Agenda item

To receive an update on the Workforce Health Campaign and the results of activity taken by local organisations 12 months on.

The Board received an update from Rachel Kent (Consultant in Public Health) The item covered the following matters:

• It was outlined that in December 2021 the Health and Wellbeing Board had requested that collectively, the organisations of the Board partake in a work force wellbeing campaign.
• A focus of the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Workforces was chosen, with organisations encouraged to go away and then report back once 12 months had passed.
• It was detailed that with Appendix 1 of the report, nine out of eleven organisations had provided feedback, which had focused on mental health training to recognise the early signs of mental and ill health: as well as first aid and suicide prevention training.
• It was noted that Wiltshire Council has introduced Mental Health Advocates, with was demonstrated within the followingvideo.

Cllr Ian Blair-Pilling (Cabinet Member for Public Health, Leisure, Libraries, Facilities Management, and Operational Assets) then spoke to the Board regarding the next steps of the campaign, which included the following points:

• It was questioned what amongst all the systems in place would be the verification that the work conducted is working?
• Though two of the eleven organisations had not reported back to be included within the Appendix, there was nothing to suggested that they hadn’t conducted any work towards the campaign.
• The following options for possible next steps were outlined to the Board:

i)       To carry on with the campaign with a mental health focus.

ii)     To focus on another area such as smoking reduction, reducing obesity or reducing substance abuse.

iii)    To identify another aspect to build the resilience and capacity of workforces.

Comments were received in relation to the following points:

·       The Chairman noted that from a Wiltshire Council perspective, the campaign had made a positive impact and there are other areas of work going on that, such as a piece of work around community conversations that would report back in 6 months’ time, which the board could benefit from hearing about.

·       From a Great Western Hospital perspective, it was suggested that mental health had been embedded and there was a desire to now focus on physical activities as this was a big challenge for public health.

·       It was stated that representatives from the voluntary sector would like to be included in the campaign, with it acknowledged that some organisations have mental health training and champions. Additionally, it is positive to share and learn from information and materials and that there is a huge workforce within the voluntary sector who could promote such a campaign.

·       It was suggested that regarding the template it is difficult to separate out both mental and physical health and that a broader approach would be welcomed.

Following the conclusion of the discussion, the Wiltshire Health and Wellbeing Board agreed for the focus of the Workforce Health Campaign to be smoking cessation. With it the outcome of the campaign to be brought back to the Board in 12 months’ time to see what had been embedded within organisations.

Decision – The Wiltshire Health and Wellbeing Board accepted the following recommended proposals:

i)      The Wiltshire Health and Wellbeing Board noted the update           provided.