We are conducting a rapid evaluation of the implementation of supported staff wellbeing centres in a healthcare workplace during and after the COVID19 pandemic. The project is led by Dr Holly Blake, working with colleagues from Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust.
On 6 April, NUH Trust opened two brand new Wellbeing Centres, one at the Queen's Medical Centre and the other at the City hospital. They are open seven days a week from 8am – 8pm, offering support from wellbeing buddies in a comfortable environment where staff can rest, recoup, talk and be supported. The spaces are flexible, and staff can use them to suit their needs – drinks, socialising, access resources or advice and signposting. The buddies are volunteers, trained in Psychological First Aid (PFA). They are NHS staff from various departments and roles, who can support and signpost. These centres are spaces for staff, run by staff, fostering peer support at a time where teamwork is indispensable.
The COVID-Well study involves an online staff survey including measures of wellbeing and service access, the collection of service monitoring data, and qualitative interviews conducted with staff and wellbeing buddies. This will help us to determine how the wellbeing centres are being accessed and why. It will provide insights into the perceived value of these facilities during and after the COVID19 pandemic.
The project is supported by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust Institute of Nursing and Midwifery Care Excellence, Organisational Development, Human Resources and Clinical Psychology Departments, as well as Staff Wellbeing.
For more information, contact Dr Holly Blake
Ethical approval: FMHS REC Ref:16-0520
Posted on Tuesday 26th May 2020