Publish date: 10 October 2024
Line managers have a vital role to play in the mental wellbeing of staff, says Ali Webster, Director of Organisational Development at West London NHS Trust.
This World Mental Health Day, the theme is ‘Mental health at work’, and Ali says one of the key things workplaces should focus on, is making sure staff are having regular check-ins and wellbeing conversations with their managers.
“In our health and wellbeing strategy, we recognise the importance of line managers in overall staff wellbeing as we know the difference they can make. Having those regular check-ins is so crucial, and when we get stressed and stretched we can often forget to have these wellbeing conversations, but that’s when they’re most important. When we’re busy at work, it’s paramount that we don’t forget to prioritise wellbeing,” says Ali.
Last year, the Trust recorded more than 17,300 wellbeing conversations during line management supervision. The Trust has built wellbeing into its appraisals process to make sure wellbeing doesn’t get overlooked in regular or yearly conversations.
It also set up essential training for managers, which includes a session on wellbeing conversations, and the importance managers play in staff wellbeing.
The Trust’s emphasis on manager-employee relationships is well founded. Most of us will spend one third of our lives at work, and the Workforce Institute found that managers impact their employees’ mental health more than doctors or therapists and as much as their spouses or partners.
Looking after our whole selves
“As a Trust we need to look at wellbeing of staff as whole and this includes a range of areas such as personal wellbeing, financial wellbeing, the environments people work in and the importance that their managers place on their wellbeing,” says Ali.
“We have a range of support available through our Health at Work Team and the NWL Keeping Well Service and have created a culture of wellbeing through offering staff two health and wellbeing days this year to enable them to focus on their own wellbeing.”
The Trust’s occupational health team provides a range of services to support staff with their physical and mental wellbeing, including in-house physiotherapy, stress and resilience training, immunisations, counselling, access to flu/covid vaccines and free eye tests with contributions to glasses if required for work use.
It’s no surprise, that in the 2022 NHS staff survey, 62 percent of staff said they felt that the Trust prioritised their wellbeing, and in 2023, that number increased to 66 percent.
“We get a lot of feedback from staff who say it’s nice to feel valued and supported in the organisation. It feels good that we’re moving forward,” says Ali.
Ali says although the Trust already does very well with looking after the wellbeing of its staff, it’s going full steam ahead in making sure this remains a priority.
Everyone benefits
That’s good news for employees and the Trust, according to Deba Saikia, Health and Wellbeing and Staff Engagement Lead.
“Employees with good mental health are more productive and creative and become more involved. This results in higher quality work and fewer errors. Mental health support can reduce absenteeism from work, burnout and turnover and promote a culture of trust and inclusion,” he says.
Good working conditions can also boost self-confidence, and improve staff mental health overall, while fostering inclusion and positive relationships. On the flipside, the World Health Organisation says that poor working environments, including those with discrimination and inequality, excessive workloads, low job control and job insecurity – pose a risk to mental health. And the implications are felt widely. Globally, about 12 billion working days are lost every year to depression and anxiety.
In addition to personal health and wellbeing initiatives like independent, confidential counselling services and wellbeing roadshows, the Trust recognises that other factors such as relationships, environment and fulfilment at work can have a heavy impact on people’s mental health at work.
That’s why they’ve invested heavily in initiatives to boost morale, workplace fulfilment and foster good relationships amongst colleagues.
Besides their recognition schemes that celebrate outstanding employees and teams each month, as well an annual staff awards ceremony, employees also enjoy regular events like team quizzes, creative staff contests and workshops such as aromatherapy.
“We’ve done a lot on fulfilment at work and making sure there’s a good culture and it’s a nice place to work. It’s not just the relationship with managers but the sense of belonging,” says Ali.
Getting the basics right
There are Wellbeing Zones – assigned areas fitted with equipment and tools where staff can get a break from their busy workdays to use various massage machines, listen to relaxing music or colour in a mindfulness book.
“The Estates team have worked hard to ensure that all areas have access to healthy meals and vending services and our Estates plan is working on improving our buildings and work areas,” says Ali.
An online website called the ‘Praise Platform,’ enables staff to acknowledge and thank colleagues, and, popular Brush parties, bring staff together for guided painting sessions.
“I always come away feeling relaxed. It is very rare that I take time to do something just for myself. I appreciate the headspace this gives me,” said one staff member following a Brush party.
Another reported: “It's a great break from work and social pressures. Personally, I have been on a long hiatus and out of touch with my hobby, which is painting. These brush parties have really helped me connect to my interest once again and reignited my passion for art.”
The Trust also acknowledges the impact of life events on staff wellbeing and specific staff groups, whether it’s workshops for World Menopause Day or financial wellbeing sessions for staff who need support.
“We know from the cost of living crisis about all the things that can happen when staff are unable to support themselves and their families, so we offer a range of webinars on financial wellbeing and pensions,” says Ali.
If staff are unsure about what support they need, the Trust has health and wellbeing champions who can offer advice and signposting. And if something goes wrong at work, the Trust promotes a culture of openness, encouraging staff to report issues to their line managers, but staff can also speak in confidence to the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian and champions, an additional measure to ensure everyone feels safe to speak up.
When it comes to mental health at work, there’s a myriad of factors that can influence and impact on employee wellbeing, and the Trust is keen to make sure nothing gets left out.
That’s why recently, at a recent forum for its health and wellbeing champions, Estelle Moore, Director of Psychological Professions, says the focus was on “getting the basics right,” an acknowledgement that sometimes the seemingly little things can have a big impact on us.
“Where people sit, feeling safe in the workplace, managerial support, and manageable work plans... These key features are known to be more important to staff than some of the ‘extras’ that might be badged as ‘wellbeing’, but miss the point! The forum acknowledged that staff come to work to do their best, and that sometimes the conditions are tricky. Keep telling us about environments that do not assist you in your role so that we can identify these and keep working on them. Having a good team goes a long way towards workplace mental health,” says Estelle.