The Secretary of State (2009) endorsed the Boorman Review and provided the NHS with three clear messages:

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1 Equality Health and Diversity Wellbeing Annual Strategy Report

2 NORTH TEES AND HARTLEPOOL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST Health and Wellbeing Strategy Executive Summary North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust is fully committed to the health and wellbeing of its employees. As a health service, health and wellbeing applies as much to our employees as it does to our patients, their carers and the local population and we want to do as much as we can to support our employees to enable them to be at their best, be energised, be motivated and committed to their work and to reach their full potential. This overarching Health and Wellbeing Strategy brings together the multiple strands, see section 4, of on-going work that are addressing and improving the health and wellbeing of employees. Commitment to support staff is demonstrated though the Trust s People and Organisational Development Strategy and the two strategies are closely linked to provide a working environment that will enable employees to meet their full potential both in and out of the workplace, which in turn has a positive impact upon patient care. The Secretary of State (2009) endorsed the Boorman Review and provided the NHS with three clear messages: The NHS must be an exemplar employer in ensuring the health and wellbeing of its staff in order to make a real impact on the wider public health Good staff health and wellbeing improves the quality of services and care for our patients Reducing sickness absence and improving staff health and wellbeing makes a significant contribution to productivity This strategy describes our aims for a healthy organisation with engaged and positive employees and how it plans to achieve it. It communicates to all employees the Trust s commitment to support their health and wellbeing and provides an overview of current health and wellbeing activities. The strategy also incorporates future plans to support its development over the next five years.

3 2. Introduction The NHS Health and Wellbeing Review (Boorman, 2009) provided evidence that good staff health and wellbeing is vital for ensuring that the NHS can meet the productivity challenge it faces in the future. Research indicates that the workplace can have both a positive and negative impact on an individual s health and wellbeing. In his Review, Boorman suggests that a positive working environment is beneficial and can help to improve physical and mental health and also rewards the individual with a greater sense of self-worth. The current pressures on public finances from the economic downturn make it vital that we utilise our resources as effectively as possible. The NHS Constitution places wellbeing at the heart of its staff pledges requiring us as a Trust to provide support and opportunities to all staff to maintain their health and wellbeing. The Trust s People and Organisational Development Strategy sets out in detail how North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust as an organisation will support its staff in terms of their work and health, to achieve the aim of being an employer of choice. Staff health and wellbeing forms a vital component of this Strategy. The Trust has demonstrated its commitment to supporting our staff through a range of methods such as the availability of dedicated staff counselling support services, easily accessible staff health and wellbeing clinical services, direct access to staff physiotherapy and a number initiatives via the Improving Working Lives programme. This strategy will be reviewed annually to ensure it continues to address the changing working environment and an Annual Health and Wellbeing Work Plan will be developed to deliver the strategy aims. This work plan will be monitored via the Improving Working Lives, Health & Wellbeing group with progress reported annually to the Trust Board.

4 3. Strategic Aim Implementing this health and wellbeing strategy will assist in the achievement of the Trusts overall aim to deliver excellent patient care. Supporting the health and wellbeing of employees will ensure that they are at their best, energised, motivated, committed to their work and enable them to reach their full potential. The Department of Health publication Healthy Staff, Better Care for Patients establishes the expectation that organisations will ensure that six core services are available for staff in the NHS. These consist of the following: Prevention of ill health caused or exacerbated by work. Timely intervention easy and early treatment for the main causes of sickness absence in the NHS. Rehabilitation to help staff stay at work or return to work after illness. Health assessments for work to help manage attendance, retirement and related matters. Promotion of health and wellbeing using work as a means to improve health and well-being and using the workplace to promote health. Teaching and training encouraging staff and managers to support staff health and well-being. The Trust s Health and Wellbeing Strategic aim is to: Provide a working environment that will enable employees to meet their full potential both in and out of the workplace and enable them to deliver excellent patient care. This will be achieved by supporting staff to assess and take responsibility for their own health as well as promoting health and wellbeing and providing prevention, intervention and rehabilitation services.

5 4. Responsibilities The Chief Executive and Executive Team Have the responsibility for providing resources and commitment to enable delivery of the health and wellbeing strategy. Managers at all levels Have a responsibility for the wellbeing of their staff whilst at work and must recognise the impact of good people management on service delivery and organisational performance. Effective communication and involvement of employees together with strong leadership and management development are important elements required to help embed the work associated with this Health and Wellbeing Strategy. All Employees Have a responsibility for their own health and wellbeing this includes recognising what constitutes their own personal wellbeing. We all have a personal responsibility to maintain our own health and wellbeing, including raising any concerns or suggestions for improvement with line managers.

6 4. Current Context The Trust has supported health and wellbeing initiatives over many years. Examples we are currently involved with are shown below: Improving Working Lives Investors In People Mindful Employer Provision of a comprehensive Occupational Health Service Access to direct, early physiotherapy and counselling services Better Health at Work Award Gold Standard Programme of health and wellbeing campaigns Spiritual and pastoral care through the Hospital Chaplaincy service The Trust has further demonstrated its commitment to delivering improved health and wellbeing to its employees by signing up to the following NHS Responsibility Deal pledges H1 Chronic Conditions H2 Occupational Health Standards H3 Health & Wellbeing H4 Healthier Staff Restaurants P1 Physical Activity in the Workplace H5 Smoking Cessation/Respiratory Health Employee involvement and engagement is key to ensure delivery of this Health and Wellbeing Strategy. The Improving Working Lives, Health and Wellbeing Group is the focal point for monitoring and delivering this strategy and the various programmes and initiatives linked to health and wellbeing.

7 5. Work Health and Wellbeing Strategy Objectives The overall objectives of this Health and Wellbeing Strategy are: To increase employee involvement and participation in health and wellbeing activities To increase employee attendance rates by promoting healthy lifestyles and providing prevention, intervention and rehabilitation services to employees To target and reduce levels of specific work related ill health causes of sickness absence Through the annual Staff Survey, the organisation will demonstrate a year on year improvement in response to issues relating to health and wellbeing 6. Achievement of Strategic Objectives 6.1 The Health and Wellbeing Strategy will be underpinned by an Annual Health and Wellbeing Action Plan, which will take into account both external and internal influences. This will include the NHS Operating Framework, NICE guidance, recommendations from the Boorman Review, results from the annual staff survey, People and Organisational Development Strategy and Corporate Strategy objectives. 6.2 Performance against the Health and Wellbeing Strategy will be monitored through the Trust Improving Working Lives, Health & Wellbeing Group, with quarterly reports being provided to the Trust Executive Management team via the HR & OD report. 6.3 The Trust Improving Working Lives, Health & Wellbeing Group will support the implementation of the Strategy through the development, implementation and evaluation of the annual action plan. The group will act as a co-ordinating body for the development, monitoring and communication of wellbeing activities within the organisation.