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Team: Wellbeing Network, led by Wellbeing Consultant, Occupational Health and Wellbeing
This is a voluntary role undertaken at the manager’s discretion
Lead Contact: Karen Smith, Wellbeing Consultant
Summary of role:
To support UCL’s Wellbeing Strategy, Wellbeing@UCL by promoting activities in local areas, encouraging colleagues to access relevant health and wellbeing opportunities, collating activity data, sharing best practice and stories of success.
What will the role involve?
The purpose of the champion role is to help implement and support Wellbeing@UCL and the ongoing programme at UCL through raising awareness of wellbeing activities across UCL, promoting healthy lifestyles and positive mental health.
Champions will know their work areas and colleagues so will be best placed to know what will work best in that environment and can pick out resources that fit their local environments.
Examples of activities include:
- Promoting particular health campaigns through poster displays, emailing colleagues, giving out leaflets and updating colleagues at meetings you attend and your team meeting (e.g. World Mental Health Day, National No Smoking Day).
- Organising activities, e.g. a lunch time walk, book club or hobby group.
- Signposting colleagues and students to relevant services.
- Encouraging colleagues and students to participate in UCLs Wellbeing initiatives/challenges.
- Championing and promoting relevant health messages and events at UCL.
- Providing information to colleagues and students about Wellbeing@UCL
- Role modelling and promoting a healthy culture within the workplace.
- Involvement in events across UCL, collaborative working with other champions across UCL.
- Providing activity information to the Wellbeing Consultant via a wellbeing survey on a termly basis.
Requirements for the role
- An enthusiasm for, and interest in wellbeing, improving the working environment and supporting engagement.
- Being approachable and willing to help.
- A basic understanding of healthy lifestyles and health promotion.
- Keen to keep up to date with activities within the UCL Wellbeing programme, attend the occasional training event/meeting and collaborate with others.
- You must be a direct employee of UCL.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What support/development will I receive as a Wellbeing Champion?
We recognise that this is a new champion role and want to provide development opportunities for our Wellbeing Champions. We have put together a wellbeing champion development programme that includes elements of wellbeing, these are set out below.
· Health Improvement and Health Promotion
· Event planning
· Services available at UCL
· Mental Health First Aid training including understanding our EAP
If you feel that that you already have the skills and knowledge to be a wellbeing champion so do not need to take part in the development programme, then please email Karen Smith, Wellbeing Consultant to discuss.
Our champions will also be invited to a termly meeting where they will have the opportunity to hear from guest speakers, network with other Wellbeing Champions, be updated on the planned wellbeing activity across UCL, learn best practice and share success.
- How much time am I expected to give up?
We recognise that this will be in addition to your current role and we do not want being a wellbeing champion to impact negatively on you. You need to agree locally with your manager how this will work in practice. We don’t require you to do set hours but we do need for the information to be shared and be prepared to answer questions colleagues may have. As much as you are able to do is sufficient unless we have a specific activity/event that requires this time. We believe the wellbeing champion role has the ability to change UCL for the better and hope mangers will support your engagement in the role.
- How will being a Wellbeing Champion support my local work area?
Through being a Wellbeing Champion you will embed Wellbeing@UCL at a departmental level, your local work area will benefit through more engagement around health and wellbeing matters. A wellbeing programme can improve employee health, both physical and mental as well as improving the culture of the working environment.
- How long can I be a Wellbeing Champion for?
As long as you like or feel able to. There is no time limit on how long you can be a champion for though we would ask you to commit for at least a year. We’ll check each year that you want to continue.
- What happens if I want/need to stop being a champion?
We recognise that our commitments and priorities change over time, you may move roles, leave UCL or have things going on in your own life that make it difficult to commit to being a Wellbeing Champion. If you do find yourself unable to continue for whatever reason, please let us know.
- What support will I get and how will I feel part of the Wellbeing@UCL network?
We have put in place a development programme for you to ensure that you have the tools you need to be a Wellbeing@UCL Champion. You will be invited to termly wellbeing network meetings, so you will be in contact with other champions across UCL. You can contact me, Karen Smith, at any time either by email or telephone and I’ll respond as soon as I can.