Health and Well being Services

Contents

Food and nutrition
Physical Activity
Healthy heart
Smoking
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Alcohol and drugs

Food and nutrition

The facts

• Premature deaths among obese employees cost companies £1.1 billion a year.
• An unhealthy diet leads to poor concentration and a range of health problems.
• 1.6 million people in the UK have an eating disorder.

What you can do

• Provide employees with information about healthy eating.
• Provide weight management programme.
• Design a food policy for your business.

For more information

Joy of Food
Learn about cooking for health.
Email: joyoffood@norfolk.nhs.uk

Life4Life
NHS Norfolk’s free weight management programme will help your employees make simple lifestyle changes to manage their weight.
Tel: 0800 023 4789
email: norfolklife@gyctrust.co.uk

Eatwell
Information and advice about food from the Food Standards Agency
www.eatwell.gov.uk

5aday
Promoting eating at least 5 fruit and vegetables a day.
www.nhs.uk/livewell/5aday

B-eat
B-eat is the leading UK charity for people with eating disorders and their families.
www.b-eat.co.uk
 

Physical Activity

The Facts

• People who are physically active take 27% fewer days of sick.
• For good health adults should do some kind of physical activity for 30 minutes a day, five times a week.

What you can do

• Develop a physical activity policy
• Develop an active travel policy
• Promote and support physical activity in the workplace – encourage staff to walk and cycle to work.
• Adopt a cycle2work scheme
• Encourage sedentary employees to move more during their working day.
• Develop a physical activity programme

For More Information

NICE National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
Promoting Physical activity in the workplace
http://guidance.nice.org.uk/PH13

Active Norfolk
Provides physical activity programmes for businesses including; “Get back into” and the Corporate Games.
www.activenorfolk.org

Fit4Work
Active Norfolk’s Fit4Work programme provides tailor made physical activity programme for your workplace.
www.activenorfolk.org/fit4work

Norfolk County Council
Workplace Travel Plans
Norfolk County Council has produced a Travel Plan Guidance Pack, which can be downloaded from their website.
www.norfolk.gov.uk

Cycle2Work
To promote healthier journeys to work and to reduce environmental pollution the cycel2work scheme loans cycles and equipment to employees as a tax-free benefit.
www.dft.gov.uk
 

Healthy heart

The facts

• CHD is the most common cause of death overall in the UK, accounting for just under 114,000 deaths a year.
• CHD is the most common cause of death in those of working age.
• CHD costs the economy is at least £3.1 billion a year due to days lost to death, illness and informal care of people with the disease.

What you can do

• Provide staff with heath information on healthy eating, exercise and smoking and wellbeing.
• Promote Change4Life campaign.
• Promote NHS Health Checks.

For more information

NHS Norfolk Health Checks
The NHS can carry out CVD (Cardio vascular disease) health checks on men and women aged between 40 – 74.

British Heart Foundation
The nations heart charity runs the Think Fit workplace programme, providing information, resources and campaigns.
www.bhf.org.uk/Thinkfit
 

Change4Life – employers guide
Down load free change4Life employers guide, information and resources to promote a healthier lifestyle in your workplace.
www.nhs.uk/change4life

Smoking

The facts

• An estimated 34 million days a year costing £328 million are lost in England and Wales through sickness absence resulting from smoking related illness.
• 5 cigarettes break a day equal 28 working days a year.
• 60% of smokers would like to give up smoking.

What you can do

• Develop a smoking policy.
• Provide your staff with information on stop smoking services.
• Support staff that are ready to stop smoking.
• Where possible provide on-site stop smoking support.

For more information

NICE National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
Workplace interventions to promote smoking cessations.
http://guidance.nice.org.uk/PH5

NHS Smokefree
Information about smoking and quitting.
Helpline 0800 022 4332
www.smokefree.nhs.uk

NHS Norfolk Stop Smoking Service
NHS Norfolk Stop Smoking Service offers free and confidential support to everyone living in the NHS Norfolk area. An adviser can visit your workplace and run an in-house group.
Helpline 0800 085 4113
www.cignificant.co.uk
 

Mental Health and Wellbeing

The Facts

• 25% of all sick days are taken as a result of stress related illness
• Mental health problems cost the economy £1 billion a year
• At any one time 20% working aged women and 17% working aged men are affected by depression or anxiety.

What you can do

• Integrate the promotion of wellbeing into all aspects of recruiting and managing people
• Sign up to the Mindful employer charter
• Promote a culture of support for flexible working.
• Ensure line managers can identify and respond to employees mental health problems.
• Promote the “5 ways to wellbeing”
• Provide employees with wellness packages

For More Information

NICE National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
Guidance for employers on promoting mental wellbeing through productive and healthy working conditions
http://guidance.nice.org.uk/PH22

Mindful Employer
An employer led initiative aimed at increasing awareness of mental health at work and providing support for businesses in recruiting & retaining staff.
www.mindfulemployer.net

 

Shaw Trust
A comprehensive source of advice and practical support to help employers deal with mental ill health issues in the workplace.
www.tacklementalhealth.org.uk

SHIFT
The Department of Health programme to reduce stigma and discrimination surrounding people with mental health conditions. Produces the excellent free Line Managers Resources.
www.shift.org.uk

WellBusiness
Wellbusiness provides preventative techniques, assessments, training and support packages to employers and employees.
Email: wellbusiness@norwichmind.org.uk

Alcohol and drugs

The facts

• 25% of accidents at work are alcohol-related.
• 17m working days are lost each year through alcohol related absence.
• A member of staff under the influence of drugs or alcohol will only achieve 67% of their work potential.

What you can do

Develop effective workplace policies.

• Provide staff with alcohol and drug awareness.
• Train managers in managing alcohol and drugs issues.

For more information

Norfolk Drug and Alcohol Partnership (N-DAP)
Provides information and support to businesses on policy and work related drug and alcohol issues.
www.nordat.org.uk

NORCAS
Drug and alcohol misuse consultancy and training in the workplace.
www.norcas.org.uk

FRANK
Drug and alcohol information and helpline.
0800 77 66 00 www.talktofrank.com