Agenda item

The Director of People and Development introduced Bekki Ford, Safety, Health and Environment Advisor who presented Members with the various opportunities that the Service had enabled to address the wellbeing and wellness agenda.  The support resources included: -

·         Employee Assistance Programme – short-term solution focussed counselling and advise;

·         Engine House – Library of information;

·         Mental Health First Aiders – courses on an ad hoc basis predominantly for Community Fire Safety;

·         Occupational Health – in-house provision available on a referral basis for all staff;

·         Pre-retirement course – information from a financial, psychological and physical point of view;

·         Personal Training Instructors and Service Fitness Advisor – to support operational staff to maintain levels of required fitness;

·         Signposting Peer Support Pocketbook – to help individuals signpost colleagues or choose the most appropriate support for themselves;

·         Social Events – to foster positive relationships

·         Sports Events – to encourage all members of staff to be more active therefore improving and maintaining both physical and mental health and wellbeing;

·         Trauma Risk Management – intervention to support staff to be able to reflect on a traumatic event without emotion and be able to ‘file’ the experience away as a memory to refer back to if needed;

·         Wellbeing Support Dogs – to improve wellbeing, build self-esteem / confidence and help someone open up about their feelings and provide signposting;

·         Workplace Wellbeing Toolbox Talks – initiative started in July 2019, in the first instance delivered to all stations and groups of staff across the whole of the Service to support crews with a range of wellbeing related topics during face-to-face sessions.

In addition, as a responsible and considerate employer the Service also provided day-to-day support via:

·         Ageing Workforce Task & Finish Group

·         Apprenticeship Health and Wellbeing Session

·         CFA Member Health and Wellbeing Champion

·         Coaching and Mentoring/Pastoral Care

·         Distress Management and Self Care course

·         Flexible Working Arrangements

·         Healthy Eating Choices (at STC)

·         Leadership Visits

·         Leave Entitlement

·         Oscar Kilo Blue Light Wellbeing Framework

·         Personal Training Instructors/Service Fitness Advisor

·         Routine Bulletins

·         Service Orders/Standard Operating Procedures

·         Time to Change Employer

·         Top Management ‘buy-in’

·         Wellness Events Calendar

·         Workplace Wellbeing Toolbox Talks

In response to a question raised by County Councillor O’Toole regarding the arrangements in place to deal with any allegations of harassment, bullying or racism the Director of People and Development advised that all allegations were taken very seriously, were recorded and investigated.  Individuals could raise their concerns with their line manager, senior manager, HR or use the whistleblowing policy.

In response to a further question raised by County Councillor O’Toole, regarding how involved the Service was with the Firefighters Charity, the Safety, Health & Environment Advisor confirmed that the Service remained heavily involved and undertook a lot of fundraising either in groups or individual firefighters set their own challenges.  The Service had also collaborated with the Firefighters Charity during the pandemic which was hoped would be developed further.

In response to a further question raised by County Councillor O’Toole regarding how well attended were the social and sports events the Director of People and Development advised that this was dependent on the event however, attendance was encouraged.

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer advised that the Authority Chairman had attended an awards event the previous week (which celebrated long service, good conduct, commendations, staff who had received academic qualifications and staff nominated by their peers for demonstrating the Service STRIVE values).  The event was followed by the Firefighters Charity Ball which was attended by over 300 people.  He advised that for the year 2020/21 a total of circa £120k had been raised by staff across the Service.

Councillor Williams advised that he had attended a Prince’s Trust event the previous week held in Blackpool which had been a fabulous opportunity to see the young people at the end of the programme become focussed, to have worked as a team and gain additional skills.

In response to a query from Councillor Williams regarding the provision of support to staff regarding domestic abuse and suicide prevention the Safety, Health & Environment Advisor advised that although there was nothing specific for domestic abuse Trauma Risk Management support was available for traumatic events occurring at home and work. 

The level of training provided for those supporting individuals was dependent on the role e.g. the Wellbeing Support Dog Handler 3 day peer support programme was developed in-house by the Safety, Health & Environment Advisor, mental health first aid was provided by an external training provider, LFRS had a bespoke mental health course developed by Lancashire MIND – Distress Management and Self-care, collaboration with Fire Fighters Charity to deliver mental health and wellbeing sessions jointly between Safety, Health & Environment Advisor and the charity’s Wellbeing coaches.

The Director of People and Development added that there was an array of interventions and activities which ranged from talking to a friend through to medical interventions dependent upon the situation.  He reassured Members that where staff needed training the Service was careful to monitor activity.  There was no expectation to go beyond their knowledge base.  He confirmed that the Service was also involved in safeguarding issues if required.

In response to a further question from Councillor Williams the Safety, Health & Environment Advisor confirmed that she had quarterly account meetings with providers to review their services.  She also reviewed the signposting directory at least every 6 months which included at the last update Frontline Assistance for Stress and Trauma.

County Councillor Mein queried the availability of support resources for staff, how much support was delivered face-to face and who could access the Trauma Risk Management counselling including who determined the referral.  In response the Safety, Health and Environment Advisor advised that it was not possible to measure every interaction with the wellbeing resources.  The Service received usage data from EAP. This was a mini citizens advice service that covered a lot of information.  It was independent to the Service, providing short-term counselling and advice to staff and their immediate family.  She confirmed that the Service was above benchmark re: usage.  She advised that the Trauma Risk Management intervention team were volunteers who could meet at any time.  The requests to the TRIM team would be made by the individual concerned so that they would be engaged.  She also confirmed that wellbeing visits were instigated by the individual with their watch or crew manager and line managers made referrals to occupational health.  She also confirmed that the idea of wellbeing dogs was scientifically proven to lower blood pressure, stress and anxiety levels and various interventions were available.

RESOLVED: - That the report and comprehensive nature of interventions available to assist staff be noted.