Working in healthcare can be hard.
Thanks to a grant from NHS Charities Together & NHS England’s Workforce Wellbeing Programme, we have launched a one year pilot of a new Citizens Advice service, to support staff at SASH with their lives outside of work. This is one of the first such services dedicated to NHS staff in the country.
Trust staff can contact the new service by leaving a phone message 24/7 at 01883 583003 or using an online form at www.
Why are we launching this?
For the last few years, alongside our work for patients and visitors who use our hospitals, donations have also helped us support the welfare of NHS staff here at Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust. Because we know a lot of donors/supporters give in gratitude for the care they’ve received, and because staff wellbeing directly links to the quality of care which people receive.
This work has ranged from funding a Clinical Psychologist to help staff through the initial recovery from the COVID pandemic, to improvements to facilities (outdoor rest areas, new staff rooms, microwaves, toasters…), through to implementing evidence based methodologies such as the Reverse Mentoring programme, and Schwartz Rounds across the Trust.
Thanks to your support, for more than two years we have also run a staff hardship grants scheme, and a community fridge, which is helping staff, visitors, and our local community.
This work matters. Whilst the specific cases are confidential, we’ve helped nurses not be evicted, we’ve helped staff in an unexpected crisis through bereavement, we’ve helped people fleeing domestic violence. Because with 5,500 staff, there will always be people going through challenges in their real lives outside of work.
A big part of what we’ve learned from the Hardship Grants scheme is that where staff have applied for a hardship grant from the charity, usually a) they do need this, and b) what they really need is longer term help with a real life challenge outside of work. Whether its housing, family, money, or something else.
About the new service
Thanks to this grant, we now have a full time Citizens Advice service, based from an Office in East Surrey Hospital (and working remotely and across other SASH sites), carrying out face to face, telephone, and online consultations and case work with staff. To help with all the areas Citizens Advice are expert in.
Our new service is delivered by a new partnership with Citizens Advice Tandridge District, and Citizens Advice Reigate & Banstead. It is open to any member of staff across SASH NHS trust, is confidential, and completely free of charge.
The advisors have access to the full suite of systems, resources, and information from Citizens Advice nationally, as well as specialist knowledge of help available locally, or specifically to NHS Staff.
Our new Citizens Advice service is one of (and possibly the) first specifically for NHS staff in the country, and we hope it will be a huge help to staff.
Staff at SASH can contact the new service by leaving a phone message 24/7 at 01883 583003 or using an online form at www.
To find out more – contact Andrew Bickerdike, Head of Charity on andrew.