Active Teams - Every move counts

Since March 2024, Active Teams, funded through Active Calderdale, have collaborated with the Personalised Long Term Support Team within Calderdale Council to offer physical activity and wellbeing challenges to staff.

This month, we are expanding the offer across all CMBC Adult Services directorate as well as within Pennine GP Alliance (PGPA). The first Primary Care Network to take part will be Calder & Ryburn.

Actions Taken and Changes Delivered

September has been a busy month for Nairn from Active Teams, who has visited us here in Calderdale, attending team staff days to launch the challenges and support the onboarding of staff.

So far, 60 staff from Adult Services have registered and 65 staff from Calder and Ryburn Primary Care Network.

With the first challenge underway, it will be great to see the teams get behind this and enjoy all the benefits that moving more with Active Teams can bring within a workplace.

For more information about the work across Calderdale, click here to read the press release: https://pressat.co.uk/releases/calderdale-gps-pioneer-innovative-approach-to-nhs-staff-wellness-61285cedcd4f672e4a84d0df0110ef93/

Quotes

Sukey Honoré - Project Lead for Active Social Care

“Adult Services & Wellbeing has shown its commitment to the importance of being active by including 'Physical' as one of the '8Ps' in its strengths-based practice framework. With a Project Lead for Active Social Care now in post, this work will go even further. The aim of the project is to embed the promotion of physical activity into everyday social care practice. This is to benefit the wellbeing of our communities and prevent, reduce, and delay the need for social care in people's lives.

To support the people we work with to move more, we want to encourage our staff to be more active too.

Last week, we were lucky enough to be joined by Nairn Robertson from Active Teams to talk with Adult Services and Wellbeing staff about how they can be supported to be more physically active.

Over the course of three sessions, Nairn spoke to approximately 70 staff members about the benefits of being active. Staff got to learn about the exciting challenges they can be involved in and the prizes they might win.

Conversations were had about how staff are already being active (ranging from football to cold-water swimming to clubbercise classes), and about how Active Teams can motivate them even further. We have seen a lot of new sign-ups, just in time for the start of the Daily Shine challenge, which began on September 22nd. There is also some healthy competition growing!"

Hannah Davies - General Practice Physical Activity Champion

"I'm so pleased with the positive response we've had to launching Active Teams into the Calder & Ryburn PCN. With over 60 employees engaged in the first challenge.

I'm excited to see the impact this will have on the wellbeing of staff and subsequently the impact on increasing and improving active conversations that will be taking place with patients.

We know that healthcare professionals feel more confident in delivering recommendations around physical activity when they themselves are active, and so the benefits of participation in Active Teams go beyond the individual!"

From the individuals impacted

Below are some quotes from 2 team members in the Personalised Long Term Support team who have been engaged with the Active Teams’ Challenges for over 12 months.

Jo - Personalised Long Term Support Team

Q. What difference did it make to your team and the staff in general?  

 A. “It gave us a bit of healthy competition, networking across the teams. Some of the staff who didn’t join have commented on seeing a difference in others who are in the challenges, and two joined the gym following these discussions.

Q. What impact has it had to you personally?

A. “At the start, when I signed up to Active Teams, I was not exercising at all. Now it’s part of my daily life! I’ve lost weight, sleep better, am less anxious, and I can manage day-to-day stress a lot better. So overall it’s been brilliant for me making that first step into getting fitter and prioritising exercise.”

Sammy - Personalised Long Term Support Team

Q. How effective were the challenges?

A. “Personally, I know they helped me be more active, and speaking to others it did the same for them.”

Q. What difference did it make to your team and the staff in general?

A. “Firstly, I think it encouraged staff to be more active, which comes with physical and mental health benefits. Secondly, I think it was good for team morale – it is nice to have something beyond the daily workload to focus on and have a bit of fun with, and it’s nice that there are little prizes to keep people motivated.”