Groundbreaking Northamptonshire

Workplace Wellbeing Charter and its assessment Ed Cooke and Stuart Wheeldon Northamptonshire Environmental Health Groundbreaking Northamptonshire

Ed Cooke Environmental Health Manager (Health Improvement), Daventry District Council Stuart Wheeldon Commercial & Business Support Manager, Cherwell and South Northamptonshire Councils Presentation developed by: Simon Watson and Sally Johnson Daventry District Council Workplace Wellbeing Charter Assessors 15 September 2016

AimObjectives To share the experiences of implementing the Workplace Wellbeing Charter by Environmental Health Northamptonshire  To provide an introduction to the concepts of the Workplace Wellbeing Charter (WWC)  To learn how the WWC can benefit businesses and improve health  Challenges encountered

 Statement of intent from organisations showing commitment to the health and wellbeing of their employees  Provides a clear set of standards for organisations to help them benchmark, evaluate and improve their wellbeing support  Focuses on three key areas: Leadership, Culture and Communication  Promotes organisations pledge to health and wellbeing

 It requires leadership from the top and implementation of the policy throughout all levels.  Evidence is not solely via paperwork; the most important evidence is determined through the employees and their representatives.  It lasts for 2 years  When accreditation occurs, you MUST provide evidence from the previous 2 ye ars

Organisations provide evidence against a number of standards across eight areas: 1.Leadership 2.Absence management 3.Health & Safety 4.Mental Health and wellbeing 5.Smoking 6.Physical activity 7.Healthy Eating 8.Alcohol & substance misuse Commitment Achievement Excellence Three levels of award:

Source: (Accessed 9 Sept 2016)

Source: (Accessed 9 Sept 2016)

Source: (Accessed 9 Sept 2016)

Source: (Accessed 9 Sept 2016)

Source: (Accessed 9 Sept 2016)

Healthy lifestyle changes Improved behaviour Improved productivity Excellent Corporate image Sympathetic Workplaces Improved job satisfaction “Good Jobs” Improved relationships between staff & Management Organisational Learning Reduce staff absenteeism

 Application form: to be completed and signed by senior management within the organisation to demonstrate the management commitment to supporting employees  A Health Needs Assessment: it is a requirement that the health and wellbeing needs of the employees are considered  Self-assessment: to be completed

The workplace Wellbeing Charter accreditation involves three stages:  A review of evidence  Interviewing members of staff  Tour of the site Once an organisation has been successfully assessed, a post assessment report is completed by the Assessor, which gives an overview as to how the organisation has done. The Charter Award is presented along with the charter logo which is valid for 2 years. The organisation is then place on the national register of Charter Award Holders

 Northamptonshire Health and Safety Liaison Group agreed that the Workplace Wellbeing Charter provided a clear set of standards for organisations to help them benchmark, evaluate and improve their wellbeing support  Northamptonshire Public Health and the County Health & Wellbeing Board advocates the Charter  Public Health England funded assessor training for Northants Local Authority Officers

The experiences and challengesHow we overcame the challenges  Understanding and believing in the Charter  Gaining active support from Senior Management  Is it the right time to do it? The sell:  Committed Manager  Report presented to Management (persuasion of benefits)  Compliments other awards

Resources commitment  Money  Time  Staff Re-assurance:  Any health and wellbeing shortfalls – funding may be available  The assessment itself is funded i.e. free The experiences and challengesHow we overcame the challenges

Resources commitment:  Key people involved?  Providing the skills to implement the Charter requirements  Assessor training funding sourced from Public Health England  Network of key people identified or volunteered  Combined ‘Health & Wellbeing’ into existing ‘Green’ working group The experiences and challengesHow we overcame the challenges

 Reservations about undertaking the Charter  What evidence was to be gathered No stone will be left unturned – warts and all! Reassurance:  Legal requirements may be met, but it makes good business sense to do more  It’s good practice to assess the robustness of existing policies and procedures  It’s a continual improvement process  It demonstrates commitment to staff wellbeing – positive effect The experiences and challengesHow we overcame the challenges

 Blockages of effective channels of communication  Keep Senior Management informed  Webpage, notice boards, internal newsletter, team meetings, displays, competitions, events… The experiences and challengesHow we overcame the challenges

 Understanding culture of the organisation: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly! Not another tick the box scheme!  Presentations at team briefs to raise awareness of undertaking Charter so there was a feeling of being involved  Undertook a staff survey – interpreting results  Engaging with staff through sub-group - ‘good eggs’  Seeking support from other partners The experiences and challengesHow we overcame the challenges

Source: (Accessed 9 Sept 2016) Workplace Wellbeing Charter

Source: (Accessed 9 Sept 2016) Northants County Council

Source: (Accessed 9 Sept 2016) Northants First for Wellbeing

Source: (Accessed 9 Sept 2016) Northants First for Wellbeing

Source: (Accessed 9 Sept 2016) Public Health England

 Borough Council of Wellingborough ◦  Corby Borough Council ◦  Daventry District Council ◦  East Northamptonshire Council ◦  Kettering Borough Council ◦  Northampton Borough Council ◦  South Northamptonshire Council ◦

Thank you! Any questions?