Trust awarded for work supporting colleagues affected by menopause

East Cheshire NHS Trust has been awarded in the 'Partnership Working at its Best' category at the Healthcare People Management Association Excellence in People Awards 2024, for the Trust’s work in partnership with trade unions to support staff affected by menopause.

The HPMA awards celebrate the very best teams, professionals and projects working in workforce, organisational development and human resources in the healthcare sector.

The award was received in recognition of the partnership working between Karen Cashmore, Staff-Side Chair and Union Representative, and Alison Nuttall, East Cheshire NHS Trust's Healthy Workplace Coach, who set out over the last two years to develop resources to support Trust staff affected by the menopause and create a workplace culture where staff could feel confident in raising menopause related issues.

This was an important issue to receive focus within the Trust, as when Karen and Alison began their work, 83% of staff at the Trust were women and 33% of them were aged 45 to 55 - when menopause/pre-menopause symptoms are most likely to be experienced.

Karen and Alison began by engaging with colleagues to find out how menopause impacts them and their experiences at work, taking NHS England’s national menopause guidance into consideration, they then developed and pitched an action plan to the Trust executive board.

Following this, a menopause working group comprising interested stakeholders across the Trust was founded, before expanding to include external partners from local authority and charity organisations. As a result of this working group, a number of actions were implemented:

• A menopause policy and supporting guidance was produced and launched, along with the development of an occupational health offer and bespoke and specialist menopause support for staff.
• Menopause champions were recruited and trained in over 60 departments across the Trust, and a page was developed for the Trust’s internal intranet site featuring a toolkit of resources and support.
• The group developed menopause boxes for staff, which contained hygiene and comfort products, and information leaflets.
• The group ran online menopause cafes with a neighbouring NHS Trust.
• Menopause was added as an absence category on the Trust rostering system.
• Weekly staff communications signposting to help-lines and further advice were produced along with a Menopause Day and a Big Conversation Event with staff stories on the impact of the menopause featured.

Surveys reveal staff at the Trust are very happy with the support now offered, while NHS England’s menopause network recognised the Trust’s successes in partnership working and the project, and as a result, the working group was invited to share its story and achievement with other NHS Trusts. The working group is now expanding to become the women’s working group, with the intention to explore wider topics to support staff.

Karen Cashmore, Staff-Side Chair and Union Representative at East Cheshire NHS Trust said: "This achievement was down to every single member of staff who inputted, advised, gave support and just turned up. It was a true Trust effort!”

East Cheshire NHS Trust has committed to ongoing wellbeing outreach work on menopause, in partnership, across the organisation. The Trust is also working collaboratively on other wellbeing projects including psychological safety at work, suicide prevention, sexual safety and mental health.