Supply chain Health INitiative Evaluation (The SHINE study)

Background Health and wellbeing services (HWS) are crucial for enhancing employee well-being, work engagement, productivity, and retention. Despite these benefits, fewer than 45% of UK workers have access to HWS, with provision particularly limited among employees of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). As approximately 66% of the UK workforce are employed in SMEs, improving HWS availability to workers in SMEs, and so preventing sickness absence and economic inactivity, is a national priority, as evidenced by the formation of the Government s Occupational Health Taskforce group which has cross-party support. Our Development Award revealed opportunities for Large Enterprise Organisations (LEOs) to provide HWS to SMEs in their supply chain. Aims/Objectives To investigate the effectiveness of HWS delivered by LEOs to SMEs within their supply chain on employees work engagement, compared to usual HWS; and to explore SME decision makers willingness and capacity to purchase different types of HWS from their LEO. Methods A prospective matched control cluster study design involving nine intervention and nine matched control SMEs from the supply chain of three participating LEOs (Jaguar Land Rover, Hampshire and Isle of White Health Care Trust and Transport for London) across diverse sectors. Collaboratively, we will tailor a multi-component HWS intervention to each SME s needs. Delivered by the LEO, it will likely include raising awareness about workplace health and wellbeing, health promotion, preventing mental ill health, and training managers in health and wellbeing (H&W) conversations. H&W champions will be recruited from each intervention SME to facilitate delivery, and supported by a qualified health and work advisor to develop effective communications to alert SME employees of available services and organise relevant activities. Effectiveness (work engagement) and cost-effectiveness will be evaluated at the end of the intervention period (12-months) and 6 months later. A process evaluation will identify implementation obstacles and facilitators, complemented by a discrete choice experiment (DCE) involving large numbers of SME decision makers from diverse sectors to ascertain the value they place on HWS and their willingness-to-pay for a range of potential HWS interventions. Timelines for delivery 36 month study, with setup completed within the first seven months and implementation lasting 18 months. Data collection and analysis, including effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and process evaluation, will be conducted over the remaining period. The DCE will run concurrently with the implementation study. Dissemination and knowledge mobilisation Our Development Award findings have directly informed the UK Government s Occupational Health Taskforce by providing evidence to underpin the new framework. The proposed study aims to fill evidence gaps to support national policy. The DCE study findings will inform decisions about the optimal subsidy-levels required for SMEs across different sectors to purchase HWS. We will work with our Expert Stakeholder and Patient/Public Group group, the British Chambers of Commerce, the National Centre for Working Age Health (if successful in securing a Collaboration Award), Affinity s Research Consortium and the London Centre for Work and Health (our team members are on the management group) to disseminate findings effectively, leveraging our multi-institution and multi-disciplinary collaboration s communication networks.