HIOW Health and Wellbeing 350+ Programme have teamed up with Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace to provide managers across HIOW access to an interactive eLearning package.

This module aims to provide you with the knowledge and skills to support your colleagues and teams who experience the menopause. 

To gain access to this catalogue on eLearning for Healthcare's Learning Hub, please complete this registration form.

*For all HIOW NHS staff including SCAS and Primary Care

Information on how sleep and fatigue can impact on the health of staff, with practical recommendations for improving the quality of sleep and rest.

Sleep, fatigue and the workplace | NHS Employers

Available on the People Portal, this toolkit is designed to help managers and employees alike to design effective flexible working arrangements which work for everyone.

Explore:

How to offer flex in ‘hard to flex’ patient-facing roles

Introducing team-based or self-rostering to your service to improve wellbeing and retention.

Focus on Flex - People Portal (hiowpeople.nhs.uk) 

We have been working with research and consultancy organisation Affinity Health at Work to create two bespoke mental health support resources for NHS staff across Hampshire and Isle of Wight.

Professor Jo Yarker from Affinity Health at Work has delivered three webinars and you can watch the recordings below to hear about these new resources:

Leading Well toolkit

Leading Well - People Portal (hiowpeople.nhs.uk)

Access password is HIOW2024

Watch the launch event here

Manager session recording

IGLOO Return to Work toolkit

Return to Work Toolkit - People Portal (hiowpeople.nhs.uk)

Access this resource here: https://hiownhs.returntowork.co.uk

You will need to register using your name and NHS email address. The access code is: HIOW2024

IGLOO Return to Work toolkit recording

NHS England expects all parts of the NHS to commit to preventing and reducing the risk of violence towards staff and supporting their health and wellbeing in line with the ‘We are safe and healthy’ NHS People Promise. This in turn will improve staff experience, retention, and ultimately patient care.

• Identify the key policy and legislative drivers for violence prevention and reduction in healthcare settings.

• Understand and describe the individual, situational and environmental factors that can cause violence.

• Describe how using public health and trauma informed approaches can prevent violence at individual and community level.

• Explore a range of best practice approaches that can be used by individuals, teams and organisations to minimise the risk or impact of violence.

The course is free and open to all NHS and social care staff using either their work email address or personal email address via the NHS Learning Hub. Trainees can download a certificate at the end too.

Eight I/2-hour sessions where you will learn about:

• Stress and how it affects us

• Understanding and managing workplace stress

• Understanding specific NHS workplace stress

• Specific tools and techniques for stress management

• Changing your thinking patterns and managing worry

• Managing your routine and improving work/life balance

• Living better in line with your own personal values

• Mindfulness and breathing techniques to manage stress

Access them at your convenience on the People Portal: Stress Management Course - People Portal (hiowpeople.nhs.uk)

·        

https://www.hospiceuk.org/hants-iow-icb), Compassionate Employers - People Portal (hiowpeople.nhs.uk)

The online members’ hub can help with issues such as:

• Practical and legal advice following a bereavement

• Carers rights and support

• Support after a life-changing diagnosis

• Guidance and signposting for line managers

• Knowing what to say and what not to say

• HR toolkits

  
  

  You can arrange this via email at: compassionateemployers@hospiceuk.org

NHSE South East regional Workforce Team commissioned HIOW to develop a suite of tools to raise awareness of neurodivergence, particularly for line managers with neurodivergent team members.

The support package includes:

• Tip sheets for managers

• Two recorded sessions with Genius Within Occupational Psychologists and our EDNA Advisors

• Bitesize e-learning modules

The training package will be free for all NHS and Primary Care staff working in the South East region. Contact your Learning Management System team to access.

Find the resources here:

Neurodiversity Awareness - People Portal (hiowpeople.nhs.uk)

Password: geniuswithin

• Reasons for referral are:

o Member of staff has had several episodes of sickness absense over a period of a few months

o Member of staff is currently off sick

o Member of staff sickness absence may be attributable to ill health that may be work related

o Member of staff wishes to return to work after period of absence

o Member of staff are suffering with a health condition which is affecting their performance

o Concern about member of staff's fitness for aspects of their role - this may include concern over performance and/or capability

o The reason for absence is mental health related or over 28 days

• For further details please visit the Occupational Health portal pages - this includes how managers can make a management referral and what to expect from a management referral consultation.

• If you would like to self-refer for a Physiotherapy consultation, please access the self-referral form here.

• If you would like support with mental health, please access the EAP service.

They have offered us a free trial, and I am working with our Trust leadership and sustainability leads to implement this. If you want to be involved, or think your team base might be a good place to get a free trial, let me know! Sophie.street2@southernhealth.nhs.uk. Or Womensnetwork@southernhealth.nhs.uk

eLearning is available to help support your understanding of sexual safety in the workplace. The training aims to identify and recognise different types of sexual misconduct and what impact they may have on individuals and those who witness it. 

The training also helps you to understand how you can have a trauma-informed conversation and learn how to help support someone if they tell you they have experienced sexual misconduct.

To access the training, please click here: LEAD online and my Learning.

The FVTP wants Female Veterans from the breadth of the UK to be involved in this photoshoot, regardless of age, rank, time served, ethnicity, religion, disability, socioeconomic background, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other characteristic. The more diverse the better! 

To get involved click this link: https://forms.office.com/e/SmuxuxW6EQ 

This will mean some changes in the things we do, the rules and restrictions around things like using toilets and access to gender specific places and things.

The EHRC is "opening this consultation to gather feedback on the changes we have made following the UK Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland. We are only consulting on parts of the code that are affected by the ruling. We acknowledge the importance of these changes to people with the protected characteristics of sex, sexual orientation and gender reassignment. Our role is to ensure everybody’s rights are protected in line with the law, so that no one experiences discrimination or harassment as a result of their protected characteristic when using services. We are committed to developing guidance that provides legal clarity and practical support for organisations following the Supreme Court judgment."

Please do your own personal reading and research, contribute to the consultation if you'd like to, and importantly - reach out if you'd like any support. The Women and allies network is a SAFE space, where we are respectful and kind and welcome everyone. womensnetwork@southernhealth.nhs.uk

I've added responses in line with your comments in the chat voting so they're all counted!

Check out the staff network page:

Staff networks :: HIOW Healthcare

Follow the links to join:

Session 1

1400-1500 26^th June 2025

 Join the meeting now

Session 2

1300-1400 11^th July 2025

Join the meeting now

Their goal is to identify how better support from schools, healthcare professionals, parents, and carers could improve early detection and care.

Please help spread the word and encourage participation in this anonymous survey, which takes just 10–15 minutes to complete.

Participants must be aged 18+ and feel comfortable reflecting on their past experiences.

The findings will help shape future advocacy, education, and health policies for menstrual wellbeing—something that can positively impact employees, families, and communities.

Take the survey here: https://forms.office.com/e/SRNdeJZcpP

A virtual meet-up to provide a safe space to talk about menopause. Menopause Meet-ups are for everyone, whether you are experiencing the menopause yourself or supporting someone who is, because menopause matters.

There is no set agenda, just an opportunity to share experiences and support each other over a virtual cuppa.

We hope to see you there!

Our next session will be held in August 2025 (Date- TBC)

To join email: hiow.healthandwellbeing@nhs.net

This has been specially designed for healthcare professionals in high-stakes roles who work on the frontline and is focused on helping you beat stress, take control of your workload and work happier.

Have you signed-up to the Work Well Programme yet?

Created by Dr Rachel Morris, former GP and host of You are not a frog podcast, and her team, and includes webinars, videos and l ‘done-for-you’ wellbeing resources, as well as specific extra support for you if you’re a leader, trainer, manager or wellbeing lead. 

As an organisation, we have commissioned this programme for 12 months, and it’s totally free for you to access. You need to sign up to the Work Well Programme in order to attend these events.

• The next lunchtime webinar is Thursday 24th July 2025 at 12.30-1.30pm: “How to get rest and headspace in your busy life”.

There is also a quarterly, lunchtime 90-minute online masterclass for Team Leaders and those who support colleagues with aspects of wellbeing, such as supervisors, mentors, managers and appraisers.  

• The next masterclass is on Wednesday 10^th September 2025 12.30-2pm online with Drs Rachel Morris and Sarah Coope, "How to design a working week you’ll love"

All you need to do is click on this link here to sign up.

You’ll then get immediate access to our online learning platform which contains the following resources:

• Work Well Webinars - monthly lunchtime webinars on aspects of wellbeing (replays available)

• Team Leaders resources area - access to quarterly Team Leaders Masterclasses, (a group coaching masterclass for anyone who supports staff with aspects of wellbeing, to share and learn from others)

• Work Well Booster Videos and Team Activities - monthly short booster videos and team resilience building activities to use yourself and with your team, plus our online library of Work Well Boosters and Activities

• The Wellbeing QI toolkit containing all the resources you need to run a Wellbeing QI project in your organisation

When you sign-up for the Work Well Programme, you’ll receive regular emails from us about the upcoming webinars and masterclasses and we’ll also send you a bitesize monthly Work Well Booster video to give you one short, actionable tip you can apply immediately.  

You can sign-up here!

https://cas5-0-urlprotect.trendmicro.com/wis/clicktime/v1/query?url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.shapestoolkit.com%2foffers%2fsPFDaV2m&umid=ddce062d-5e6a-11f0-90ed-7c1e521e2513&rct=1752247350&auth=ca8a08e162714267db0a3ce2ab6376b26f473a41-0761666c636b918997bfecb25cbbfaee6964765e

Since our article in Headlines on 7 July, we have received lots of feedback regarding the decision to stop using Padlet in the near future. We understand Padlet has been a valuable tool for collaboration and learning (with staff as well as external partners and students) and so we want to be transparent about why we need to stop using it. While the risks surrounding Personally Identifiable Data (PID) are part of the issue, there are also real, serious cyber vulnerabilities that could affect us an organisation.
 
For example:

• Hackers are using Padlet to share dangerous files (such as fake emails and harmful software containing malicious QR codes) and, as Padlet stores all documents on a shared public space, these can spread quickly before being caught. Our staff could accidentally click on a dangerous file, allowing hackers to steal passwords, lock computers and systems using ransomware, or access confidential patient information.

• Padlet doesn’t check files properly for viruses or threats, putting the onus instead on users to spot and report issues, which means harmful files can stay online for weeks before action is taken and, meanwhile, this harmful content could quietly attack our systems, putting patient data and our services at risk without immediate detection.

• Unlike more secure platforms, Padlet doesn’t keep users’ files separate. Instead, everyone’s content is stored together, so if a hacker uploads something dangerous, it can cause issues for everyone.

• Leading security companies (like McAfee and Malwarebytes) have labelled Padlet as high risk and are blocking access to it, as Padlet has been used repeatedly to host phishing attacks this year.

 
It is worth remembering that several reputable organisations have recently suffered major cyberattacks - some experiencing system outages lasting months. These demonstrate the real impact cyber threats pose to the Trust and so - to protect our patients, staff, and vital services - we must take proactive steps and transition to safer, more secure alternatives than Padlet. We have set up a meeting with users of Padlet, to develop a collaborative exit strategy. This will take place from2-3pm on Wednesday 30 July(and will be recorded).Please join this call if you currently use Padlet as a resource and also emailCyberSecurityAssurance@solent.nhs.ukto confirm your Padlet usage.