Hybrid working and virtual contact with clients can leave advisers sometimes feeling isolated, so it is important for workplaces to make sure social prescribing approaches have been put in place.
This was one of the solutions to social isolation and helping people return to work, which was discussed in a recent webinar hosted by Generali UK.
In the webinar, Dr Julie Denning, chartered health psychologist and managing director of Working To Wellbeing, and Kay Needle, Generali UK’s early intervention and rehabilitation expert, talked about the positive role that employers and social prescribing can play to help people return to work and thrive in their occupation.
In the webinar, Needle explained that while people are very aware that physical and emotional health has a two-way relationship, often people forget about the social aspect of wellbeing.
This aspect is being addressed in primary health care, and by the Department for Work and Pensions under the banner of social prescribing.
But Needle and Denning discussed the importance of an employers’ role and responsibility in regard to the social enablement of their colleagues.
Effect on young people
Dr Denning explained that while social isolation is a lack of social contact, "loneliness means a person might have social contact, but still feel lonely".
She said this could can affect a whole host of people in different situations, including:
- Being a carer
- Being unemployed
- Being self-employed
- Working remotely
- Having a long-term health condition
- Living alone
- Having a disability
- Being widowed
- Being bereaved
- Single parents
- Being parents on maternity leave.
In particular, this affects young people aged 15 to 24 - the cohort with the least financial resilience and those who the advice profession is working to bring in.
“Some of these factors do apply to our workforce members”, Denning said. “Strong evidence suggests loneliness affects our mental and emotional health.
"It can be linked to increased mortality rates, and cardiovascular problems. These are significant risks that social isolation has on people in the workforce.”
Social aspect of the health model
Also on the webinar, Denning and Needle discussed how there was "a strong impetus" for employers to provide something to cover the social aspect of the bio-psycho-social health model.
“The workplace is a social community, an entity, a group of people coming together for a shared goal, “ said Needle. “With the introduction of remote and hybrid working, employers have been grappling with how do we enable that social connection."
Denning recommended the importance of talking with, and listening to employees, seeing them as individuals with different needs and preferences.
She explained: “Everyone has a different social metre. And it is about listening to what the needs of individual work forces are.”
“Challenge the judgements and assumptions that you might be making in good faith, if you want to set up a football team or netball team, remember this might suit extroverts, but not introverts. They don’t want massive social networks,”
Denning added: “We don’t want enforced employer activities. That can create rather than relieve stress.”
