Lightening the Load

‘Beyond Demoralised’ detailed 5 key messages about the current realities of working on the NHS frontline. The messages are not new but intensified through and since the pandemic, and relate to staff having to: respond to Covid-19, suffering ‘moral injury’, being dispersed from their teams, going without basic needs, and experiencing strained relationships with managers.

Keen to provide more than a commentary on the state of things, our ‘Lightening the load’ offer aimed to improve staff morale and relationships.  Our approach involved building a partnership with managers to enhance support for their team via: frontline team-based ethnography, manager interviews; brokering between managers and team; developing a series of team portraits that depict unique stressors of individual professional groups; identifying tangible pinch points; measurement and learning.

This work with 2 clinical teams led to the publication of our resource ‘Facing up to tough realities’ which focuses on the role of personal influence in supporting individuals’ own wellbeing, and in turn creating positive cultural change within their workplace.  If you would like any more information about this programme please contact Laura.Proctor@yhia.nhs.uk.