Over the last year, NHS and care staff have been put under enormous pressure, frequently asked to call upon huge reserves of emotional resilience in stressful circumstances.
Taking care of all our people and their mental health and wellbeing as we live through these unchartered times is vital. The Workforce Programme is at the forefront of this task, prioritising staff and volunteers across NHS, local authority, social care and voluntary sector organisations within Humber, Coast and Vale and several different initiatives are already underway.
The Humber, Coast and Vale health and wellbeing programme for desk-based staff is open to all staff, including our colleagues in care, health, CCGs and local authority organisations. The sessions are designed specifically for office staff who may be experiencing back pain, stiffness, poor posture or stress caused by the demands of working from home.
Run in partnership with Hälsa Wellbeing, the sessions tackle specific issues with practical solutions. For example, the Back Pain session will focus on techniques to mobilise the back area and prevent pain, while the Working at Home Webinar will explore work/home boundaries, willpower and productivity, loneliness and collaboration, support structures and stress management techniques.
Some of the sessions combine physical and mental health techniques to help enhance overall wellbeing. For example, the Stretching, self-care and relaxation session will guide participants through techniques for calming busy minds through gentle stretches. At the beginning of the year Humber, Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership successfully bid for funding from NHSEI to enhance the health and wellbeing offer within partner organisations.
As part of this work, our partner organisations recognised that many of our colleagues had worked tirelessly through the pandemic at home, often desk-based for the majority of the day and would continue to do so for some time to come. Together, we agreed to commission some health and wellbeing sessions specifically to support colleagues who are desk-based.
The sessions will run throughout July, August and September and if successful a further exciting programme is planned from October.
This programme is just one of many health and wellbeing initiatives that we are working on to ensure our people have the support they need to take care of themselves and their physical and mental wellbeing. For example, the Resilience Hub is another core element of the Partnership’s wellbeing offer. Established in direct response to the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s staffed by trained mental health professionals and equipped to support health, care, and emergency service workers in roles across the region.
In coming weeks and months, various activities and services are planned to help all Partnership staff to maintain their physical and mental wellbeing. Keep an eye out for future updates and if you have any feedback on any of the sessions outlined, or you’d like to tell us about your experiences, please email emma.marshall26@nhs.net