Recommendation 4

HM Government Acknowledged

Recommendation 3 and 4 have been grouped together for an overarching response to the committee. NHS and social care staff have undoubtedly been through a very challenging period and they have been dedicated to providing the highest quality of care and support to all those who need it. We know that the pressures on the workforce have been extremely high and we recognised at an early stage the toll this may place on the mental health and wellbeing of health and care staff, prioritising the need for enhanced wellbeing and mental health support for all NHS and social care staff. During the pandemic we have invested over £1m in specific wellbeing interventions for the adult social care workforce, to build on mechanisms that some employers already have in place. We have worked alongside the NHS and other organisations to provide a package of emotional, psychological and practical resources for the workforce and we are working with the sector to ensure that wellbeing resources and best practice advice are streamlined and easier to navigate. The wellbeing package has included support helplines, wellbeing guidance and bereavement resources, and a bespoke package of support for registered managers including a series of webinars and a dedicated advice line. We are committed to continuing work with the sector to support and promote staff wellbeing. As part of the Government’s White Paper, “People at the Heart of Care: Adult Social Care Reform”, published 1st December 2021, we have announced at least £500m of investment for the workforce. Part of this will fund mental health and wellbeing resources, as well as access to occupational health funding to help staff recover from their extraordinary role in helping the country through the pandemic. NHSEI is also investing £43 million in mental health hubs in 2021/22, building on the £15 million that was put into establishing these in 2020/21. 40-system wide mental health hubs have been rolled out nationally, operating at ICS level, meaning any health and care staff within the ICS area can access the hub for support. The hubs provide an end-to-end pathway that supports staff mental health needs from early identification through to clinical intervention. They offer proactive outreach and engagement with at-risk groups, contacting individuals to offer rapid clinical assessment and support should they need it. Care co-ordination and supported onward referral then allows staff to receive rapid access to mental health treatment. Additional funding of £15 million has also been made available in 2021/22 to support ICSs to develop tailored health and wellbeing offers that meet the needs of their local workforce. 14 systems were selected for this programme and these systems have worked hard to deliver a consistent, responsive and high-quality service to staff working within their systems. The learning from these 14 pilots and further funding for 2021/22 means that there is the opportunity for further systems in England to adopt, adapt, scale and sustain tailored health and wellbeing offers to continue to support the workforce as we move into people focused recovery. As we emerge from the pandemic it is crucial that we continue to invest in staff health and wellbeing. Evidence and expert advice suggest that it may take between five and seven years to fully recover from the impact of the trauma that some staff have experienced. There is no doubt that the mental health consequences of the pandemic will last into the future and as a Government, we are committed to providing the mental health and wellbeing support the workforce needs both now and in the future. Recovery from the pandemic presents an opportunity to enhance and better integrate an inclusive health and wellbeing offer to all staff at a system-wide level. This is achieved through developing collaborative and integrated wellbeing services based on the individual needs of the system. ICss have been encouraged to make the best use of the combined assets and capacity of the whole health and care system including third sector partners providing NHS commissioned services. They have been asked to consider the wellbeing of the entire health and care workforce and many systems have included social care organisations in aspects of their enhanced offer. For example, Somerset ICS have offered all staff across the system access to a bereavement service, an employee assistance programme and a mental health and wellbeing trainer.