Workplace Pathway | Appendix to Guidance for Wellbeing Coaching Services for SME’s.

Policy and Key Information

Practical HR communications of process and access to Wellbeing Partner

Practical HR Pathway | ‘Your Wellbeing Partner’

Every employer has a legal responsibility to look after their employees’ health and safety. Since COVID this has become even more difficult because the world of work has changed! From the home working revolution through to the need to make sure that workplaces are ‘COVID proof.’ This brings new challenges for health and safety, particularity in the area of employee wellbeing.

While some of those working from home are thriving, others are finding it less than easy. They miss the human interaction that the workplace provides, and some even miss the routine of travelling to and from work and the clear dividing line this gives them between work life and home life. For those attending the workplace there is increased worry and anxiety created by COVID.

All of this can have a negative effect on wellbeing.

So how can organisations be proactive and support employee wellbeing and fulfil their legal obligations under health and safety?

Your Wellbeing Partner

This is where Your Wellbeing Partner comes in. Developed in collaboration with HR, Health and Safety, doctors and clinical psychologists, this service aims to provide the human interaction needed to proactively help manage wellbeing for your people.

It provides a targeted approach by identifying those individuals who may be struggling with an area of their wellbeing (not necessarily related to work). It then offers confidential wellbeing check-ins and coaching from professionals directly to those employees who may need support.

Because the service is external and confidential, your employees are more likely and willing to ask for the help they may need. The focus is on coaching and giving people tools they can use and avoiding the stigma that may be associated with talking about mental health.

Intervention by professionals can have significant benefits and prevent problems escalating, helping to avoid absence or performance and productivity problems which can be a side effect of poor wellbeing.

Here’s how it works:

Being clear about objectives and outcomes

There is an initial consultation with an occupational psychologist to discuss any particular areas of concern you have. Key objectives and outcomes will be discussed as well as how often you want to measure wellbeing.

You can choose to provide a wellbeing coaching session to all employees, or just targeted intervention where a need it identified.

Measuring Wellbeing

Employees are asked to complete an online wellbeing questionnaire. This is confidential and responses are sent directly to Your Wellbeing Partner.

The questionnaire not only covers work, but also asks about emotional, physical, financial, social, and spiritual wellbeing, as any of these can have a direct impact on how your people perform at work.

Questionnaires are then reviewed by wellbeing specialist who identify individuals they believe would benefit from an intervention. Those individuals are then contacted for a wellbeing coaching session.

In addition, our wellbeing specialists will provide a report to the organisation with the results of the survey (maintaining individual confidentiality) giving an overall measure of wellbeing across the business. This may also have recommendations or observations aimed at improving overall wellbeing.

Additional Support

Where it is identified that someone may need additional support, this can be provided by Your Wellbeing Partner (by qualified experts) and/or we can signpost employees to other professional organisations.

The Plan

Setting up Your Wellbeing Partner is easy, and we will take care of most of it. All you need to do is tell us when you want to start. Here’s what the initial plan looks like once you have signed off on the proposal.

Step 1

Meeting with occupational psychologist.
We’ll arrange a meeting (by Zoom) with our occupational psychologies to discuss your needs. They will also run through some option and discuss how often you want to run the wellbeing survey. We’ll provide you with communications for your staff to tell them about the project and collect names and email addresses for all the employees who will be participating.

Step 2

Asking your employees to complete the questionnaire.
We’ll send your employees an email (which you will approve in advance) giving them links and logins to the wellbeing platform and asking them to complete the questionnaire. Once completed this will be assessed by wellbeing experts and they will carry out wellbeing coaching.

We will also collate all the feedback and provide a report on how your organisation measures in terms of wellbeing.

Step 3

Checking in with you.
We’ll check in with you and discuss the report and any recommendations and the next survey.’

1. Checking into the Your Wellbeing Partner site

https://www.yourhrspace.co.uk/ and survey.

You can look with username Sara Ireland, pw SaraSI

2. Survey and Learning Activity

What does the PracticalHR survey report look like?

It is divided into sections and an example fictitious wellbeing survey is below where ratings – 4 refers to always, 3 refers to most of the time, 2 some of the time and 1 refers to rarely

3. Learning Activity

Section 1 On what criteria would you consider this employee for a coaching intervention?

• First Name: Sara
• Surname: Ireland Practice Training Case
• Email Address: ireland2si@aol.co.uk
• Department: Practice Case
• Company: Atrium Training 4 coaches
• Contact number: 01954267427

Physical and emotional

☐ I maintain a desirable weight: 1

☐ I engage in vigorous exercises for over 30 minutes a day (i.e. brisk walking, cycling) up to 5 times a week and strengthening exercises 2 or more days a week.: 1

☐ I get 7-8 hours of sleep each night and awake feeling refreshed.: 2

☐ I listen to my body; when there is something wrong, I seek professional advice.: 3

☐ I abstain from harmful drug use and excessive alcohol. (i.e. staying within government guidelines and healthy drinking practices e.g. avoiding binge drinking and drink driving).: 3

☐ I know about my underlying health conditions and take responsibility for their management: 2

☐ I am able to ask for assistance when I need it, from either friends and family, or professionals.: 1

☐ I am able to recognise the stressors in my life and have ways to reduce those stressors.: 2

☐ I am able to set priorities.: 2

☐ I am free of chronic worry: 2

☐ I feel good about myself and believe others like me for who I am.: 3

☐ I am flexible and adapt or adjust to life’s challenges in a positive way.: 2

☐ I can express all ranges of feelings (i.e. hurt, sadness, fear, anger, and joy) and manage related behaviours in a healthy way.: 3

☐ I do not let my emotions get the better of me and I think before I act.: 3

☐ My mood and energy support me in what I want to do.: 2

☐ I know how to change my mindset if my wellbeing starts to decrease: 2

☐ Do you have any comments about your physical or emotional wellbeing?: In lockdown eating and drinking more and exercising less

Section 2 Work engagement/health

• First Name: Sara
• Surname: Ireland Practice case
• Email Address: ireland2si@aol.co.uk
• Department: Practice for coaches
• Company: Atrium training
• Contact number: 01954267427

☐ I manage my work-life balance. : 2

☐ I take advantage of opportunities to learn new skills, which improve my work and future employment possibilities. : 2

☐ I know what skills are necessary for the work I do and am interested in. : 2

☐ I strive to develop good work habits. (Examples: punctuality, dependability, and initiative). : 3

☐ I know the parts of my job that I enjoy most and my strengths at work. : 3

☐ I work effectively with others. : 3

☐ I am developing the necessary skills to achieve my work and career goals. : 3

☐ I have confidence in myself and my employability. : 2

☐ I value my colleagues and work relationships. : 4

☐ I can see the value of my work. : 2

☐ I find the work engages me mentally at the right level (neither too hard or too easy).: 2

☐ The workload is about right for me.: 2

☐ I know the expectations of me at work.: 3

☐ I have the right resources to do the job.: 3

☐ I get to deploy my knowledge and skills every day.: 3

☐ I have received praise for my work in the last week.: 3

☐ My manager cares for me as a person.: 3

☐ My manager shows an interest in my development.: 3

☐ I feel that my job counts at work.: 3

☐ I have at least one friend at work.: 3

☐ I am made to feel that my opinion matters.: 3

☐ My manager talks to me about my progress.: 3

☐ I continue to learn and grow in my work.: 3

☐ Do you have any comments about your wellbeing at work or engagement?: Manager good and people nice but too much chopping and changing right now

Section 3 Remote working

• First Name: Sara
• Surname: Ireland Case practice
• Email Address: ireland2si@aol.co.uk
• Department: Atrium Training for coaches
• Company: Atrium
• Contact number: 01954267427

☐ I do not work from home: No

☐ I know the expectations of my manager for my working from home. : 2

☐ I stay connected to colleagues.: 2

☐ I structure and manage my time to get the work done.: 1

☐ My home environment is conducive to work.: 2

☐ My broadband and equipment is fit for work.: 2

☐ My home-based workstation supports my health and safety e.g. vision/neck, back, wrists health and safely.: 3

☐ I take breaks from work at home.: 2

☐ I optimise my flexible working at home.: 1

☐ I feel supported in my home working.: 3

☐ My wellbeing is consistent for me when remote working.: 1

☐ Do you have any comments about your wellbeing while working from home?: It is really hard to stay focused on work and then also to turn off at end of day

Section 4 Social and spiritual wellbeing

• First Name: Sara
• Surname: Ireland
• Email Address: ireland2si@aol.co.uk
• Department: Atrium Training for coaches
• Company: Atrium Training
  Contact number: 01954267427

☐ I respect the diversity of others(i.e., race, ethnicity, religion, gender, ability, or sexual orientation). : 3

☐ I give priority to my own needs by saying ‘no’ to others’ requests of me when applicable. : 1

☐ I participate in social activities including online. : 1

☐ I try to be a better person and work on behaviours that have caused problems in my interactions with others.: 2

☐ I have someone I can talk to about my private feelings. : 2

☐ I consider how what I say might be perceived by others before I speak. : 4

☐ I give and take equally in cooperative relationships. : 2

☐ I believe most people have good intentions.: 4

☐ I am curious and positive about meeting new people but also look after my own safety. : 2

☐ I balance my needs for social contact with my self -care and requirement to have time for myself. : 2

☐ I have a deep appreciation for the depth of life and understanding universal human connection. : 2

☐ I like being in nature and outside.: 3

☐ I integrate my values within everyday life of work, family, and relationships.: 2

☐ I make time for relaxation and pleasure in my day. : 1

☐ I take time alone to think about what’s important in life – who I am, what I value, where I fit in, and where I’m going. : 2

☐ I have faith in a greater power, be it a God-like force, or something else.: 2

☐ I work on my own inner calm.: 2

☐ My values guide my decisions and actions.: 3

☐ I have a sense of purpose in my life. : 3

☐ I am accepting of the views of others.: 2

☐ Do you have any comments about your social or spiritual wellbeing?: Not much social stuff in lockdown and no point in dwelling on the meaning of life right now?

Section 5 Financial wellbeing and Final Questions

• First Name: Sara
• Surname: Ireland
• Email Address: ireland2si@aol.co.uk
• Department: Atrium Training for coaches
• Company: Atrium training
• Contact number: 01954267427

☐ I deal with bills when they arrive. : 2

☐ I budget weekly or monthly. : 2

☐ I know my outgoings. : 2

☐ I check my bank account regularly to monitor patterns of outgoings and spending.: 1

☐ I seek professional advice in the event of financial difficulties. : 1

☐ I am in control of my own finances.: 2

☐ I plan for financial setbacks. : 1

☐ I know my legal rights if financial matters put my home at risk. : 2

☐ I can enjoy simple things without spending money.: 1

☐ I address financial struggles quickly.: 2

☐ Do you have any comments about your financial wellbeing?: We should be saving money right now but comfort shopping online!

☐ Which areas your wellbeing could you improve?: Lack of social areas make me feel down; finances not as good as should be; should do more exercise and eat less snacks

☐ Which areas of your wellbeing are going ok?: Still getting work done

☐ Which areas of your wellbeing are going well?: I am enjoying cooking meals more and taking time to do that

☐ What would improve in your working life? Is there anything the Company can do to help improve your wellbeing at work?: I am struggling with flexibility working from home- feel guilty if I start late etc. And get emails very late from others and feel guilty if I don’t reply then and there.

☐ Do you wish to request a coaching session to review your survey? Yes

☐ Do you have any final comments about any aspect of wellbeing or work?: I think rules and expectations for remote working could be clearer.