W.A.P
Emily Dennett
Recruitment Coach at Astute People | Neurodiversity Advocate | Coaching & Mentoring Specialist
Today we are going to talk about your W.A.P!
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No not the WAP song from Cardi B and Megan thee Stallion!! This is your wellness action plan!
You might think an action plan is only for people in a crisis space, however, the idea behind the WAP is to empower the employee in a preventative way. If we know what good looks abs how to achieve it, then we can prevent things from getting too bad! Better yet, having one in place can increase productivity and increase job satisfaction! ?
So, what actually is a Wellness action plan? And when would you use on?
The Wellness action plan is based on Mary Ellen Copeland, PhD. wellness recovery Action Plan (WRAP) which is used worldwide to manage mental health. The aim of the WAP is to identify what keeps us well while at work, identify the causes of becoming unwell, and how we can manage our mental health at work, through support, workplace adjustments etc. using a WAP as part of your ongoing 1-2-1 conversations allows an authentic conversation with your manager to understand your specific needs, and better support you.
These should be set up not just for those with existing mental health diagnoses but should be commonplace in the work setting and used by everyone. This means that it's already in place should you ever need it and when 1 in 6.8 people experience mental health problems in the workplace (14.7%) (1) you never know when you might benefit from a Wellness action plan. Should be for everyone.
As well as using the W.A.P. to support all staff and in 1-2-1 conversations they can be a useful tool to support an individual when they are returning to work, the W.A.P. provides structure for conversations around support needed, potential concerns, workplace adjustments etc. All of which can support your conversations with the individual and help identify reasonable adjustments needed.
What to include in your WAP
Sitting down to write a Wellness action plan can be a daunting task so to make it easier Mind has created a document you can use to support you; This can be found here: https://www.mind.org.uk/media/12145/mind-wellness-action-plan-workplace.pdf
However, to help you get started make sure you consider:
Now we know what a WAP is – what are the benefits?
Having a W.A.P in place is not only a benefit for each individual employee but they can also help to create a more inclusive culture. The WAP encourages a culture of hope as when we utilise them as wellness tools correctly it enables us to get support that is already outlined and agreed upon, when in that moment we might not be in a place to advocate for ourselves.
A WAP encourages self-advocacy (when we are well, we can advocate for ourselves and rationally put plans in place to support ourselves when we are unwell. If you don’t have this in place as a preventative measure, you will be making a wellness action plan while unwell and, in this place, you can’t advocate for yourself properly). Understanding this and then using the WAP as a tool encourages the individual to take ownership of their own wellness journey and advocate for the future.
With the overall aim to improve and support mental health and wellbeing, the WAP allows the individual to become more aware of their own triggers, and stressors in the workplace and discuss support in accordance with these. Where they are personal, they can be specific to each person's needs which encourages empowerment. Having these conversations at the centre of company culture will increase productivity as it has been found there is less absenteeism due to employees feeling able to discuss support needed if they feel stressed, burnt out etc.
How can you use a WAP as a company:
This is simple! Include them as part of 1-2-1 conversations and, development check-ins.
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Look over them (anonymously) as a team, as a department, as a whole – are there any trends, or key topics coming up?
If so, what are they? These are your target areas to help improve team satisfaction, improve company culture, etc. Once you have identified the needs of your employees you can start to make a change.? It might be offering a fitness class, nutritional advice, stress management sessions, a quiet place to take 5, office plants etc.
When implementing WAPs in your company make sure you communicate this with the employees, encourage participation, and promote it on social media to spread the word to make it the norm in the company. Once rolled out ensure you continuously monitor and measure the impact of the success, this can be done through employee satisfaction surveys.
A few key things to remember when looking at WAPS:
Every WAP must be written by and owned by the individual. This allows them to update, edit and amend as needed. This results in an action plan that reflects the current needs of the individual and allows for confidentiality. ?
They should be reviewed, shared, and discussed every few months to ensure all relevant parties (e.g., individual and Hiring manager) are aware and agreed on expectations, etc.
References:
(1)??? https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/statistics/mental-health-work-statistics
Sources:
Tags
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Managing Editor (Human Potential Press) / Lead Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) Advanced Level Facilitator (AHP, owner of WRAP)/ Communications Professional / Certified Trauma Integration Practitioner / Writer
2 个月Would love to hear more. I am on the leadership team for WRAP, the Wellness Recovery Action Plan.
"Mechanical Technician | Gas & Steam Turbine Specialist | Power Plant Maintenance & Overhauling | Open to Global Opportunities"
5 个月Great
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Specialist I Keynote Speaker I One Young World Delegate I Anthropy Delegate
1 年You and I have had many talks in the past about mental health. And this is a great practical way to see where you are at any given moment in time. Bringing this to the workplace will also aid people in justifying adjustments within an organisation. This is a great stepping stone for an organisation to get to a place where they have mental health first aiders and employee passports - for example
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1 年I would like to see organisations use them in induction to encourage wellbeing and set a tone for organisational culture
Social Media, Design, SEO, and Content @ Astute People
1 年The marketer in me had a panic attack when I read that first line!!