In November 2020, NELFT was named as the successful provider for the delivery of a pan NEL Staff Wellbeing and Psychological Resilience hub for NEL ICS (following invitation from NHSE and NEL CCG). This service, now known as KWNEL is supporting staff who have pushed their minds and bodies to the limit over the last year to look after their mental health.

Staff can access KWNEL services over the phone, live chat, SMS or video call with onward referral to online and one-to-one expert help from qualified mental health clinicians, health improvement champions, therapists, recovery workers, psychologists and other AHPs.

The hubs are free of charge and offer confidential wellbeing advice and support to HSC staff who for the last year have cared for millions of people with coronavirus while keeping vital services like maternity, mental health and cancer care going.
HCSW staff will be encouraged to reach out directly for help, but KWNEL will proactively contact staff groups who are most at-risk to offer them support so they get the care they need as quickly as possible. KWNEL is set to proactively promote health and wellbeing in the workplace, engage staff groups, assess staff for their wellbeing needs, including their mental health, to support care navigation and to follow up and empower engagement of staff with the wellbeing offer. The NHS Health and Wellbeing Strategic Overview at work (Annexe 3) is focused on promoting sustainable health, wellbeing and mental health at work, to act as an integral part of existing models of care within a holistic range of pathways, focussed on prevention, workplace wellbeing and is linking across all domains of wellbeing.

The alignment of KWNEL with the most recent NHSE and NICE guidance for the EHWB of our NEL workforce in the seven boroughs and local employers, we will support a more effective integration, improved staff experience, and achieve greater efficiency and value from health and social care delivery systems initiatives for HWB. The aim is to address fragmentation in employment wellbeing services between employers and enable better coordinated and more continuous peer-to-peer support, preventative care and reduce barriers to access by engaging assertive outreach and health promotion.
The current KWNEL staffing, and delivery model is focussed around two main functions, (i) health promotion through targeted communication, marketing, assertive outreach, and (ii) wellbeing needs assessment, care navigation and follow-up. With the revised guidance for EHWB hubs being issued there is a need to increase the staffing model and reporting structures with additional targeted and new roles to enable the transformation of workplace wellbeing, health promotion and psychological resilience in NEL.

NHSE confirmed and released further funding to the NEL ICS via People Function of £415.000 and £1.6 million via SDF investment. The proposed changes will increase the capacity and expertise needed for the mobilisation of above funding.