PCS have been working in conjunction with TUC North West on a health initiative to help members improve their own health by making the best use of digital tools.

As part of this, they have been running programmes based around a Health Activator programme aimed at ULRs and other union reps such as Health and Safety Reps.

The one-day and two-day Health Activator courses have been run in collaboration with charity organisation PSS with the object of addressing health inequalities in the workplace and the region, especially with older workers and men.

The ULR Health Activator course

The Health Activator course was established through joint working between PSS and retired PCS member and North West Regional Learning Coordinator, Shaun Sullivan. Shaun has always been interested in how digital skills can play a role in getting both employees and the general public to look after their health and engage with public health initiatives, and after he completed a Health Activator course as a Union Learning Rep, he realised how it could be used to address the inequalities in health that he saw across the region.

The programme covers a range of health issues such as learning how to take blood pressure and maintain healthy living, and how to use digital tools such as the NHS website via Learn my Way.

As part of the training, ULRs learned how to take blood pressure readings and record results using a specially adapted excel sheet which automatically flagged up potential problems. This then linked in with the second day of the workshop which addressed how to manage blood pressure and stress along with other health issues. Attendees were provided with reference sheets that they could use when supporting members. 

North-West Regional Learning Organiser, Ann Ainsworth says,

The workshop is clearly set within a framework of wellbeing workshops on offer from the union which also covers menopause, mindfulness, stress and mental health awareness, and suicide prevention.  In this way, the Activator course signposts reps onto these courses which can be run in the workplace.”

Tips for running a Health Activator course

• Split the workshop over 2 days as it is quite intensive
• Ensure that Day One is run by people with medical training (in the NW this expertise was sourced by the TUC through competitive tendering). Health organisations often have an education remit to deliver community health so they can also be a good source of expertise.
• Ensure that reps are given reference sheets that they can use when talking to members as there is a lot of information to remember.
• Health organisations often want fewer than 14 people on a course whereas learning providers need more learners to fund a programme properly. This can be managed by running two sessions of the first day for every one of the second day.
• Use the experience of members to inspire the content of the training

Rolling out health training and other programmes

ULRs in the north-west used their experience and learning on the Health Activator course to bring specific elements into the workplace and promote it to union reps.  It was decided that blood pressure testing was particularly relevant in the Merseyside area as high blood pressure is a common problem.

Union Reps were trained to take blood pressure using locally purchased equipment and then discuss the results with members and other employees.  As ULRs are not qualified to make medical judgements, signposting was a key element of this programme along with discussion of the results using the resources from the course. One-to-one advice was given on whether an individual should seek a second opinion from a pharmacist or GP, and those with high blood pressure were referred onto digital health advice tools such as the NHS and healthy eating apps.

The initiative had some very positive results, with two individuals being referred to their GP and receiving what could have been life-saving medication to deal with very high blood pressure that they were unaware of. The programme also dealt with a lot of misconceptions, such as confirming that even those who have a healthy weight and lifestyle can still suffer from high blood pressure.

When rolling the programme out across other areas in the north-west. Shaun purchased low-cost blood pressure machines, developed a presentation and trained other ULRs.  As many of the PCS members were office staff and tended to have a more sedentary lifestyle, he concentrated on the effects of this such as increased weight and diabetes. He found that there was a lot of interest in testing and support, with hundreds of members signing up.

Although the support was offered to everyone, Shaun concentrated his attention on middle-aged men who had health issues but were less inclined to talk to doctors. As a ULR, he found that members were more comfortable talking to him than their doctor and he became passionate about making sure they understood more about how to manage their health, get more frequent blood pressure tests, change their diet and get more active to lose weight.

Shaun said,

Now more than ever, losing weight and addressing these issues can be a life saver as these they are risk factors for Covid-19”.

Shaun ran short courses for union reps and individuals but also encouraged greater participation by running drop-in blood pressure testing in the workplace and at other union events. He encouraged as many ULRs as possible to buy blood pressure monitors so that they are available in workplaces.

Part of the ULR approach is to refer workers onto a variety of digital tools to help them monitor and improve their health.  Reps are trained to demonstrate these apps and explain their usefulness. Digital apps that have proved useful include those which monitor sugar intake, encourage different kinds of exercise, and provide advice for those with diabetes. All of these are very low-cost interventions which can both help prevent illness and improve the ability of individuals to look after themselves.

Shaun says that Covid-19 has affected testing as it is challenging to offer face-to-face support in the workplace. However, much of the information about supporting health can be found online, and he is looking at what specific aspects could be best delivered digitally.  

Shaun said:

It is important to support those who are most at risk from the virus such as those who are overweight, older, from ethnic minority groups and low-paid frontline staff”.

Shaun recommends using elements of the programme in all workplaces, saying,

Using Health Activator programmes and blood pressure testing is a good way to target younger people who aren’t yet worried about their health. It can also be used to encourage people to become union workers and ULRs, and it’s an easy ‘sell’ to managers as it directly affects the health of the workforce which impacts on sickness level.”

Tips for delivering health programmes in the workplace

• Use older workers and retired reps to support the programme and encourage people to have their blood pressure tested
• Take care when talking to individuals about potential health issues so that they have the information they need to take action but are not panicked by any results such as high blood pressure readings.
• Have a range of ULRs delivering the testing and support. Often people will feel more comfortable talking to someone who they feel can understand them.
• Include mentoring from ULRs who have completed the Health Activator course to support union reps in the first few testing sessions they deliver
• Health Activator and other health-related programmes can be incentivised. For example, some unions link attendance to benefits such as council gym discounts.
• Target the audience so that you can have relevant support information to hand. Examples of this are chair-based exercises for those who are based in offices and information on healthy eating and sugar intake for shopworkers who often rely on processed lunch food.
• Piggyback on other union events by setting up a testing station where members and other employees will be.
• Link the testing to men’s health programmes run by other organisations such as the NHS and football clubs.
• Keep a note of who has been interested in having their blood pressure taken so that you can remind them to re-check at regular intervals.

This case study links in the Smart choices: preparing for the third age publication