SOHWELL Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing 21 September - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

SOHWELL

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

21 September 2017

Mark Gannon Manager – Benefits

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

What’s SOHWELL about?

• SOHWELL is based on the principle that, in most cases, it’s

better for a person’s long term health to be in work Strong focus on occupational health and early intervention so that people can make a successful return to employment at the right time in their recovery

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

Connected to what’s already happening

• Key links to other strategies including:

– Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy – Longer Working Lives – Disability and Inclusion Strategy – Secondary Pensions (financial wellbeing)

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

Illness or Injury Sickness Benefit Incapacity Benefit Industrial Injury Benefit Illness or Injury Supplementary Benefit

2 routes for claiming Incapacity Benefits

(some duplication)

What are Incapacity Benefits?

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

Social Insurance Means-tested Short term Long term

What they are Sickness Benefit Industrial Injury Benefit Incapacity Benefit Supplementary Benefit Basic rules Only paid for claims lasting 4 days or more Need to satisfy contribution conditions

(sickness benefit)

Enhanced rate of benefit Payable after 6 months incapacity Replaces sickness benefit & industrial injury benefit Based on individual circumstances (need v income) Can be paid to people unable to work due to illness May also get contributory based benefit Average claim numbers 400 840 520

(incapacity related)

Annual cost £3.3m £7.7m £4m

(incapacity related)

Facts & Figures

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

Return to work statistics

The concept of early intervention is central to vocational rehabilitation, because the longer anyone is off work, the greater the obstacles to return to work, and the more difficult vocational rehabilitation becomes.

• 6 months off - Less than 50% chance of RTW
• 12 months off - Less that 30% chance of RTW
• 24 months off - Less that 10% chance of RTW

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

What is SOHWELL seeking to achieve?

To reduce:-

• the duration of sickness absence periods
• the number of people who become long-term sick
• the number of people who fall out of work due to long-term

sickness Through:-

• Improved early intervention strategies
• An improved medical certificate
• An improved work capability assessment
• Closer working with GPs and employers
• Raising awareness of Occupational Health

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

SOHWELL the journey so far…

Phase 1

• 12 month transformational change project
• OH lead as subject matter expert
• Reshaping of existing early intervention strategies
• Redesign of medical certificate
• Redesign of work capability assessment
• Delivery of training to GPs & Specialists

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

Phase 2

• Employer engagement (events, individual interviews)
• Increased awareness (FitTogether initiative, employer events)
• Developing relationships (partnerships with MIND, GET, HSC)

SOHWELL the journey so far…

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

Medical Certificate

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

Employer’s copy

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing If actual diagnosis is unknown, describe health problem instead. To be completed if the patient has experienced an accident at work. Is patient unemployed, consider whether they are capable of job seeking activities.

Page 1 – For Medical Practitioner

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing For patients who are no longer in employment. Would OH advice be beneficial? Should be the minimum period within which the patient is expected to be fit to resume work. Only complete if no reasonable adjustments doctors can identify, which would make an earlier return to work more likely. Patients can still return to work earlier if they recover more quickly. Should be the minimum period within which the patient is expected to be fit to resume work, but identifies that an earlier return may be possible, if adjustments can be made. Space is provided for doctor to give advice about the return to work, but it is for the employer to identify workplace

• adjustments. Patient remains unfit for the specified period unless reasonable adjustments can be made.

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

Wellbeing and SOHWELL

Sickness Certificate and Physical Health Work Capability Assessment Case Management Process Working with GPS and Specialists and physiotherapists Positive interventions Work is part of rehabilitation PCMHWS Importance of work and Social Contact Work Rehabilitation Officers Finding the right job to match skills Safe working Environment Financial Support

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

Case Management Process

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

Support available through Social Security

• Back to work benefits
• Training
• Supported return to work
• Grants to claimants and employers
• Deemed incapacity (or unemployment)
• Work rehabilitation team
• Employment schemes/initiatives

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

The Employer’s Role

Make sure line managers monitor sickness absence from day 1 Encourage and support line managers to consider workplace adjustments to help people get back to work more quickly Promote the benefits of Occupational Health advice Make sure line managers and HR staff act upon any advice provided

• n the medical

certificate Signpost information to line managers about the effects of common health conditions in the workplace so that they feel more confident talking to staff who are off sick Encourage all staff to take a look at the Fit Together webpage (www.gov.gg/fitto gether) When a workplace adjustment is suggested, encourage line managers to consider it in its widest context i.e. team & organisation Let Social Security know what else should be done to help get people back to work more quickly

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

Perceptions of Occupational Health & Wellbeing

• Finding fit people
• Helping to sack skivers
• Reassuring the lads
• Helping with Fred’s personal problem
• First aid

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

Occupational Health

Effects of work on health affects of health on work

Wellbeing Work on Health Health on work Physical

“Work Style” Health (Travel, diet, excessive caffeine, lack of physical activity, sleep disturbance) Musculoskeletal disorders Lifestyle health Risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and common health problems The obesity epidemic

Psychological Pressure and stress

Common mental health problems (anxiety, depression)

Social

Bullying, interpersonal conflict, behavioural issues The organisational culture Work life balance Family, relationship problems, childcare Legal issues Drugs/alcohol addiction

Environment

The workplace Travel to and from work Noise, vibration, radiation, chemicals, Risk assessments Home problems Local disputes Neighbours Housing problems

Economic

Reward and recognition Flexible benefits Disposable income Financial difficulties Debt Gambling

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

Cost of poor occupational health and wellbeing

Sickness Absence Accidents Staff Turnover Insurance Claims Legal Claims Poor customer service Difficult working relationships Low morale Poor Quality Lack of innovation Poor decision making Low productivity

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

FitTogether

www.gov.gg/fittogether

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

FitTogether

www.gov.gg/fittogether

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

• Reasonable adjustments
• Occupational Health
• Effective absence management e.g. agree contact,

pre work meetings, phased returns

• Employee Assistance Programmes
• Coaching
• Mediation

Workplace interventions

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

Effectiveness – will the adjustment prevent the disadvantage or will it make any difference? Practicality – how practical is it to make an adjustment? Would it help

• ther members of staff?

Financial and other costs – how much will the adjustment cost and will it disrupt any of the

• rganisations activities?

‘Reasonable’

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

• Mental health condition is a personal experience
• You can never switch off from a mental health

condition

• Social attitudes keep you ‘ploughing on’; early

intervention is key to a swift and full recovery

• No one solution fits all; you have to learn what

works best for you

Mental health isn’t simple

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

• Relationships
• Too much / too little work
• Poor physical working conditions / organisational

culture

• Difficulties in delegating
• A reduction in normal performance levels
• An increase in sickness absence/visits to GP
• Change in mood or perceptions
• Physical symptoms (headaches, palpitations, unable to sit)

Causes & symptoms of stress

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

• Health Trainers (5 ways to Wellbeing, Health Promotion

Unit)

• The Growth Mindset Coaching Kit (Facebook)
• GP
• CBT – Primary Care MH and Wellbeing Service, Decider Skills

(get.gg), online (e.g. Moodgym)

• Counselling e.g. Philippi Counselling, Guernsey Bereavement

Service, Relate

• Guernsey Mind

Community Interventions

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

Musculoskeletal disorders

• Muscle/ligament/tendon and bone/joint stresses and strains

– Back pain – Shoulder pain – Neck pain – Arm pains – Wrist and hand pain – Knee pain

• Aggravated by poor posture, repetitive movement, weight,

environment, Stress and tension

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

MSD Interventions

Primary

• Prevention - Ergonomics

– Work place/task design – Prevention of “re-infection” – Musculoskeletal questionnaires & software – Physical Activity Secondary

• Education, training, awareness

– Manual handling – Workstation assessment – Early symptom reporting Tertiary

• Physical Therapy

– Early active physical therapy intervention – Managed Rehabilitation Programmes – Exercise/Work hardening programmes

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

What next?

• Continue to raise awareness about the benefits of

Occupational Health

• Explore gaps / support needed by employers
• Opportunity to work with Vocational Occupational Therapist
• Promote a culture of behavioural change

Supporting Occupational Health & Wellbeing

Social Security contacts

Mark Gannon Manager – Benefits mark.gannon@gov.gg Elizabeth Berryman Deputy Manager – Benefits elizabeth.berryman@gov.gg Helen Bourne Senior Determining Officer helen.bourne@gov.gg Emma Savident Supervisor – Incapacity Benefits emma.savident2@gov.gg