NHS trusts take co-operative approach to employee health and wellbeing

Published: 13-Feb-2020

West London NHS Trust and Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust launch Juice, an online platform to support staff

Two NHS trusts in London are to be the first to pilot a new employee health and wellbeing platform in a bid to further increase staff wellbeing, satisfaction, and retention.

Maintaining positive levels of staff wellbeing and retention is among the NHS’s top priorities.

And in recognising the need to support employees, West London NHS Trust and Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) have launched the platform, Juice, for staff.

Funded by Health Education England (HEE), Juice is formed in partnership with HR and wellbeing specialists, Everyday Juice, with the vision of creating a remarkable place to work comprising healthy and happy people.

Thanks to this partnership, employees of both trusts will be able to engage in shared learning, access peer-to-peer support through regular on-site activity provision, and have available a wide range of health and wellbeing information and advice.

We believe this platform will help our staff to maintain and improve their mental and physical health

The easy-to-use platform will also allow employees to share hobbies, interests, and talents with colleagues, thus encouraging communication between those they may not engage with during the working day.

Commenting on the introduction of Juice, Wendy Brewer, director of workforce and organisational development at West London NHS Trust, said: “We want to ensure our staff have greater access to wellbeing advice which will improve their mental and physical health.

“Juice will help do that and our workforce is looking forward to using this platform.”

David Bell, head of human resources at CNWL, added: “We know that happy staff make for happy patients and so the wellbeing of all our staff is hugely important to us.

“We believe this platform will help our staff to maintain and improve their mental and physical health.”

Founded in 2012 by Gary Butterfield and Andy Dodman, Everyday Juice partners with organisations of all shapes and sizes to create remarkable places to work by providing an easy-to-navigate online user journey that’s clearly branded, which automates the activity and events management process on behalf of the employer.

We want to ensure our staff have greater access to wellbeing advice which will improve their mental and physical health

Aiming at tackling the challenges that occur within the devolved NHS environment, where it’s known to be difficult for employees to recognise the health and wellbeing offers available; and for employers to effectively communicate these, Everyday Juice is using the platform to create an NHS Cooperative, which will unite all trusts and organisations through a shared online service, utilising existing NHS investments.

As part of the NHS Cooperative, Juice will consolidate relevant wellbeing provision from all member organisations within the NHS so their employees can engage with one another, make their own steps to better wellbeing as they see fit, and partake in a variety of health and wellbeing activities and events at a time and place that suits them.

Co-founder and executive director at Everyday Juice, Gary Butterfield, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to launch our Cooperative within the NHS.

“Having family members who work in the service in my home city of Leeds, I know of the pressures that are faced, but also of the fantastic work that colleagues in all areas are doing.

“It’s a privilege to be working with colleagues who share our purpose and ambitions.”

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