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Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust Health and Wellness department is instrumental in promoting and maintaining the highest degree of physical, mental, financial and social wellbeing of all staff. The department provides a comprehensive Health and Wellness Service and contributes to the overall effectiveness of the organisation’s health care.
The service incorporates the following:

• employment screening
• sickness Absence Assessments
• rehabilitation of employees returning to the working environment following illness or injury
• health and Wellbeing
• monitoring and health surveillance of people occupationally exposed under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations
• occupation related immunisations/vaccinations (Hep B, Flu etc)
• ergonomic advice
• advice on work related health risks
• general Health advice
• counselling and support services (External Health and Wellness).

The DGT staff app provides free access to support your mental health and wellbeing and is available via the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. 

The staff gym is situated in the physio department on the ground floor, and is open for staff to use. The gym is also open to staff every weekday between for a quick lunchtime workout and personal training and guidance is also available. 

Employees who work in Adult Social Care, but who are not employed by Medway Council or Kent County Council, should contact their line manager to find out if their organisation has an Employee Assistance Programme or Occupational Health programme.

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust’s Intranet can also be accessed when employees are not at work.

The wellbeing pages on staffzone are a practical and useful source of information, accessible to all staff, covering a wide range of topics and providing quick and easy access to resources and support. They have been designed to be a one-stop-shop for staff to browse at their own pace, showcased in a manner that allows for choice but also a direct route to the wellbeing team for support via email, if for any reason a staff member is unable to navigate the pages. 

The resources and information provided cover a range of areas and focus on ‘the whole self’, noting that wellbeing is impacted by both what happens within work and what happens outside of work.

There is a strong theme of mental wellbeing throughout the wellbeing pages, but also content around physical and financial wellbeing. The wellbeing pages also provide the space for staff to get involved, creating a community of wellbeing and enabling interaction with material provided on peer support opportunities and wellbeing events. 

As a result, the wellbeing pages have been designed for when staff are needing to access support, but also for when they are feeling resilient and can contribute to the wellbeing of their colleagues. The pages are intended to be revisited by staff, as the world of wellbeing is continually growing.

Wellbeing service areas include:

• mental wellbeing focuses on the four levels of mental wellbeing support available to staff including guidance on accessing the employee assistance programme, expedited access to counselling and talking therapies, as well as support for domestic abuse and a directory of counselling and resources available within the community.
• physical wellbeing focuses on looking after our bodies with information on physical activity and exercise, including guidance on physiotherapy referral, healthy eating and smoking and alcohol. 
• financial wellbeing provides a wealth of information and resources, such as a financial health check tool, as well as the contact lines available for NHS staff and support in the community to help with the cost of living crisis.  
• health Assured (Employee Assistance Programme) gives a more detailed overview of the employee assistance programme, provided via Health Assured, with information on how to access the counselling and support on a range of topics from stress and anxiety to housing concerns and debt.
• health and Wellbeing Resources and Events gives staff the opportunity to find out what is going on within the organisation to support wellbeing and access to a range of resources available to them and their teams, including videos on topics such as building self-resilience and information about Wellbeing Conversations. 
• get Involved provides the opportunity for staff to become part of the wellbeing community within the organisation, offering detail on the different roles that staff can get involved with, including Wellbeing Champions, Mental Health First Aiders and TRiM Practitioners and Managers. 

At Kent County Council, your work-life balance and wellbeing should come first. Visit the ‘All about you’ section of Knet to access useful resources covering a range of topics such as mental and physical health, managing stress, your employee package, training, recognition, flexible working and much more.  
  
Life pressures can lead to serious personal difficulties without the right help. If you are a Kent County Council employee, you can access professional occupational health, counselling (Support Line), coaching and mediation services to help you stay physically, emotionally and mentally well. Find out more on Knet.  

Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT) signposts colleagues to a range of health and wellbeing services on its intranet, flo.

Colleagues can find advice on mental health, physical health, financial wellbeing services, salary sacrifice schemes, benefits and discounts, counselling, bereavement support and fast-track physio.

If you are a KCHFT employee, you’ll be able to access these and other activities to help maintain your health and wellbeing, including our choir, football team and flo fit step challenge. Details of these can be found in the You Home section on flo.

KCHFT’s One You service supports people to live healthier, longer lives through a range of services, including losing weight, quitting smoking, NHS health checks and health walks. 

The trust also provides health and wellbeing peer support through a buddy system and dedicated wellbeing champions.

Your health and wellbeing is important. We want all staff to Thrive @ KMPT and are committed to ensuring you are provided with an environment and opportunities that encourage and enable you to have healthy lives and make choices that support your wellbeing.

Our intranet provides information relating to mental and physical wellbeing and healthy lifestyles. These include preventative steps to help you thrive and targeted interventions to help you when you need more support.

Medway Community Healthcare’s Caring for You pages bring together our commitment to our staff that we aim to provide a healthy, inclusive and compassionate culture enabling staff to manage and improve their physical and mental wellbeing.

We take a holistic approach that focuses on work and also provides advice and signposting for activities and support outside of the workplace too. This includes mental and physical wellbeing, financial management and planning and women’s health in the workplace, including understanding the menopause.  

Medway Community Healthcare also provides an employee assistance programme to its people which gives access to online resources as well as telephone support and confidential counselling.

We have HWB allies that assist to create a healthy, inclusive and compassionate workplace, acting as a role model for promoting positive health and wellbeing, listening to colleagues when appropriate and sign post them to the wellbeing resources and support that is available to them.

One-to-one health and wellbeing conversations are held in a coaching style that allows individuals to identify areas where they need support and opportunities for them to be signposted to available support. 

An occupational health provider provides a confidential service for all staff, offering advice on personal health, safety and welfare at work.

We also have an internal MSK referral process for staff who suffer from back or musculoskeletal problems to be seen, assessed and given support by a MCH physiotherapist.

Medway Council provides advice and support on financial wellbeing, mental health and staying fit and healthy via A Better Medway.

Our intranet provides details of the following:

Our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is available for all colleagues 24/7, 365 days a year. The EAP supports wellbeing and provides telephone counselling, financial, legal, bereavement help and an information line.

The council has an employee wellbeing champions network, various equality networks, industrial chaplaincy and the Medway Makers engagement champions network – all of which provide support for staff.  

Medway NHS Foundation Trust takes a holistic approach to wellbeing, providing support for emotional and physical wellbeing as well as spiritual support, self-help methods, financial support, and advice for carers and guardians. On our intranet you can find details of our Wellbeing Team and how to contact them for a listening ear, a debrief session, a drop in session or signposting information. 

You can also find details of our on-site staff gym and our Employee Assistance Programme Care First, which offers 24/7 counselling and financial, health, human rights, legal and other advice to all colleagues working at Medway NHS Foundation Trust. 

Additionally, you can find training opportunities to improve your wellbeing, as well as local and national discounts, salary sacrifice schemes, credit union information, and help with healthcare costs. If you would like further information regarding the support offered at Medway NHS Foundation Trust, please contact the staff Health & Wellbeing Team at medwayft.yourwellbeing@nhs.net.

• Medway Foundation Trust - Medway Fitness Hub – We have a 24/7 staff gym. 
• Medway Foundation Trust - Gym Buddy Scheme – Gym buddy scheme: This is a new scheme that has been put in place to complement our staff gym to support members with gaining confidence in using the equipment and living a healthier lifestyle. 
• Medway Foundation Trust - YourWellbeing Podcast – A Wellbeing Podcast covers all things wellbeing, such as advice on how to stop smoking, healthy eating advice, and stress management. 
• Menopause events: The Wellbeing Team, Menopause Specialist, and Occupational Health Team have developed Menopause information sessions for women. These sessions provide women with up to date information regarding a wide range of topics, including symptoms, HRT and alternatives, sexual health, CBT, and pelvic health in relation to the menopause. 
• Mental Health First Aid Training: In taking part in this online expert-facilitated learning, you’ll learn to recognise warning signs of ill mental health and develop the skills and confidence to approach and support someone in need.
• Trauma Risk Management Training (TRiM) – TRiM is a peer-delivered risk assessment tool, used to determine whether a colleague has been affected by a potentially traumatic incident, and to ascertain whether they might benefit from further support. 
• on-Site Yoga 
• cycle to work scheme
• Transave credit union 
• Simplyhealth 
• Salary Finance - select ‘Medway NHS Foundation Trust’ once you ‘Get Started’.  
• donate and take scheme: staff, patients and visitors are encouraged to donate what you can, and take what you need. The donation collection point can be accessed Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm. Based in the hospital chapel/prayer room, Level 2 Blue zone.

Our staff are our greatest asset and supporting you to stay emotionally, mentally and physically well is hugely important and a key priority for the Trust. We want to make sure you are supported in the best way we can.

Our intranet signposts to a range of health and wellbeing support available in the Trust and links to other online resources, wellbeing activities and support available externally. 

Our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) - Health Assured provides support to help staff deal with personal problems that might affect them at work. 

The service includes:

• a 24-hour confidential helpline for both staff and their families - calls answered by experienced in-house counsellors, legal and financial specialists
• email and live chat – someone to talk to any time of day
• structured counselling sessions via phone, online and face to face
• online wellbeing portal
• My Health Advantage app – designed to support wellbeing with mood trackers, four week plans, mini health checks and much more
• Bright TV – an exclusive video series featuring real stories and experiences from well know personalities about mental health issues.

Our intranet also provides details to contact the following teams:

• Staff Health & Wellbeing Team – including advice for how to have a wellbeing conversation and links to Going Home Well Checklist
• Occupational Health – here to support you at work. The Occupational Health Team provides services to protect the health of staff whilst at work, assess and advise on fitness for work, and ensure that health issues are effectively managed. We offer a range of services from vaccinations to workplace assessments. We have a new IT system that can be accessed 24/7 where staff can self-refer to ensure they seek support promptly from occupational health, such as physiotherapy referrals and fast tracking appointments. 
• Psychological Staff Support Team – providing confidential workplace support for MTW staff experiencing distress impacting on their emotional and psychological health. Complete the form, call 01892 633608 or email mtw-tr.psychologicalOH@nhs.net to self-refer
• Pastoral and Spiritual Support from the Chaplaincy and staff networks (Disability Network, LGBT+ Network, Cultural and Ethnic Minority Network (CEMN), Autism Network, Parents Network, Carers Network, Women’s Network, Menopause Peer Support Group)
• Safe Space Champions - Safe Space Champions (SSC) is a network of specially trained staff members from different areas and roles within the Trust who provide a listening ear and safe space for staff to discuss any worries or concerns, in confidence, about themselves or patient care.
• Freedom To Speak Up Guardians - If you have a concern about patient safety which you feel isn’t being heard, you can speak in confidence to one of our Freedom to Speak up Guardians who will take on board your concerns and raise the issues through the appropriate channels. This might involve instructing an investigation and providing you with feedback.
• Mental Health First Aiders - A Mental Health First Aider (MHFA) can help identify, understand, and help someone who may be experiencing a mental health issue. If you find yourself in need of support and don’t know where to start, speaking with an MHFA can help you identify where to go from here.
• Staff Auricular Acupuncture Clinic - Feeling anxious, having trouble sleeping or want to give up smoking? MTW run free auricular acupuncture clinics for staff weekly, cross site. Book via MTW Learning.

The Staff Health & Wellbeing Team have put together a practical guide to support staff affected by the cost of living crisis. The guide includes information about how to apply for grants, access foodbanks, plus financial hints and tips. 

We have put together a list of resources to help you support your teams including staff mental health escalation pathway, a guide to support staff post traumatic or unexpected event and checklists for starting and ending a shift well.

NHS Kent and Medway provides advice on financial wellbeing, mental health, staying fit and healthy, benefits and discounts, support for carers and union membership on our intranet, kam.  

You will also find details of the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) which is available for colleagues, their spouse or partner and dependent children 24 hours-a-day. The EAP supports your wellbeing and provides counselling, financial, legal and bereavement help.

Our Mental Health First Aiders are trained and skilled at delivering guidance and will hold all conversations in confidence. Mental Health First Aiders have a list of support networks they can direct people to who have specialist knowledge around particular areas.