Put simply – occupational health is your health in the workplace. If a physical or mental health problem is affecting you at work, you can use Racing’s Occupational Health service to receive treatment through health professionals. This service is a fundamental part of our award-winning Workforce Wellbeing Programme (WWP).
According to the NHS, there is significant evidence to show that work is good for health and that work can have a beneficial impact on recovery from health problems. Below we have set out a step-by-step guide to help you know what to expect.
To be referred to Occupational Health, a Welfare Officer or the Support Line will complete a referral which will be discussed with you so that you are aware of the referral.
You will be asked to provide as much detail as possible in the referral, including your job role and any previous absence history. This helps to ensure that our Occupational Health Practitioners have all the background information to hand at the consultation and enables the clinician to balance your needs with the needs of your employer.
Upon receipt of a referral our Occupational Health Advisors will read through the information provided to ensure we have understood what is being asked and why. In most cases, the consultation will be a telephone or video call with an Occupational Health Advisor.
In order to ensure that we arrange an appointment date and time that is suitable for you, our administration team will normally contact you to ensure we can agree a mutually convenient date and time. Calls will come from an 01327 number. If we are unable to contact you an appointment will be allocated by our administration team and confirmed by email. You may need to ring us back to re-arrange if not convenient.
Once the appointment is made it will usually be confirmed to you by email, you will also get text message reminders. You will be provided with the details of the date and time of your appointment.
If, for any reason, you are unable to attend your appointment please call your Welfare Officer as soon as possible to rearrange your appointment. If you have been advised that the consultation is going to take place by video or telephone call, please ensure that you have organised a quiet and comfortable location for the date and time of the appointment. This will allow a confidential discussion.
The report will be a summarisation of what the clinician regards as the pertinent information you/your manager requires. The clinical information will be limited, and it will not be a verbatim account of the assessment. The report will cover the below points, as required, and answer any specific questions:
1. Advice on the employee’s current health status
2. The prognosis for the condition
3. The likely return to work date or return to full duties date
4. Advice on the current functional ability of the employee
5. Advice on any work restrictions or adaptations and whether this is likely to be short term, long term or permanent
6. A specific rehabilitation/return to work plan with clear time-frames
7. Advice on disability in accordance with relevant UK Legislation (Equality Act, 2010)
You can self-refer in the following ways:
When you refer you will be asked some questions, to confirm some basic information in order to verify your identity and take your details. Your consent will also be obtained to take part in the assessment and for your personal information to be processed for that purpose. Any referred treatment will be provided free of charge.
Racing Welfare’s 24 hour support line enables people to access support and
guidance through digital and telephone options.