THE DELAROSE PROJECT:

PILOTING A PAN-EUROPEAN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME TO SUPPORT HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE WORKERS TO MANAGE

THEIR WORK-RELATED STRESS.

16th Healthcare Interdisciplinary Research ConferenceTrinity College Dublin,

November 2015Mr Cathal RyanProf John Wells

Dr. Michael Bergin

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Work-Related Stress - Context

• Work-related stress is a considerable societal problem (European Commission 2011; EASHW, 2014).

• Approximately 50-60% of work-place absence in the EU is caused by occupational stress, which tends to result in a longer period out of work than other causes (Eurofound, 2012).

• The cost of reduced worker productivity as a consequence of occupational stress is estimated at €292 billion

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• For example, in Switzerland, reported stress amongst health and social care workers is amongst the highest of all occupations (Zuniga et al., 2013).

• Health and social care workers are particularly prone to work related stress due to the nature of their work

Work-Related Stress - Context

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The most common sources of work-related stress in these groups are: – Feeling undervalued at work – Excessive job demands,– Limited latitude in decision-making, – Unhappiness about status and – Pressures resulting from poor resourcing (Ridge et al., 2011).

Work-Related Stress - Context

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Work-Related Stress - Context• Nearly 80% of managers in Europe concerned about stress in

their workplace, with psycho-social risks reported to more challenging than other risks in the work-place (EU-OSHA, 2010).

• The EU Framework Directive 89/391 places a legal obligation on employers to protect workers by avoiding, evaluating and combatting health and safety risks in the workplace.

• Several other policy initiatives such as European Pact for Mental Health & Well-Being (2008), European Framework Agreement on Work-related Stress (2014) also encourage employers to promote positive mental well-being in the workplace.

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Managing the Problem

• Empowerment of employees will help them to survive ‘hard times’ and thereby keep services safe (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984; EASHW, 2014).

• In this context, building coping capacities and resilience in the health and social care workforce is a significant task.

• Interventions that deal with work related stress have a tendency to associate it with illness and/or stigma and often are not cost effective.

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Developing a focused cost effective approach

• Online and mobile access to support individuals in the work place (European Commission, 2014).

• The development and provision of a cost effective and accessible web based programmes

• European Commission funded projects: – ROSE

– (Reducing Occupational Stress in Employment) – DELAROSE

– (Delivering E-Learning Accreditation to Reduce Occupational Stress in Employment)

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ROSE (Reducing Occupational Stress in Employment)

• EU funded.

• ROSE aimed to map the nature of stress and burnout amongst mental health and social care workers in five countries within the European Union.

• Also examined what was needed in terms of organisational policies and support to reduce stress at work

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ROSE (Reducing Occupational Stress in Employment)

• The ROSE online self-help programme was ultimately developed and provided in four languages (English, German, Italian and Romanian).

• The programme was trialled amongst a small sample of 20 workers in the sector utilising a pre- and post - intervention measurement.

• This found that the ROSE programme improved job satisfaction, and decreased stress levels amongst this small sample of workers (Nimmo, 2014)

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Incentivising the use of ROSE through DELAROSE

• The ROSE project (www.leonardorose.eu) found staff in health and social care settings across the EU lacked skills to manage work-related stress.

• Lack of standardised education and training in this Vocational Educational and Training sector impedes workforce mobility and shared learning.

• Transferring the ROSE project to an accredited programme (DELAROSE) creates an incentive for employees and employers to engage with formal proactive learning in order to manage work related stress.

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DELAROSE Project • DELAROSE programme was developed under the Transfer of

Innovation Leonardo Da Vinci programme

• Currently piloting an online learning programme on the management of work-related stress, which is delivered by three European HEIs

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DELAROSE Programme Content

• The online learning programme, ‘Certificate in the Management of Work-Related Stress’ is both person and organisation directed.

• The programme consists of two modules.

Module One aims to educate workers on how to manage their personal levels of work-related stress

Module Two provides information and resources to help create a less-stressful working environment.

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DELAROSE Programme Content

Stress and the Individual

• Introduction to Stress• Prevention of Stress• Learning Ways of Coping With Your Stress• Changing How you Think About Things• Giving Feedback and Constructive Criticism• Learning to Deal with Behaviours you Find Challenging• Learning How to Relax• Physical Activity & Stress

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DELAROSE Programme Content

Stress and the Organisation

• The Organisation and Stress• Interpersonal Skills, Listening and Assertiveness• Leadership and Motivation• Change Management, Problem Solving and Conflict

Resolution• Organisational Policies• Risk Assessment• Ergonomics

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DELAROSE Programme Content

• Programme is delivered online via the project website

• Delivered in three languages; English, German and Italian

• Accredited by three European HEIs:– Waterford Institute of Technology (Ireland)– University of Graz (Austria)– University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern

Switzerland (SUPSI)

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DELAROSE Programme Content

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DELAROSE Programme Content

• Learners submit a series of work-based portfolio activities as they progress through the course.

• The slide presentations for each Unit of Learning are available on the project website through open-access.

• Learners who register for the programme receive additional support material and access to a platform to submit portfolio activities for assessment

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DELAROSE Programme Content

• The programme activities encourage learners to reflect on their personal working practices and also on their wider working environment.

• For example: – Think about where you work currently. What feature of your working

environment are professionally and personally supportive and unsupportive of your day to day work? Explain how these features impact upon you and your work.

– Using the Five-Point Framework, write a short report on the degree to which your organisation is supportive or unsupportive. Identify gaps where they exist and what needs to change to fill those gaps.

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The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS)• A fundamental feature of the European Higher Education

Area

• Facilitates learner mobility and provides a platform for the structure and description of programmes.

• ECTS can be applied to all higher education programmes, regardless of delivery, learner status (full-time, part-time), or learning context (formal, non-formal and informal).

ECVET & ECTS Accreditation

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• Formally launched in 2009 by the European Parliament and Council of the EU.

• ECVET was developed to support people educated through a vocational pathway to benefit from a common European credit scheme.

• This includes many workers in the health and social care sector in Europe.

The European Credit system for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET)

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ECVET & ECTS Accreditation

• In 2010, the Council of Ministers noted that ECVET will complement ECTS by linking vocational education and training with higher education, and called for enhanced permeability between different education systems, including VET and HE

• They also proposed that the Commission and member states should work towards greater coherence between the two European credit systems, ECTS and ECVET

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ECVET & ECTS Accreditation

• Establish an ECVET- and ECTS-referenced online multi-lingual programme (English, Italian, German) in work-related stress management.

• The learning outcomes approach was used as the basis for a common connection between ECTS and ECVET

• The course curriculum was designed so that it would be compatible with both the ECTS and ECVET educational framework.

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Impact

• Develop a shared understanding of work-related stress in the sector across Europe and facilitate transfer of skills and knowledge between Swiss and EU educational establishments in this field.

• Enhance European vocational education co-operation through utilising ECVET harmonised with ECTS.

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Impact

• Encourage a more proactive approach to managing stress in the workplace.

• Develop and promote access routes to education and training for those working in the sector.

• Operationalise the European Commission calls for greater coherence between ECTS and ECVET

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Thank You