Ensuring positive organisational change practices

Scenario

A local council is proposing to relocate locality teams to a number of health centres, as part of a new integrated support service. The team managers are aware that the proposed changes are impacting negatively on the wellbeing of many of the team. They are concerned this might undermine their professional identity.

Action

The team managers use the NICE quality standard on improving employee mental and physical health and wellbeing to make a case to the director for the introduction of a staff engagement forum to discuss and help shape the proposed integrated support service. The staff engagement forum is introduced and provides staff with a positive forum in which to consider solutions to address their concerns.

Further guidance

The guidance highlights the value of managers taking a proactive approach to identifying and managing stress and having staff engagement forums, so that staff can be involved in organisational decisions.

Relevant resources

Guidelines

• Mental wellbeing at work guideline

• Workplace health: management practices guideline

• Workplace health: long-term sickness absence and capability to work guideline

Quality standards

• Healthy workplaces: improving employee mental and physical health and wellbeing quality standard