The SHWB strategy is a truly system wide approach, focusing on areas that would value collaboration and input from our wide range of partners. Our programme of work covers the ‘one workforce’ across the South East London ICS footprint.
An overview of current workforce estimates in SEL across health and care suggests there are over 153,720 people employed by a variety of organisations including GP practices, care homes, large providers and local authorities.
Key achievements since 2021
Since the 2021 strategy, there have been a number of key achievements including:
Keeping Well SEL
A dedicated team was established in 2022 who delivered the launch of the online Keeping Well SEL Hub, and undertook dedicated outreach and engagement programmes. The delivery of this included Schwartz Rounds, Professional Tree of Life workshops, Stress and Burnout workshops and Wellbeing Conversations programmes. The Keeping Well SEL programme of work came to a close in 2023.
Breathe Arts
Breathe Arts offer a unique variety of sustainable arts-based wellbeing opportunities and have delivered a total of 57 workshops for South East London. Feedback from workshops has been overwhelmingly positive, as Breathe Arts are currently in their 3rd commission, with a focus
on primary & social care.
Staff Health and Wellbeing initiatives and pilots
We also funded a number of pilots in organisations across our system, with learning and best practice shared via the SHWB committee. Some of these included:
- Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trusts Staff Psychology service
- CPD for security staff at GSTT, SLAM and LGT
- LGT Pilot of LAS model of violence reduction officer
- VAA / Trauma informed Care training framework KCH
- Bromley Council Work safe
- Southwark Social care – No place for hate
Why review our strategy?
The strategic context
- NHS Long Term Workforce Plan & NHS People Promise – published in June 2023, this plan sets out ambitious plans to ensure the NHS has the workforce it needs for the future. It outlines three strategic pillars to which staff health and wellbeing is a core thread of the ‘retain’ pillar. We will continue to extend the NHS People Promise to all our staff.
- SEL ICS System Priorities – in delivering our strategy it continues to support the workforce conditions needed to achieve our system priorities of prevention and wellbeing; ensuring a good start in life; children and young people’s mental health; adult’s mental health; primary care and people with long term conditions.
- SEL ICS People Strategy – published in May 2023, the ICS People Strategy seeks to tackle the core issues across our ‘one workforce’ across SEL and enables us to work collectively on a coordinated approach in responding to our system priorities. Five strategic pillars were named to which ‘embedding a culture of inclusion and wellbeing’ was one.
- SHWB strategy – the previous SHWB strategy was due for renewal in 2023.
The operational changes
- ICS People Programme team – the ICS People Programme team re-established its structure in 2023 to support the delivery of this strategy.
- Financial position – with significantly less funding available to support wellbeing initiatives than in previous years, we need to think intentionally about where we place our focus.
- Closure of Keeping Well – the previous strategy was centred around the delivery of the Keeping Well SEL provision, which has now closed due to ceased funding.
Opportunity
A lot has changed since 2021. The context here presented an opportunity for us as a committee to review our strategy and priorities going forward, and this coincided with the renewal date of our previous strategy.
Methodology
Approach
We took the following approach in updating our strategy:
- Stakeholder interviews – engaging with members of the SHWB committee to test the current wellbeing strategy and framework and parts which remain fit for purpose, as well as understanding key areas of focus, and any gaps/opportunities.
- Desktop research – bringing together and summarising the evaluation of work to date in light of our commitments and measures for success, understanding current data and metrics from staff surveys, seeking out other ICS Health & Wellbeing Strategies and how we compare.
Principles for review
- We acknowledge that extensive work has already taken place, we will build upon this, rather than ‘start from scratch’
- We will be curious and not assume that the ‘more of the same’ is the right approach to take
- We will be evidence led when making recommendations
- We will be people driven, acknowledging that our people are at the heart of what we do
Read the sections of the strategy below