across the North of England, including: integrated, recovery-focused Substance Misuse Services in the Wakefield District and across North Yorkshire; healthcare within Secure Environments (including prisons and immigration removal centres); Integrated Sexual Health services (including relationship and sex education) in Wakefield District and Barnsley District.

In addition, Spectrum is a key delivery partner for the Big Lottery Funded WY-Fi project (West Yorkshire Finding Independence), helping people with complex needs in the Wakefield District and provides Death in Custody Clinical Reviews for the whole of the North of England.

Wakefield Council

Wakefield’s Health Improvement team works to promote good health and wellbeing and prevent ill health. We work with the community to raise awareness of health and wellbeing and support them to change their behaviour. We also work with organisations of all types who can help us to improve and promote health (eg. businesses, pharmacies and cultural organisations). Our key outcomes as a team are:

1. Healthy People. The people of Wakefield have the resilience, skills, knowledge and confidence to take opportunities when they arise and make choices that protect and promote the health and wellbeing of themselves, their families and the wider community.
2. Healthy Places. The environment provides opportunities for the residents of the District to flourish and make choices that protect and promote the health and wellbeing of themselves, their families and the wider community.
3. Healthy Practice. Organisations of all types operating within Wakefield have a culture that supports people to make healthy choices and protect the health and wellbeing of all Wakefield residents.

NHS Wakefield Clinical Commissioning Group

NHS Wakefield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) covers 40 GP practices and has a registered population of 354,096 patients in the Wakefield area. Twelve out of the 21 wards in our area are in the UK’s 25% most deprived and life expectancy is below the national average. There are also above average levels of teenage pregnancy, obesity and smoking-related illnesses such as heart disease, stroke and cancer.

Our priorities are:

• Care to address all of a person’s needs, delivered by people with a combination of skills working as one team
• Better access to GPs and services in the community – including longer opening hours
• High quality urgent and emergency care – local services for routine care and specialist services for very serious illnesses or injuries
• Better organised planned care – including outpatient appointments and surgery
• Maternity care
• Mental health and wellbeing
• Specialist services for stroke, cancer, children and young people.

Sheffield Hallam University

Yorkshire & Humber Academic Health Science Network

The Yorkshire and Humber AHSN is one of 15  innovative health networks set up to create and harness a strong, purposeful partnership between patients, health services, industry, and academia.

The aim of the Yorkshire & Humber AHSN is to create significant improvements in the health of the population by reducing service variability and improving patient experience in the health care system. The Yorkshire & Humber AHSN will assist in ensuring new innovative products and services that have the potential to transform lives become part of routine clinical practice. The Yorkshire & Humber AHSN will also assist in providing economic growth for the region, supporting inward investment projects and industry that support the health sector.