Improving Workplace Health

As part of the Menopause & Me project, Suffolk Libraries, are offering fully-funded online training for SME organisations, to help better understand the menopause. This online training will focus on raising awareness of the menopause and how its impact and associated symptoms can be supported and managed within the workplace – but for a limited time only!

Remaining Training dates-

Wednesday 19 February, 9.30AM - 4PM

Thursday 13 March, 9.30AM - 4PM

Thursday 27 March, 9.30AM - 4PM

Want to support your employees and be able to call yourself a ‘Menopause Friendly Employer’? Don’t miss out on this valuable learning opportunity, sign up today - Sign the Employer's Pledge - Suffolk Libraries

This Learning & Work Institute policy paper, commissioned by Health Equals, sets out the evidence on healthy home and hybrid workplaces, with particular consideration of the impact on underserved groups, and makes suggestions that employers and individuals can take forward so they can enjoy healthier working lives. It draws on a representative survey of over 2,000 working adults to capture the latest insights on home and hybrid working in the UK.

The research finds that hybrid working has the potential to make jobs healthier and more accessible, and almost half of people would only consider jobs that allow them to work at home some of the time. However, young people in particular need extra support to prevent unintended consequences for their physical and mental health. Complementing our recommendations for the UK Government, our report includes some suggestions to help employers and workers understand what healthy home and hybrid working looks like and the steps they can take to achieve this.

Download the report here

YANA provides help for those involved in agriculture and other rural businesses affected by stress and depression.

Just like physical first aiders, YANA believes having Mental Health First Aiders in workplaces and the community can play a pivotal role in helping to promote positive mental health, and prevent people from experiencing worsening mental health.

A forthcoming  two day course at The Blackbourne, Elmswell will take place over two Tuesdays, the 4th and 11th February 2025 and will be led by a MHFA England instructor, giving you:

• An in-depth understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect wellbeing
• Practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues
• Confidence to step in, reassure and support a person in distress
• Enhanced interpersonal skills such as non-judgemental listening
• Knowledge to help someone recover their health by guiding them to further support – whether that’s self-help resources, through their employer, the NHS, or a mix.

Format

• This is a two day face to face course
• Learning takes place through a mix of presentations, group discussions and workshop activities
• We limit numbers to 12 people per course so that the instructor can keep people safe and supported while they learn
• 6 months of support after training has completed

Eligibility:

As these are funded courses we have a responsibility to ensure those who attend are able to make the most of their learning in the farming and rural communities we seek to serve. This means in order to be eligible you must have direct contact with these communities, perhaps through your work, where you live, or through volunteering.

The Institute for Employment Studies (IES) led a study on behalf of Working With Cancer to understand current employer practices in supporting employees living with cancer back to work, and to identify enablers and barriers to good practice. This comprised a survey of 204 HR Managers and four organisational case studies.

There was little understanding of how many employees may have or have previously experienced cancer. The survey found that only 18 per cent of HR Managers reported that their organisations collected data on this.

Since its inception in 2018, Night Club’s sleep support for nighttime workers has been delivered to more than 10,000 employees across the UK. This momentous milestone - as well as marking three years of work in partnership with Impact on Urban Health - offers an opportunity to take stock of the achievements of the Night Club programme and explore some of the learnings from it.

This report draws on a fuller evaluation report authored in 2024 by Cornish & Grey. As part of that evaluation, new work was carried out to inform its findings including feedback from workers participating in Night Club (analysis of historical data collected plus additional interviews), Night Club sleep expert facilitator observations,
in-depth feedback from employers (including new interviews), and quantitative polling of 1,500 UK adults aged 18+.

As part of the Annual Public Health Report for Suffolk this year, Public Health and Communities, in collaboration with the Integrated Care Academy are holding 3 healthy ageing challenge labs across Suffolk.

So what is a challenge lab?

• Join a group of 20-50 diverse change-makers to discuss, innovate and collaborate on solutions to a complex challenge.
• Through interactive exercises and collaboration, you'll build a powerful network and generate ideas that lead to real-world impact.
• The Challenge Lab isn't just a workshop - it's a launchpad for transformative change!

What is the challenge?

• We will build on and utilise recent work undertaken by Healthwatch Suffolk to understand what ageing well means to Suffolk residents.
• We will explore how we can enable Suffolk residents and communities to thrive as they age, while fostering a supportive environment for all.

Who is invited?

• We invite health and care professionals, local authority colleagues, voluntary, community and faith sectors, businesses and wider stakeholders with an interest in healthy ageing in Suffolk to participate. So please do share this invite with your networks.

Why do we need you?

• We need your expertise to help shape a healthier future for Suffolk's residents as they age.
• By bringing together knowledge from across the system, we can create innovative solutions that support healthy aging, improve quality of life, and ensure that our communities are equipped to meet the needs of older adults.
• Your insights and collaboration are crucial in building a Suffolk where everyone can age well. 

When?

There are 3 challenge lab sessions running from 09:30-15:30, these will be held at the following locations:

• West Suffolk House: Monday 4th November
• Riverside Lowestoft: Friday 8th November
• University of Suffolk Ipswich: Thursday 21st November

 How to book?

• You can book a space online via Eventbrite by clicking on your preferred date.

Is there lunch?

Please note - whilst we will provide teas and coffees, we unfortunately cannot provide lunch.

Suffolk GP Federation & Suffolk Public Health are offering your employees a free NHS Health Check.

The health check at your workplace is available to all employees aged 25 and over, it is quick and convenient, ensuring minimal disruption to your business operations.

The NHS Health Check can identify early signs of conditions such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, type 2 diabetes, and dementia. It is an opportunity to provide people with the information they need to reduce their risk of developing these conditions.

The Health Check team will come to your site at a time that suits you best. Each health check takes no more than 30 minutes, allowing your staff to fit it into their day without the need for time off work.

If you are interested in arranging a NHS Health Check for your employees, please contact Emma Harold at

sgpfed.healthchecks@nhs.net or 07938 735373

Suffolk Libraries' Menopause & Me project is providing support for employers and anyone affected by the menopause or perimenopause in Suffolk.

Working with Suffolk Mind, the project and its training courses are making a difference to local businesses and any staff affected by the menopause.

The courses are free and run online. 87 employers have now taken the pledge and 69 have completed the courses. 

Suffolk Libraries and Suffolk Mind are offering more free online menopause courses for employers in coming months. The dates available are:

• Thurs 26th September, 9.30am – 4pm
• Thurs  7th November, 9.30am – 4pm
• Tues 14th January 2025, 9,30am – 4pm
• Wed 19th February 2025, 9.30am – 4pm
• Thurs 27th March 2025, 9.30am – 4pm

To take advantage of this training, employers need to sign up to the Menopause & Me pledge via the Suffolk Libraries website and someone will be in touch to discuss booking you in for a course.

Disability Essentials and Disability for Managers are free online short bitesize courses for everyone in the workplace.

The courses are designed to ensure people are confident and comfortable in their engagement with disabled people - they combine legal expertise with the lived experience of disabled people. The courses are a time and cost-efficient way of providing everyone with the knowledge they need. The modules cover; 

• What Do We Mean By Disability 
• Types of Conditions 
• Providing A Great Service For Everyone 
• Language 

This E-Learning can be joined by clicking on: https://accessible-destination-suffolk.accessabletraining.co.uk/login/create-account and creating an account.