Workplace Wellbeing Advocate Network

What is the name of your intervention?

Workplace Wellbeing Advocate Network 

Health and wellbeing category

All staff feel engaged and supported 

Why did you choose this area of focus for your staff? 

Wellbeing advocates play a fundamental role in fostering a positive workplace culture, functioning as positive role models, peer supporters and agents for change.  

Description of intervention

We launched the advocate network in 2018 to improve awareness and equitable uptake of our inclusive wellbeing offer and to reduce any stigma and barriers around sensitive topics.  

The Workplace Wellbeing Advocate is a voluntary role, working at all levels of our large organisation and across all demographics. It is undertaken at the manager’s discretion – not replacing the individual responsibilities set out in the job description. 

 Typical duties include: 

• Circulating/displaying publicity posters in the local work environment  

• Acting as the key point of contact to team members who’d like to access any of the resources on a day-to-day basis 

• Submitting ideas or feedback to the Workplace Wellbeing team 

How did you involve your staff in the intervention? 

Prior to launch, we sought advice from national best practice and peers who had expressed an interest in supporting the evolving workplace wellbeing agenda within their team or occupational group. We initiated the process by clarifying our reasons for wanting to co-create a new network of Wellbeing Advocates along with the specific challenges and goals faced in communicating the offer. We partnered with staff side colleagues and other network leads and peer supporters to benefit from a range of skills and perspectives to optimise organisational success and sustainability. 

How engaged were senior leaders in the intervention? 

Securing leadership buy-in for wellbeing initiatives including the Wellbeing Advocate role has been very positive, especially as it aligns with corporate objectives and workforce goals, fostering relationships and demonstrating long-term impact to the Trust. 

Since the introduction of the network, the Trust has adopted a more strategic approach to workplace wellbeing, embedding it into corporate strategies as well as Divisional Culture and People Plans.  

A key part of this transition is the emergence of wellbeing advocates, now over 350 multi-disciplinary colleagues who are passionate about fostering a healthier work culture. 

How did you promote and raise awareness of this intervention to staff

At the time of launch, the internal communication methods available was limited to a weekly newsletter and word of mouth though committees and forums.  

We initially extended an invitation to colleagues who had shown an interest in workplace wellbeing to participate in an inaugural meeting. We expected around 15 attendees however, to our surprise, 50 colleagues came along and registered as an advocate!  

At that time, we committed to the goal of appointing an advocate in every team/department across all locations of our large, multi site organisation and we are actively working to bridge this gap with our Divisional leads, with the aim of achieving and sustaining this ratio by the end of the 2025/26.

How do you plan to continue with this intervention in the future? 

We are in our seventh year of overseeing the thriving Workplace Wellbeing advocate network, and we are eager to further develop this to foster a culture that promotes both physical and mental health in the workplace.  

Action plan for 2025/26 

• Invite newly registered who have not yet attended a monthly induction session to attend. 
•  Plan and communicate quarterly Advocate network meetings.
•  Maintain the Advocate Teams channel – use it for ad-hoc messaging (to encourage networking among members), meeting documents, monthly updates, and shared resources. 

• Regularly update and review the advocate registration form and spreadsheet to be more user friendly. 

• Ensure that all advocates are signed up to the Workplace Wellbeing Viva Engage channel. 

• Verify that all existing advocates remain active in role, identify teams without an advocate, and undertake targeted recruitment in collaboration with divisional partners. 

• Co-ordinate with other NHS organisations to explore opportunities for joint meetings and events.

What have you learned from developing this intervention? 

Establishing a Workplace Wellbeing Advocate or Champions Programme serves as a highly effective means to cultivate a robust and influential culture of support, especially within large organisations or multiple teams. When properly trained and utilised, Advocates assist in promoting various positive initiatives throughout the workplace, which include:  

• Facilitating open dialogue regarding mental health. 

• Reduces stigma associated with health.  

• Creating a more inclusive workplace environment where everyone feels supported. 

Can you offer any advice to other organisations thinking about developing this kind of intervention? 

Engage with colleagues who have shown interest and collaboratively develop a role descriptor that accurately represents the daily responsibilities, while determining if the time allocated for the role and whether it will be protected or integrated into regular duties. 

A co-ordinator/s to manage the network, to include promotional materials and guidance, the provision of holistic wellbeing resources to direct colleagues seeking assistance, any training and development opportunities, and a two-way communication channel that allows the suggestions and experiences of advocates to shape organisational priorities.