Enhanced and advanced occupational health standards

Explanation

Where practicable, a service should utilise technological development to maximise systems efficiency and effectiveness, for example for electronic records and appointments management.

Robust and secure data management system and processes for controlling personal information to ensure GDPR compliance.

Paper health records should be transferred to secure electronic systems if not already done so, procuring of such systems may need to be part of the service future business planning.  

Evidence

• Policies and / or procedures (standard operating procedures) outlining records management, data access requests and GDPR compliance.
• Policy detailing the storage and retention of patient (client) information. Policy and / or procedure detailing safely securing of records at end of working day i.e. “locking up” procedures.
• Training procedures for new staff on process and policy.

Examples of evidence

• Forces can access the Information and records management governance SoP from OK library.
• Forces must ensure that their policy and procedure include details of the host force records retention policy as well as those in relation to national standards and practice.

Explanation

The service should provide the organisation, and service users, with information activity and outcomes to assist in managing compliance and to help inform and protect the force and its people.  

Data to inform medium and long term planning and to inform factors such as resource planning.

Information management policy.

Evidence

• Forces can access the Information and records management governance SoP from OK library.
• Forces must ensure that their policy and procedure include details of the host force records retention policy as well as those in relation to national standards and practice.

Examples of evidence

• Monthly management reports / workforce performance reports include health surveillance reporting (for example).

Explanation

Services should employ the framework utilising the using a seven pillar model** of clinical governance which includes a quality assurance system setting out ‘what good looks like’ and how to maintain quality.

The service should ensure it keeps abreast of developments in clinical practice.

Evidence

• A local policy / standard operating procedure, detailing the application of a clinical governance model throughout the delivery of all clinical procedures and practice.
• Information giving to service users on clinical services.
• Reflecting the NPWS clinical governance framework in force CG documents (where applicable).
• Information on services, what to expect and therapeutic interventions clearly detailed on dedicated OH&W intranet page and / or on patient information literature.

Examples of evidence

• Policy / SOP.

• OK library clinical governance template.

• Evidence of audit around procedure and practice.

• Evidence of training and, where necessary, refresher training of clinical staff.

• Benchmarking clinical practice activity against other forces.

• Published results from surveys, for example a health needs assessment(s) or other similar stakeholder engagement.
• Service user / customer satisfaction outcomes.
• OK template library. 

An OH service should be actively giving consideration to ensuring the development opportunities to all staff.

The service leadership team should be contributing to the future availability of OH staff and supporting the sustainability and development of the discipline.

Explanation

A local career development strategy, linked to the force people strategy, setting out the department’s commitment to personal development including clinical and administrative roles.

This should include details of learning opportunities and placements for new joiners to OH including those from nursing, medical and allied health professional backgrounds.

The service should, where practicable, support formal education pathways for obtaining enhanced OH skills for clinical staff.  

Evidence

• Learning opportunities bespoke to the OH practitioner. These may be developed with the force learning and development team, locally or a through a professional body.
• Knowledge / skills / outcomes defined and linked to personal development plans and appraisals.
• Internal training packages and programmes set out for all roles as well as induction programmes for new starters.
• Evidence of a student(s) on placement and registered with a HEI / undertaking professional study at a HEI.
• Development of ‘other’ OH roles, such as OH technician / OH HCA, mental health nurses, physiotherapy, OT, encouraging agility and innovation.

Examples of evidence

• Local OH people plan can be linked to or included in the OH business plan rather than a separate document.

• Evidence of induction information for new staff.

• Evidence of appraisal or PDP documentation.

• Evidence of students on placement or the presence of existing staff undertaking further academic or professional study.

• Evidence of training for technical or support staff.

• Use of appropriate NCALT courses.

An OH service should promote and support the health and wellbeing of its own OH staff. 

Explanation

The service should demonstrate an investment in wellbeing for its own people.

The service should be linking any force wide health and wellbeing strategic aims with those of the service and its people.

Evidence

• The service should evidence ways in which it aims to support its people through activities and or process.

• The service should ensure OH staff have access to their own OH and EAP / counselling.

Examples of evidence

• A local H&W plan or strategy (can be linked to OH business plan / contained within the OH business plan).

• Internal H&W champion / lead / SPOC.

• Evidence of team events and or away days.

• Evidence of carrying out / participating in: Support and supervision, Schwartz Rounds^*, reflective practice and discussions.

• De-briefs, clinical supervision and mentoring.

• Access to OH* and EAP for OH.

• *should not be same force – external SLA recommended.

• Evidence that OH teams’ roles are risk assessed and health surveillance in place where needed. This includes psychological and physical risk.

An OH Service should be giving active consideration to developing collaborative and / or strategic external partnerships with other forces to further enhanced team support and wellbeing. 

Explanation

Where practicable, and where agreed with force strategic leads, an OH service should look to work collaboratively and / or in partnership with neighbouring forces. This can be with formal arrangements in place, for example to utilise or share services, or for developmental opportunities and for benchmarking purposes.

Developing shared resources may assist with building resilience, developing peer review processes, shared CPD and revalidation support.

Evidence

• The OH service should evidence collaboration with neighbouring force OH departments or similar blue light OH services, for example fire and rescue.

Examples of evidence

• Terms of reference of any working groups, meeting minutes and action logs.

• Copies of any SLA or Memorandum or understanding (MoU) / formal procurement documentation (for example tender documents or service level agreements / contracts)

• Forces statements of intent.

Explanation

An OH service should be developing strategies to improve the health of the force (officers and staff), independently or in partnership with workforce / HR functions, undertaking a health needs assessment(s) as part of this work.

A health needs assessment is an integral, and systematic approach, to understanding the needs of a force, or a section of a force. A health needs assessment should help define and shape priorities for service delivery as well as address and reduce workplace health inequalities.  

Evidence

• A health needs assessment of a section or whole of a force designed to help inform the priorities and health inequalities of that working population.

• The findings of the survey should be shown to contribute to the development of a health and wellbeing strategy of programme of activities at addressing workplace health needs.

Examples of evidence

• OK template library health needs assessment information document.

• Example of a health needs assessment or similar type survey, all or a section of a force.

An OH service should support, and where appropriate, lead on pandemic planning and risk mitigation, to minimise the risk of harm to the organisation’s people.

Explanation

As part of a wider strategic assessment of the force (or a section of the force) health needs, OH services should identify ways in which to help promote healthy habits in order to prevent ill-health. OH services should also outline their plans to prevent ill-health through prevention activities where relevant as well as health screening activities.

OH should use its position to participate in public health related activities to promote good general health.

OH should set out corporate plans (within the context of its health and wellbeing strategy) to define a programme of surveillance and screening for statutory activities and non-statutory activities. OH should ensure that these programmes link in / work with the force health, safety and risk management teams when undertaking this work.

Where a large scale public health crisis emerges, or a pandemic is declared (for example COVID-19), OH should become an integral part of the force strategic emergency preparedness teams in order to provide clinical and specialist advice in relation to risks associated with working with the identified disease.

Where and when appropriate, OH may be asked to lead on and / or participate in screening programmes or large scale vaccination programmes to reduce the spread of infection. OH may also be required to provide basic infection prevention, and where appropriate, control advice.

Evidence

• A health and wellbeing strategy which is health needs based and includes the core requirements for health screening and health surveillance activities which meet the organisations statutory requirements.
• Examples of health promotion activities linked to the needs of the organisation which promote positive healthy activities such as healthy eating, smoking cessation and health promotion campaigns or activities which help reduce health inequalities particularly amongst vulnerable groups of the workforce.
• Attendance at silver and / or gold planning or policy meetings.
• Evidence of local standard operating procedures for dealing with pandemics / outbreaks.

Examples of evidence

• Details of how programmes will be delivered and managed and how non-compliance will be reported should be included in the strategy or service business plan.
• A force with an enhanced multi-disciplinary team could dedicated health care support staff to run health promotion and health awareness campaigns.
• Evidence of force communications, promotion event.
• Regular and sustainable use of Oscar Kilo wellbeing vans or other Oscar Kilo initiatives or those provided in house such as health check clinics.
• See OK website.
• Evidence of guidance or communications produced for the force.
• Meeting minutes / agenda.
• Planning documents for example testing or vaccine delivery.

OH should set out its plans for early detection of occupational disease and its plans to mitigate against psychological and physical ill health.

The service should provide comprehensive support for the management of mental wellbeing which includes managing on going risk, in relation to high risk policing roles, and managing risk in relation to incidents.

Explanation

As part of its assessment of the health needs of the organisation, OH should assist by identifying illnesses which would benefit from early detection and intervention. These should be included within the context of the H&W strategy.

Where ill health arises the service should have clear plans in place to support rehabilitation and recuperative practices.

The OH service should assist the force in supporting mental wellbeing by having an established risk assessment and psychological risk management programme with access to appropriate onward referral and follow up.

Where indicated, and as per local force plans, OH led post incident support following a major or critical incident+. The OH service should actively participate in organisation wide planning and take responsibility for people support at, (where practicable) and after, incidents.

OH should include suicide prevention and awareness material as part of their mental wellbeing strategic plans.

OH should include substance misuse prevention and awareness material as part of their mental wellbeing strategic plans.

Evidence

Strategy document detailing:

• Health checks, screening and surveillance activities. Early referral pathways for services such as physiotherapy and, where applicable, occupational therapy.
• Psychological health screening and intervention where ill health is likely indicated.
• Evidence of collaborative working with health, safety and risk management teams.
• Evidence of a peer support programme (eg, ESTIP).
• Clinical pathways, protocols and evaluations.
• Evidence of participating in table top exercises with emergency planning teams or public order planning teams.
• Evidence of education and awareness in regards to supporting positive mental health.
• Evidence and or awareness in relation to preventing suicides.

Examples of evidence

• Could be included in health and wellbeing strategy – set out strategic aims and include service design to mitigate and improve.
• Evidence of a screening programme / PRM+* programme.
• Major / critical or traumatic incident plans should be detailed in local format and included in force wide policy and planning documentation (disaster management).
• Meeting minutes / agendas of planning meetings or attendance at exercises.
• Force intranet pages with information about OH services as well as health and wellbeing information, signs and ‘symptoms’ / what to watch out for.
• Talks to new recruits and induction material for new starters.
• Example of a slide deck / training pack or intranet information.
• Evidence of new starter documentation / induction material informing people about support and services.

An OH service should demonstrates its working relationships with key stakeholders across the host force. 

Explanation

In order to better understand the health needs of the population it services, an OH service should be visible, engaging and transparent.

The service should work with stakeholders which include, but are not limited to:

• human resources / employee relations
• staff associations
• Federation reps
• health, safety and risk management teams
• inclusion and diversity teams
• line managers

OH should work to build confidence and not rely on the intranet or other OH related literature to solely promote its services.

Evidence

• Evidence of engagement and involvement of support groups.
• Examples of meetings and working groups where OH is involved.
• Participation in or leading on committees or boards / groups such as health and wellbeing steering committee / group.
• Attendance at meetings led by other disciplines as listed.

Examples of evidence

• Meeting minutes / agendas.
• Evidence of stakeholder engagement activities or weekly advice surgeries for example.

Explanation

Depending on the OH service structure, a member of the OH SLT, participates in strategic organisational influence in relation to the design and implementation of health and wellbeing improvement.

This role has influence at / or participates in supporting silver and / or gold (executive level) groups within the force.

The post holder is a member of the wider HR or safety team or the overarching team responsible for people wellbeing and or safety and health within the host organisation.

Evidence

• Job description.

• Structure chart.

• Meeting minutes and / or agenda.

Explanation

The OH service leads on creating wellbeing tools to assist managers and leaders prevent ill health, caused through work, amongst their people.

With prevention at the core of their models of delivery, OH contributes to promoting wellbeing to allow officers and staff the opportunity to articulate their health concerns and management the opportunity to participate in providing shared solutions to reduce them. 

Evidence

• Evidence of implementing management workplace wellbeing tools.
• Evidence of making use of appraisal / PDP conversations to discuss health concerns / have wellbeing conversations, as standard force practice.
• Evidence of making use of wellbeing action planning documentation.^^

Explanation

The service is sector leading in regards to innovation, design, service delivery, and impact on the organisation and acts as a role model to other forces.

The host force OH service has a robust health and wellbeing strategy which horizon scans (looks to the future) as well as sets out its ambitions’ for progress.

Service personnel support national developments as well as local force initiatives’. They work collaboratively with the NPWS and participate as a pilot site, as and when required, for innovation and improvements to health and wellbeing service delivery.

The service acts as a benchmark to other forces (or combined force and shared sector services) in a way that tests and proves OH innovation and / or research.

Service or programme enhancements are evaluated in partnership with stakeholders and service users jointly.

Evidence

• Evidence of achieving foundation and enhanced standards.
• Evidence of participating in supporting national developments or leading on a national initiative.
• Evidence of acting as a pilot site and trialling and evaluating service enhancements or evaluating new clinical practice.
• Evidence of applying new research findings to enhanced practice and health improvements.

Explanation

The OH services recognises the importance of career development and succession planning.

The service provides clinical and administrative staff leadership and management training opportunities either through a force recognised leadership programme and / or in partnership with a HEI.

The service provides opportunity for leadership development through a structured programme of learning either through formal qualification or a blended approach of ‘hands on’ learning, mentoring and evaluation of practice. 

The service participates in career fairs or activities designed to promote clinical, or allied health care professionals, entering into the discipline of occupational health.

The service offers training opportunities to nursing and medical staff wanting to specialise in the discipline of occupational health.

The services offers placements to observers and learners from other industry.

Evidence

• Evidence of supporting further education such as an MA, MSc MBA or management diploma.
• Evidence of selected members of staff enrolled on or enrolling on developmental programmes either internally constructed or part education institution designed.
• Evidence of mentoring, evaluation and ‘acting up’ / temporary promotion for either clinical or administrative staff members.
• Evidence of attending nursing, medical or allied health care professional job fairs. Evidence of working alongside professional bodies to promote occupational health as a career of choice.
• Evidence of being a training site to nurses and / or doctors in training to specialise in occupational health or occupational medicine.