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{{org_field_name}}

Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}

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Occupational Health and Employee Wellbeing Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that {{org_field_name}} maintains a safe, healthy, and supportive working environment for all employees. Occupational health and employee wellbeing are critical to ensuring high-quality care, reducing staff absence, and improving morale and retention.

This policy ensures that:

• Employees receive proactive occupational health support to prevent work-related illness or injury.
• Mental and physical wellbeing is prioritised through workplace adjustments and well-being programmes.
• Health risks are identified and managed early, ensuring a safe working environment.
• CQC, employment law, and health & safety regulations are adhered to, preventing compliance breaches.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

• All employees, including full-time, part-time, agency, and voluntary workers.
• Management teams, responsible for implementing and monitoring health and well-being initiatives.
• Occupational health providers and external specialists, where additional support is required.
• People we support, ensuring they receive care from fit and healthy staff.

3. Legal and Regulatory Compliance

{{org_field_name}} will manage occupational health, employee wellbeing and employee fitness in accordance with applicable legislation and regulatory requirements in England.

CQC and Health and Social Care Legislation

This policy supports compliance with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, including, where relevant:

• Regulation 12 – Safe care and treatment. {{org_field_name}} must assess and manage risks to the health and safety of people receiving care and do all that is reasonably practicable to mitigate those risks. This includes risks arising from infection, unsafe working practices or circumstances in which an employee’s health affects their ability to provide safe care.
• Regulation 17 – Good governance. {{org_field_name}} must operate effective systems and processes to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of services; assess, monitor and mitigate risks; and maintain securely the records required in relation to employees and the management of the regulated activity.
• Regulation 18 – Staffing. {{org_field_name}} must deploy sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced staff. Employees must receive the support, training, professional development, supervision and appraisal necessary to enable them to perform their duties safely and effectively.
• Regulation 19 – Fit and proper persons employed. Persons employed for the purposes of carrying on a regulated activity must be of good character; have the qualifications, competence, skills and experience required for their role; and be able, by reason of their health and after reasonable adjustments have been made, to properly perform the tasks that are intrinsic to the work for which they are employed. Recruitment and ongoing employment processes must be operated effectively to ensure that these requirements continue to be met.

{{org_field_name}} will also have regard to the Health and Social Care Act 2008: Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance, including its requirements concerning occupational health, staff health assessment, immunisation risk assessment, communicable disease and exclusion from work.

Other Relevant Legislation

{{org_field_name}} will comply, where applicable, with:

• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, including the duty to protect, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of employees and others affected by the organisation’s activities.
• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, including requirements for suitable and sufficient risk assessment and appropriate preventive and protective measures.
• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, including requirements relating to exposure to hazardous substances and biological agents and, where applicable, appropriate health surveillance.
• Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, where employees undertake moving and handling activities.
• Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), where an injury, occupational disease or dangerous occurrence meets the statutory reporting criteria.
• Equality Act 2010, including the prohibition on unlawful discrimination, the duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and applicants, and the restrictions on health and disability questions before a job offer except in circumstances permitted by law.
• Working Time Regulations 1998, including applicable requirements concerning working time, daily and weekly rest and rest breaks.
• UK General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018, as amended, including amendments made by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. Employee health information will be treated as special category personal data and handled lawfully, fairly, securely and confidentially, with access limited to those who require the information for a legitimate purpose.

4. Occupational Health Management

4.1. Pre-Employment Health Assessment and Fitness for Work

{{org_field_name}} will ensure that recruitment and pre-employment health processes comply with Regulation 19 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 and the Equality Act 2010.

Health or disability questions will not normally be asked before an applicant has been offered employment, whether conditionally or unconditionally, except where a question is permitted by section 60 of the Equality Act 2010. Permitted enquiries may include establishing whether reasonable adjustments are required for the recruitment process or whether the applicant can undertake a function that is intrinsic to the role, taking account of any reasonable adjustment that could be made.

Following a conditional offer of employment, successful applicants will complete an appropriate confidential health assessment relevant to the requirements and risks of the role.

The assessment will be used to establish whether the individual is able, by reason of their health and after any reasonable adjustments have been made, to properly perform the tasks that are intrinsic to the work for which they are to be employed.

Where indicated by the person’s role, health information, risk assessment or occupational exposure, {{org_field_name}} may obtain occupational health advice or undertake additional health assessment. This may include consideration of:

• moving and handling or other physically demanding duties;
• exposure to infectious diseases or biological agents;
• exposure to hazardous substances;
• night work or other work for which health assessment is legally required;
• health conditions that may require workplace adjustments; and
• any other health consideration that is directly relevant to the safe performance of the intrinsic requirements of the role.

For roles involving occupational exposure to infection, relevant immunisation history may be considered as part of the confidential health assessment. The need for vaccination or immunisation will be determined through an appropriate risk assessment and current public health or occupational health guidance. Vaccination will not be treated as a blanket requirement unless this is required by law or can otherwise be objectively justified for the particular role and circumstances.

Where information identifies a disability or long-term health condition, {{org_field_name}} will consider and, where required by the Equality Act 2010, make reasonable adjustments before determining whether the individual can properly perform the intrinsic tasks of the role.

A disability, long-term health condition, previous illness or need for reasonable adjustment will not, by itself, make an applicant unsuitable for employment.

Where an applicant declines to provide health information that is legitimately required following a conditional offer, {{org_field_name}} will consider the individual circumstances and whether sufficient information is available to establish compliance with Regulation 19. Any decision affecting employment will be based on the intrinsic requirements and risks of the role, the information reasonably available, and consideration of reasonable adjustments, rather than on the existence of a disability or health condition alone.

Health information obtained during recruitment will be kept confidential, stored securely and accessed only by persons who have a legitimate need to know. Managers will normally be provided only with information necessary to determine fitness for the role, restrictions, workplace adjustments or other measures required to protect health and safety.

4.2. Workplace Health Risk Assessments

Risk assessments must be conducted annually or when:

• An employee experiences work-related illness or injury.
• New equipment or tasks are introduced.
• A pregnancy, disability, or medical condition requires adjustments.

Assessments include:

• Manual handling risks for staff assisting people we support.
• Infection control risks, ensuring protection against contagious diseases.
• Stress risk assessments, identifying workload concerns.

4.3. Managing Work-Related Illness and Injury

{{org_field_name}} will take appropriate action where an employee experiences a work-related injury, illness or deterioration in health.

Managers must ensure that relevant incidents, injuries, exposures and occupational illnesses are recorded, investigated and risk assessed in accordance with the organisation’s health and safety procedures.

Where appropriate, employees will be referred to occupational health or another competent health professional for advice about their fitness for work, workplace restrictions, rehabilitation, reasonable adjustments or return to work.

Support may include, where appropriate:

• temporary or permanent adjustments to duties;
• altered working arrangements or working hours;
• a phased return to work;
• moving and handling or ergonomic adjustments;
• specialist equipment or other workplace adaptations;
• temporary alternative duties; and
• other reasonable adjustments required under the Equality Act 2010.

Where an employee is disabled within the meaning of the Equality Act 2010, {{org_field_name}} will comply with its duty to make reasonable adjustments where that duty applies.

Following a work-related injury, illness or exposure, existing risk assessments must be reviewed where there is reason to believe that they are no longer valid or where there has been a significant change in the matters to which the assessment relates.

The Registered Manager or other designated responsible person must establish whether an incident, injury, occupational disease, dangerous occurrence or occupational exposure is reportable under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR). Where the statutory reporting criteria are met, the required report must be made to the relevant enforcing authority within the applicable timescale.

Where an occupational exposure involves an infectious agent or hazardous substance, the organisation will also follow the applicable infection prevention and control, COSHH, occupational health and exposure-management procedures.

Any medical or occupational health information obtained will be treated confidentially. Managers will only receive health information that is necessary to manage fitness for work, risk, restrictions, adjustments or other legitimate employment and health and safety requirements.

4.4. Infection Prevention and Control and Employee Health

{{org_field_name}} will manage employee health in relation to infection in accordance with Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, the Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance, and current UK Health Security Agency and Department of Health and Social Care guidance for adult social care in England.

Employees must follow the organisation’s Infection Prevention and Control Policy and all applicable standard infection control precautions, including requirements concerning:

• effective hand hygiene;
• respiratory and cough hygiene;
• appropriate use of personal protective equipment;
• safe management of exposure to blood and body fluids;
• safe handling of potentially infectious materials;
• reporting symptoms of infectious illness or relevant exposure;
• exclusion from work where indicated by current guidance, clinical advice or risk assessment; and
• outbreak-control measures advised by the UK Health Security Agency health protection team or other relevant public health authority.

Employees must promptly inform their manager if they have symptoms of an infectious illness, have been diagnosed with an infection that may present a risk in the workplace, or have experienced an occupational exposure that may require assessment or action.

For acute respiratory infections, including COVID-19, staff who have a high temperature or who do not feel well enough to work should stay away from work in accordance with current public health guidance. They should not return until they no longer have a high temperature, where one was present, and no longer feel unwell. A manager must undertake an appropriate risk assessment before return where required by current guidance or the circumstances of the employee’s role.

Routine COVID-19 testing will not be required unless testing is indicated by current national guidance, advice from a clinician, the UK Health Security Agency health protection team or another competent public health authority, or is required as part of an applicable outbreak-management arrangement.

Where testing is undertaken and an employee has a positive result for COVID-19 or another infectious disease, the employee and manager must follow the current disease-specific national or local public health guidance and any advice given by the UK Health Security Agency health protection team or treating clinician.

{{org_field_name}} will have arrangements for:

• assessing occupational exposure to infectious diseases;
• obtaining occupational health or clinical advice when required;
• assessing the need for immunisation in accordance with the employee’s role and occupational risk;
• responding to sharps, splash, blood or body-fluid exposures;
• reviewing whether an employee should temporarily refrain from particular duties or remain away from work;
• managing outbreaks and escalating them to the appropriate health protection service where required; and
• reviewing infection risks before an employee returns to duties where this is necessary.

Vaccination and immunisation arrangements will be based on current eligibility, occupational risk assessment and current national guidance. Employees will be encouraged and supported to receive vaccinations for which they are eligible and which are relevant to their occupational risk.

The organisation will not require a generic “fit-to-work note” before an employee returns following an infectious or serious illness. Where there is a legitimate concern about fitness to resume duties safely, the manager may obtain appropriate occupational health or medical advice and must consider any necessary risk controls or reasonable adjustments before the employee returns to the relevant duties.

5. Employee Wellbeing and Mental Health Support

5.1. Promoting a Positive Workplace Culture

To maintain a supportive and positive work environment, {{org_field_name}}:

• Encourages open discussions about mental health without stigma.
• Provides stress management workshops and mental well-being sessions.
• Ensures staff feel respected, valued, and recognised.

5.2. Identifying and Managing Workplace Stress

Managers must:

• Conduct regular one-to-one meetings to assess well-being.
• Identify early warning signs of stress or burnout, such as:
  • Frequent absences or lateness.
  • Sudden changes in work performance or mood.
  • Withdrawal from colleagues or emotional distress.
• Offer referrals to mental health support services when needed.

5.3. Mental Health Support Services Available

{{org_field_name}} provides access to:

• Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs), offering confidential counselling.
• Occupational health professionals, who assess mental health risks.
• Mental health first aiders, trained to support staff in distress.
• Flexible working arrangements, supporting those experiencing mental health concerns.

5.4. Work-Life Balance and Wellbeing Initiatives

• Staff are encouraged to use annual leave fully to prevent burnout.
• Flexible working options are provided where possible.
• Break rooms and quiet spaces are available for mental relaxation.
• Team-building and social activities are promoted to enhance staff morale.

6. Managing Absences and Returning to Work

6.1. Sickness Absence Management

• Staff must report illness-related absences as soon as possible.
• Absences of more than 7 days require a fit note from a GP.
• Return-to-work meetings are held to:
  • Discuss support needs.
  • Identify work adjustments if required.
  • Prevent future absences where possible.

6.2. Return-to-Work Plans

Employees returning from long-term illness may receive:

• Phased return schedules, gradually increasing working hours.
• Alternative duties, avoiding tasks that aggravate health conditions.
• Regular reviews, ensuring well-being is maintained.

7. Monitoring, Records and Compliance

To ensure compliance with this policy and applicable legal and regulatory requirements, {{org_field_name}} will:

• monitor sickness absence, work-related illness, injuries and occupational health trends where this is necessary to identify and manage workplace risks;
• ensure that workplace risk assessments are reviewed where there is reason to believe that an assessment is no longer valid, following a significant change, following relevant incidents or where new information identifies a material risk;
• ensure that managers understand their responsibilities concerning employee health, fitness for work, reasonable adjustments, infection prevention and control, sickness absence, health and safety and escalation of concerns;
• monitor whether employees remain able, by reason of their health and after reasonable adjustments have been made, to properly perform the tasks that are intrinsic to their roles, in accordance with Regulation 19 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014;
• take necessary and proportionate action where an employee no longer meets the requirements of Regulation 19;
• maintain securely the employee and management records required for compliance with Regulation 17 and Regulation 19 and other applicable legislation;
• record occupational health referrals, fitness-for-work outcomes, identified restrictions, reasonable adjustments, review dates and actions necessary for employment or health and safety purposes without routinely retaining unnecessary clinical detail within general personnel or management records;
• ensure that occupational health and employee medical information is treated as confidential health information, is accessible only to authorised persons who have a legitimate need to access it, and is retained only for as long as there is a lawful and necessary reason to retain it;
• ensure that information provided to managers from occupational health assessments is limited, so far as practicable, to information necessary to manage fitness for work, workplace risk, restrictions, adjustments and employment responsibilities;
• review work-related injuries, occupational diseases and exposures to determine whether they meet the statutory reporting requirements under RIDDOR 2013 and make reports where required; and
• take corrective action where monitoring, audit, incidents, employee feedback, occupational health advice or regulatory findings identify that this policy or associated arrangements are not operating effectively.

8. Related Policies

This policy should be read in conjunction with:

• CH18 – Risk Management and Assessment Policy​.
• CH27 – Staff Supervision, Training, and Development Policy​.
• CH28 – Staff Conduct and Code of Ethics Policy​.
• CH34 – Confidentiality and Data Protection (GDPR) Policy​.
• CH16 – Health and Safety at Work Policy​.
• CH17 – Infection Prevention and Control Policy​.

• Recruitment and Selection/Safer Recruitment Policy.
• Sickness Absence Management Policy.
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion/Reasonable Adjustments Policy.
• Accident, Incident and RIDDOR Reporting Policy.

9. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed annually or sooner if legislative updates, CQC regulations, or operational needs require amendments. Any changes will be communicated to all staff through appropriate training and internal notices.

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Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}
Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}
Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}
Copyright © {{current_year}} – {{org_field_name}}. All rights reserved.