The National Workplace Health & Wellbeing Conference

• Following an introduction from the Chair we’ll be kicking off this live, face to face event with interactive icebreakers designed to encourage early introductions ahead of further networking throughout the day
• Get to know fellow colleagues and participants and share your key learning objectives for the day
• Share your thoughts and ideas through live polling and comments using our interactive platform
• Expect lots of interactivity with this being a brilliant opportunity to interact, network and learn from your peers in a safe, face to face environment

Work-related stress is the second most commonly reported cause of occupational ill health in Great Britain. While the highest incidence rates are recorded in the public sector – education, health and social care, prisons, emergency services, and local and central government – there is increasing evidence that it is becoming a significant problem in other sectors.

This session will discuss:

• How to implement HSE’s Management Standards on stress to improve support for staff suffering from work related stress by identifying and managing six areas of work design which can affect stress levels – demands, control, support, relationships, role and change
• Best practice for carrying out a stress risk assessment and mitigating risk to protect employees from stress, and how to spot signs of stress at work
• Sharing how HSE’s “Talking Toolkits” can support line managers in having simple, practical conversations with workers which can help prevent stress

This session will include time for Q&A

Southeastern Railway’s Colleague Mental Health Advocate programme uses volunteers from across the organisation, and offers staff the opportunity to have a confidential and safe conversation with an advocate about any issues, concerns or problems affecting them at work. Since launching the project in 2018, there has been a steady increase in uptake, and there has been increased engagement with work-based support services, strengthened manager/colleague relations and reduced absenteeism.

This session will discuss:

• Best practice for training staff volunteers to effective deliver a peer support programme
• How to encourage staff to access peer support services
• The impact of the programme on workplace culture and attitudes towards mental health, and on uptake of existing support services

In this session, Civil Service HR will discuss key learnings from the Covid-19 pandemic, and how public sector organizations can effectively support the wellbeing and mental health of a hybrid workforce.

Devon County Council implemented a wellbeing plan in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, seeking to establish a sustainable model for staff wellbeing that would support staff to be happy and effective in their role. This session will provide key insights into:

• The impact of the Wellbeing Plan on staff, and on recruitment and retention
• Best practice strategies for supporting staff wellbeing, including the role of Wellbeing Supporters and the Wellbeing Reference Group
• Highlighting how the wellbeing strategy has impacted service delivery
• Sharing future plans for continuing to support staff wellbeing at Devon County Council

In this session, you will share your key takeaways from the morning’s sessions with colleagues and how they relate to the challenges you and your colleagues are facing.

• Discussing key learnings from the Covid-19 pandemic, and positive takeaways from changes to workplace support during the pandemic
• Highlighting key considerations for public sector organisations as staff return to the office
• Sharing best practice for supporting a safe and healthy return to the workplace

In this session, Rachel and Francoise will answer your questions about promoting a positive mental health culture, key learnings from the pandemic and the return to work, and how employers can take a strategic approach to health and wellbeing to effectively support staff.

• Examining differences in workplace health & wellbeing support in the private and public sector, and the underlying reasons for those differences
• Highlighting examples of innovation from the private sector that improve the health & wellbeing of employees, increase staff satisfaction, and increase productivity
• Sharing how to implement change effectively at an organisational level to improve the support offered

During this short session, the Chair will invite delegates to break into small groups to discuss the key themes that arose during the day and will provide an opportunity for delegates to share what they have learnt with peers.

Finally, the Chair will provide some concluding remarks and share key takeaways from the day that delegates can look to implement within their organisations.

*programme subject to change