Members of the Citycare team have been seconded to Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust to support in the £750k delivery of staff wellbeing projects across the Trust’s estate. The Covid-19 pandemic was a stark reminder of the importance of good welfare facilities for staff working in healthcare, with many organisations adapting their approach to have more suitable and sufficient environments for their staff to store clothes, change out of uniforms and PPE, and have a dedicated space in which to relax. As such, the Trust undertook an internal survey to understand what improvements to its provision of welfare facilities were needed to contribute to the wellbeing and safety of is staff, as well as the prevention and control of infections. It was also important for the facilities to be made Covid-19 secure in terms of capacity and spacing of seating. The brief was established through several staff workshops and initial design visits to get a greater understanding of what staff need across all staff areas. It was identified that a full refurbishment to all staffrooms was required, which meant 46 rooms across 18 buildings formed part of seven different packages of works. Each of the staffrooms have been transformed into brighter, open plan spaces for staff to enjoy a break away from their desks and relax in a more welcoming environment with their peers. Works included modern upgrades to the outdated facilities with new furniture, fittings and appliances, new flooring and ceilings, and a full redecoration. Utilising the team’s knowledge, sectoral experience, and strong relationships with stakeholders, the seconded team have been able to provide a very specific level of project management and consultancy services on this project. Wider, overall support with regards to strategic advice including appraisals, estates, and developing business cases for other major projects has also been given. This adds another layer to an already strong relationship between Citycare and the Trust, whereby the team are fully embedded into the team, delving deeper into understanding its objectives, the way it works and the level of support that is needed on a larger scale. Other works under secondment include:

• Backlog maintenance across 12 of the Trust’s sites,
• Estates compliance including asbestos removal and creating specialist pharmacy areas,
• Clinical environment risk reduction to improve safety of in-patient facilities,
• Supporting the Trust on their journey to decarbonisation across the LIFT estate