Relationships
Social wellbeing evidence shows that having good-quality relationships can help us to live longer and happier lives with fewer mental health problems. Having close, positive relationships can give us a purpose and sense of belonging. Loneliness and isolation remain the key predictors for poor psychological and physical health. Having a lack of good relationships and long-term feelings of loneliness have been shown by a range of studies to be associated with higher rates of mortality, poor physical health outcomes and lower life satisfaction.
It is important that when we consider the health and wellbeing of our NHS people, we don’t just consider their lives at work but also take into account their situations at home. By getting to know our people we can understand more about their network of support at home and therefore identify anyone at risk who may require more support from colleagues and friends at work. How our NHS people connect and the relationships they build through working together has a huge impact on their experiences at work. Never had this been felt more keenly than when our NHS people first came together to combat the impact of COVID-19 in 2020. The peer support received by our NHS people played a huge role in enabling them to start to deal with the challenges they faced during this unprecedented period.
Useful resources and links
- Feedback is constructive and informative when both positive and negative feedback is given
- Freedom To Speak Up: behaviour from leaders is supportive of people speaking up
- Wellbeing Conversations
- Health and Wellbeing Champions
- Civility and Respect toolkit
- Supporting colleagues affected by Long Covid
- Train the Trainer model
- The Zero Suicide Alliance is a collaboration of NHS trusts. This free training, which is accessible to all, raises awareness of suicide at work.
Case studies
- Conversation workbook – Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
- Wellbeing conversation and compassionate toolkit – Northern Care Alliance NHS Group