Health, work and well-being co-ordinators and the Challenge Fund

Researchers: Roy Sainsbury, Anne Corden, Linda Cusworth, Annie Irvine, Katharine Weston; in collaboration with Ipsos MORI

Funder: Department for Work and Pensions

Duration: January 2010 – November 2012

Background

A review by Dame Carol Black of the health of Britain’s working age population, Working for a healthier tomorrow, was published in 2008. One of its recommendations was the appointment of Health, Work and Well-being Co-ordinators in the nine English regions and in Scotland and Wales. The co-ordinators, working with Regional Directors of Public Health – and their equivalent in Scotland and Wales – have the task of promoting action on health, work and well-being in a number of ways, including:

• acting as catalyst for action, developing and encouraging partnerships between employment, health and other relevant networks within their area
• administering the Challenge Fund (see below) to generate small business and local partnership investment in health, work and well-being for employees
• recognising and promoting best practice and innovation within firms on health, employment and skills.

The Health Work and Well-being Challenge Fund is a grant scheme open to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and local partnerships to improve workplace health and well-being through innovative initiatives that involve employees in planning and participating in them. Initiatives to promote mental well-being will be a priority.

Aims

The research being carried out by SPRU aims to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the co-ordinators and the Challenge Fund. The evaluation programme includes:

• a survey of businesses and organisations with whom co-ordinators have contact
• a survey of Challenge Fund winners
• in depth case studies of a sub-sample of Challenge Fund winners
• collection and analysis of quantitative data on the co-ordinators
• a series of qualitative interviews with co-ordinators, Directors of Public Health and key policy makers.

Policy and practice aims

The introduction of Health Work and Well being Co-ordinators and the establishment of the Challenge Fund are fresh initiatives designed to lead to improvements in the health of the working age population of the UK. This evaluative project will therefore produce data and analysis on which decisions about future policy will be based, and will generate examples of effective practice that can inform the development of health and well being services across the Regions of the UK.

Presentations

2011

Bereavement and workplace well-being. Plenary.
Corden, A., The Impact of Death: Policy Implications in the 21st Century, British Sociological Association Social Aspects of Death, Dying and Bereavement Study Group Conference, London, 21 November 2011.

2010

Health, work and well-being co-ordinators and Challenge Fund - evaluation
Sainsbury, R., North East NHS Health and Well being Network Meeting, Newcastle, 28 April 2010.

If you require further information about the project, please contact Roy Sainsbury .