Wellbeing Forum supports employers 

"Workplace wellbeing has so many dimensions and it was really valuable to hear so many of them covered in such engaging fashion by our speakers."

The Coventry and Warwickshire Workplace Wellbeing Forum returned for its sixth edition on 24th June, bringing together businesses from across the region to explore how they can better support the health and wellbeing of their employees.

The Forum, at Eliot Park Innovation Centre in Nuneaton, welcomed representatives from a wide range of industries and focused on three key themes: preventing ill health, supporting people into work, and keeping employees safe and well in the workplace. 

Attendees heard presentations on the newly launched “Get Britain Working” white paper and the Coventry and Warwickshire WorkWell pilot. Both initiatives highlight how employers can benefit from co-producing local plans and making use of referral pathways and support services to improve workforce health and productivity. 

The Warwickshire Skills Hub shared the value of investing in staff training, including a powerful case study where a local employee used her newly acquired CPR and defibrillator training to save a life. The Hub also promoted the Skills Escalator funding, which offers up to £750 per staff member (for up to five employees) to support training needs. 

The Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership and Driving for Better Business delivered a session on the links between mental health, substance use and work-related road risk. They emphasised how employers can mitigate these risks through effective policies and management training. 

Safeline then presented compelling statistics on the impact of sexual harassment in the workplace, both on individuals and businesses. They introduced the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023, which places a new legal duty on employers to take proactive steps to prevent harassment. Safeline also outlined the training and support they offer to help businesses meet these responsibilities. 

The final presentation came from Coventry Public Health, who introduced their Prevention Framework. This tool helps employers align their wellbeing strategies with local health priorities, access evidence-based interventions, and collaborate through the Prevention Network. 

It all added up to fascinating and enlightening event which emphasised the integral role that workplace wellbeing has in a healthy successful business. 

Warwickshire County Council's Public Health Service Manager (Wellbeing and Workforce) Jo Southan said: "Workplace wellbeing has so many dimensions and it was really valuable to hear so many of them covered in such engaging fashion by our speakers. I would like to thank all the speakers very much for their time and expertise which I am sure gave all the businesses present a lot of very constructive points to think about."  

There was also a small exhibition with stallholders including CW Mind, Safeline, British Liver Trust, Carers Association, Driving for Better Business, Silence of Suicide. 

Presentation slides from the forum are available at: www.wellbeing4life.co.uk/resources/workplace-wellbeing-forum 

The next forum will take place in Coventry this November. For more information or to get involved, contact josouthan@warwickshire.gov.uk.