We are delighted to be sharing with you our refreshed Staff Health and Wellbeing strategy, for both health and social care staff across our South East London (SEL) Integrated Care System (ICS).
In delivering our first strategy in 2021, the landscape looked very different. It was a time when the world had just been through a significant pandemic, and our workforce faced immense challenges. Three years on, we can say with confidence that those challenges haven’t gone away. Indeed the demands on healthcare professionals continue to increase. Now more than ever, it is paramount that we prioritise the health and wellbeing of our staff across our system. This strategy reflects our acknowledgment that a healthy and supported workforce plays a crucial role in our ability to deliver the care needed for our population.
With the release of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan as well as the publication of the SEL ICS People Strategy, it was an opportune moment for us to take stock, and review our Staff Health and Wellbeing Strategy to accurately reflect the current context we are now working in. This strategy covers 18-24 months, as we acknowledge the need to be agile and adapt quickly as things change. We are committed to reviewing this every two years, to ensure our priorities still matter to you.
However, our vision and principles will remain consistent. We want all who work in health and social care across South East London, to have a positive experience whilst at work. We know there are multiple factors which can prevent this from happening. Our approach is to support staff in response to the following:
Building on the work from the 2021, this strategy has been updated drawing on input and expertise from members of our Staff Health and Wellbeing (SHWB) Committee and making use of evidence based practice. Our committee includes representation from the wide range of organisations on our patch ensuring the diversity of thought and local needs are represented in views and decision making. We would like to thank them for their time, efforts and contributions in helping update our strategy so that it is relevant for the staff all across South East London.
The intended purpose of this document is to share with you our vision, guiding principles and measures of success. We also share in here a framework and approach to delivering against our priorities for the next 24 months.
As Co-Chairs of the SEL ICS Staff Health and Wellbeing Committee, we are excited to progress against our goals and commitment to supporting staff health and wellbeing across our system. We have already achieved so much and hope that we are able to make a difference for health and social care staff across South East London.
Nick Davies
Co-Chair and Director, Adult Social Care, London Borough of Greenwich
Dr Neil Springham
Co-Chair and Consultant Art Therapist, Director of Therapies, Executive Lead for Patient Experience, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
On Behalf of the South East London ICS Staff Health and Wellbeing Committee
Read the sections of the strategy below