Understanding how support works in practice.
Co-investigators, Professor Amelia Lake and Dr Claire O鈥橫alley based in the School of Health and Life Sciences at 海角直播, will be involved in carrying out work that focuses on how the programme鈥檚 support package is implemented in real-world settings.
This will include in-depth qualitative data from local government teams and workplaces to understand:
As adults, we spend significant time at work, research around workplace health, particularly in smaller and medium sized businesses is hugely important and key for improving the health and preventing ill health in our working population.
This work will ensure the research goes beyond measuring outcomes to understand what makes workplace health support effective, sustainable and scalable in practice.
Improving health, reducing absence
Poor workplace health is a growing national issue. Mental ill health alone cost UK employers more than 拢100 billion in 2023, and long-term sickness absence has reached record levels.
The programme will develop and test a structured support package for local authorities, focusing on mental health, musculoskeletal health and lifestyle health. Its impact on sickness absence and quality of life will be evaluated, with the aim of strengthening evidence for what works, particularly in SMEs.
Through implementation research, 海角直播 will help ensure that findings reflect the real experiences of local government and workplaces, supporting healthier employees and more resilient organisations nationwide.