Supporting employee financial wellbeing: West London NHS Trust

We didn’t want to make assumptions that there was a cost-of-living problem and who we thought was most impacted and so wanted to take an evidence- and data-driven approach to the best use of our resources. 

The results of the employee survey were interesting and challenged the assumptions we would have made, but also supported some too. 

We found that 32% of our lower paid workforce of estates and facilities staff were skipping meals to help them to support their families. 

We recognised that a ‘one-size-fits-all approach’ wasn’t possible, but also recognised that when you offer something to only a certain group or area that you must be able to justify your reasons, so fairness and transparency are key. 

There is often a ‘need for speed’ in the NHS, but we were keen to ensure that we didn’t rush in and took time to understand what was really needed. 

We also recognised that a clear business case for the investment had to be made that was clearly costed and measurable so that you can see whether the return on investment has been made. 

Finally, we wanted to ensure that we managed expectations and made it clear that the intervention was short term, and then to be reviewed before deciding whether it can be continued. We didn’t want the support to become an entitlement. 

Based on the data received from the survey, we costed up and decided to offer free breakfast provision to support our estates and facilities staff from the start of September 2022 until the end of March 2023.  We simply wouldn’t have been able to offer this to our entire workforce and having the data enabled us to explain why we were offering this benefit to just this group.

The survey questions were co-produced with employee feedback specialists Great{with}Talent and ourselves to enable a quick turnaround with high-quality reporting, we just wouldn’t have been able to do this as quickly and efficiently without their support. 

We offered an electronic survey, but also paper-based too, recognising that some of our staff don’t always have easy access to computers. 

Once received, the survey findings were then used to inform a range of potential options and costs to present to our executive team for approval. 

Our estates and facilities managers were able to effectively cost up the free breakfast provision for their staff and order what was required and ensure that supplies were delivered to the right places. Gaining buy-in and support from mangers of the breakfast service was essential to its success. 

The survey findings have meant that we have been able to highlight to our workforce that we are listening, but also confirm that there is a need to review various ways to offer support. 

It has enabled us to target some interventions for specific groups, whilst also recognising the need to provide greater awareness, encourage staff to talk about their money worries, and signpost to the vast range of support available. 

The estates and facilities breakfast provision will be reviewed, and the impact measured in February 2023, but initial feedback from managers within the estates and facilities service has been positive and that is making a difference to staff morale and feeling supported and valued. 

Staff know that we are interested and listening, and some great suggestions have come from them and continue to be made, such as the new West London Market Place (an online site for staff to sell and buy goods), which we have launched.  

Don’t make assumptions. Don’t rush into offers that may not be what is needed. Be brave and take time to listen and plan. Be able to justify your actions. And finally, be able to measure their value. 

Carrying out a bespoke financial wellbeing survey was important in assessing the financial stresses faced by employees instead of making assumptions and coming up with different solutions for specific staff groups, such as the free breakfast. The survey results were also important to help justify the decision to other staff groups who did not directly benefit from the initiative. 

In addition to the survey, the five-staged approach was important in starting a conversation in the workplace about money issues and raising awareness of the importance of financial wellbeing.