Funding for projects to support staff development and wellbeing

Please refer to the guidance in ‘Funding for projects to improve the patient experience, section a) Funding to improve clinical care’

Please refer to the guidance in ‘Funding for projects to improve the patient experience – section b) Funding to improve patient wellbeing’

Projects seeking support for team participation in development events that also support wellbeing will:

• Demonstrate a clear link to how the event or activity will lead to patient benefit
• Be endorsed by Trust workforce development

• Be open to all staff within the relevant teams or departments who are the focus of the proposal
• One staff development event will be supported per year per staff group
• Wellbeing events can take many different formats – proposals will be considered individually and costs must be proportionate within a maximum of £25 per head unless discussed and agreed with charity in advance
• Any events must demonstrate value for money and will not  risk damaging the reputation of the charity or the trust – any expenses deemed to be over and above what a good employer would provide will not be funded
• Staff Christmas parties are not supported by the charity (because of existing funding commitments for a Christmas lunch for all staff)

The charity understands that due to operational requirements some departments may not be able to host one event that is inclusive of all staff members. In such cases, the charity has the discretion to support more than one event so that all staff can be included. Please note that charity funding cannot be used for the purchase of alcohol.

The charity recognises the wish of many donors who donate to say thank you for the efforts of the trust’s staff. Rather than use these donations for individual teams the charity works closely with the trust to fund a range of projects which can be accessed by all staff, such as the projects listed at the start of this section

On that basis projects seeking funding with the aim of saying ‘thank you’ to individual staff or teams are not supported.

The charity is not able to support items of clothing for staff with charitable funds.  

Travel costs to support staff to attend funerals is not something the charity is currently able to support.

• Provision or refurbishment of staff rest areas, kitchens or learning facilities – for example the junior doctors changing facilities
• Team attendance at wellbeing events with a workforce outcome, and within the charity’s stated limits per head – for example staff yoga sessions

• Events which are purely for social purposes including Christmas parties
• Team attendance at wellbeing / team building activities requiring funding beyond the charity’s stated limits per head
• Standard office supplies such as desks, chairs, filing cabinets
• Gifts for named individuals
• Computers, laptops, iPads, or other electronic devices that are required for staff to undertake their role including to work remotely

Projects seeking support for departmental, team events and training days to support team excellence will need to:

• Be open to all members of staff working in the relevant teams
• Be part of organised department programmes endorsed by the relevant clinical board
• Evidence why there is a need if seeking funding for venues or equipment that cannot be provided within the trust
• Team building events can take many different formats – proposals will be considered individually and costs must be proportionate within a maximum of £25 per head unless discussed and agreed with charity in advance
• Any events must demonstrate value for money and pass the ‘public perception’ test – any expenses deemed to be over and above what a good employer would provide will not be funded

The charity can consider for funding for learning opportunities up to a value of £1,500 per person per year. Projects seeking funding for staff education and training will:

• Improve staff performance in their role and show clear potential for benefit to patients
• Be part of study leave approved by the trust’s workforce and development department
• Be over and above the opportunities provided by the NHS
• Demonstrate how knowledge acquired can be shared with other colleagues
• Evidence that other potential sources of funding were explored before applying to the Charity

For associated travel and subsistence costs please see the sections below

The Charity will not normally consider applications for:

• Education and training that are a core requirement of an individual’s role or NHS personal specification or professional registration
• PhD studentships or similar qualifications
• Attendance at an event as a speaker unless evidence is provided to show the organisers are unable to meet these costs

Education and training that can and should be funded via alternative means

Projects seeking funding for staff to attend awards events will:

• Be over and above the opportunities provided by the NHS
• Demonstrate how knowledge acquired can be shared with other colleagues
• Be for a maximum of £1,000 per event to cover all costs where a group of staff wish to attend

For associated travel and subsistence costs please see the sections below

Proposals seeking support for travel costs to attend learning opportunities supported by the charity will need to be:

• Undertaken through the trust’s travel booking processes and must be in line with the trust’s travel policies. The maximum contribution from the charity for travel costs will be £1,500 per person per year
• First class tickets for train travel will not be reimbursed.

• Air travel is permitted where no other form of travel is suitable – first class, business class or premium economy travel will not be supported even on long haul flights
• Reasonable airport parking costs will be paid

• Taxi or cab fares are payable only where other modes of public transport are not feasible – for example when heavy or bulky items need to be transported, or when personal safety is an issue (e.g. staff are required to travel during anti-social hours)
• Use of a taxi could be justified when several staff are travelling together which would result in a net saving.

Proposals to the charity seeking support for accommodation will:

• Identify the most cost effective options rather than the event’s ‘recommended’ hotel

• Be booked in line with trust policies – all reasonable attempts should be made to look for the most reasonably priced accommodation where possible.
• Use the trust’s usual processes to book the provision required
• Be clear why there is a need if seeking funding for the night before an event or after it ends
• Additional extras such as newspapers, mini-bar purchases, dry-cleaning etc will not be reimbursed.

Proposals to the charity seeking support for meals and expenses will need to align with Trust guidance as follows:

• Show that the activity is away from home or their place of employment and seek funding within the trust’s limits for meal claims  – currently this is breakfast – £5 per day, lunch – £8 per day, evening meal – £25 per day

The charity cannot provide any funding for:

• Alcoholic drinks
• Service charges, optional tips, and gratuities

roposals seeking funding to recognise the achievements of staff who have made an excellent contribution and completed long service periods of 10, 15 or 20 years can be considered by the charity:

• The ability of the charity to support such requests will be dependent on whether the charity has a suitable fund
• Funding will usually support an event to mark the occasion and / or a thank you gesture for example a presentation of flowers
• Any gift provided with charity funding should not exceed £50
• Purchasing alcohol as a gift for staff is not permitted

The charity is required to consider HMRC regulations when considering any proposals for the benefit of staff. Any gift given to staff where the value of the award is:

• more than £50 OR
• given as cash or a voucher which could be exchanged for cash OR
• in recognition of the employee’s performance or achievement OR part of their contractual terms of employment 

cannot be supported by the charity. This is because the gift is regarded as a benefit in kind and an additional cost of tax and national insurance will be incurred by the employee  Other leaving events or the provision of gifts for individual staff are not supported by the charity

Subscriptions usually fall into two categories: publications and institutions. Proposals seeking funding for subscriptions will:

• Establish that they are not available via the Trust learning resources
• Will bring genuine added knowledge to the staff team rather than just an individual

The charity can not pay for professional membership to UK bodies, as these are regarded as the professional obligation of the individual.

• Individual attendance at clinical conferences
• Departmental or team development events and training days which go beyond standard provision to pursue excellence – Subscriptions to notable journals or learning resources

• Education and training that are a core requirement of an individual’s role or NHS personal specification or professional registration
• Individual attendance at a conference or network requiring funding above the charity’s stated limits
• Education and training that can and should be funded via alternative means
• Attendance at an event as a speaker unless evidence is provided to show the organisers are unable to meet these costs