Health and wellbeing conversations

Improving the wellbeing of our NHS people is a long term culture change and we are committed to supporting NHS organisations to implement wellbeing conversations through the co-design of resources and shared learning. The following resources have been developed by NHS England in partnership with NHS Employers:

• Powerpoint presentation about implementing wellbeing conversations
• A supporting animation to guide line managers through wellbeing conversations
• A staff experience video on how wellbeing conversations helped them personally and why they are important (three minutes long)
• A shorter length staff experience video on how wellbeing conversations helped them personally and why they are important (two minutes long)

Our emotional wellbeing toolkit supports individuals, teams and line managers to assess their own wellbeing and to have open discussions about the staff's wellbeing. The toolkit contains a range of resources which can support health and wellbeing conversations.

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust has replaced its annual appraisal with quarterly discussions between managers and staff, covering a range of topics including wellbeing, learning and development and performance. For each quarterly discussion, managers are given prompts to discuss elements of wellbeing with their staff members. For example, a discussion about the things which have a positive or negative impact on their wellbeing, and identify things that would improve their wellbeing.

Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has developed a check-in meeting process for managers to support staff through the pandemic. This discussion focuses on recognising the contribution of staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, explores their physical and mental health, and any support the staff member needs. The trust has developed a manager template (PDF) and detailed manager guidance (PDF) to support this process.

Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust

Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust has embedded health and wellbeing conversations into its annual appraisal process. The appraisal conversation template (PDF) guides staff and managers through a range of topics relating to wellbeing, including work-life balance, the team culture, and any actions or areas for improvement.

Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust designed and developed a conversation workbook which would sit alongside and complement its current system, with the aim of ensuring meaningful wellbeing conversations took place during staff appraisals.

Northern Care Alliance NHS Group

Northern Care Alliance NHS Group explored various inclusive and compassionate ways to empower its staff to confidently discuss how they are feeling, through information conversations with their colleagues or during a confidential, wellbeing conversation with their line manager.

Staffordshire and Stoke-On-Trent CCGs

Staffordshire and Stoke-On-Trent CCGs explored how to use wellbeing conversations to support colleagues to work from home in a safe and ergonomically suitable environment, where necessary reasonable adjustments had been made.

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust has created a health and wellbeing plan (PDF) that underpins the wellbeing conversation. The trust has shared this plan with its staff forum, wellbeing networks, executive colleagues and board wellbeing guardians who have all contributed to the plan. The plan has been launched with inclusion in organisational development work and will be embedded in appraisal, induction and leadership training.

• Ensure you have a confidential space to hold the conversation – whether it’s taking place in person or virtually.
• Give yourself enough time for the discussion, and make it clear you can have a follow-up conversation if needed.
• Prepare by reading your organisation’s guidance and help the staff member prepare by ensuring they do the same.
• Think about open questions you could ask as part of the discussion. You might want to consider some of the following:
  - How is your general wellbeing at the moment?
  - What is having a positive effect on your wellbeing at work?
  - What is having a negative effect on your wellbeing at work?
  - What would improve this?
  - Do you have any personal health and wellbeing goals that we can support you with?
  - Are there any issues inside or outside of work that have an impact on your health and wellbeing that you would like to talk about?
• Using a tool like the emotional wellbeing toolkit can start an open conversation with your staff member.
• Wrap up the meeting by summarising any actions, reassuring the staff member of confidentiality and re-iterating any signposting.
• Seek support yourself if you need any support for your own wellbeing.

Health and wellbeing leads from NHS trusts collaboratively worked on creating a personal wellbeing plan template (Word) that organisations can easily use if they do not have one of their own. This editable template allows you to include your own organisation logo and local sources of support and signposting such as your Occupational Health details for example.

Mind's wellness action plan – Mind has developed a template to guide managers and staff through discussions about mental health, to help them identify specific challenges and actions to improve wellbeing.

Positive relationships and culture within teams support and foster a positive staff experience. When managers make time for and listen to their staff, this makes a difference to the team’s wellbeing and also to the patient experience. Managers could work with their team in a range of ways.

• Regularly update the team on organisational or departmental health and wellbeing initiatives and support mechanisms – such as counselling, EAP services, coaching and staff networks
• Open up a discussion with the team. For example, ask 'how can we work together to support the health and wellbeing of the team more effectively?'
• Be aware of what’s going on in the team. Are you aware of team members that are showing signs of stress? Do you understand the health and wellbeing needs of your team?
• Enable staff members to take time out of their day, for example, to access support or take part in wellbeing interventions.
• Role model healthy behaviours, including taking breaks, staying hydrated and having something to eat.

The way a manager responds when staff call in sick can make a difference to how they feel about work. It could even affect the length of this absence and future absences. Compassionate and effective return to work meetings shows employees that their absence was noticed, that they were missed, and that the employer wants to take the time to find out how they are. They also show that effectively managing sickness absence is a priority for the employee’s wellbeing. Key questions managers could ask staff could be:

• What’s the reason for the absence?
• How long do you think you’re likely to be off?
• Is there any work you’ve been doing that needs to be picked up while you’re off?
• Is there anything else that may be affecting your wellbeing at the moment?
• How is your general wellbeing now following your recent absence?
• Are there any issues inside or outside of work that have an impact on your health and wellbeing that you would like to talk about?

Find out more about managing conversations around sickness absence in our sickness absence toolkit.