Thriving at Oxford Action Plan 2025-28

Developing the staff wellbeing programme at Oxford

Thanks to the University’s investment in staff wellbeing through the Pay and Conditions review, the Wellbeing Programme – also known as Thriving at Oxford – has continued to grow over the past year. Its evidence-based ambitions for the next three years are outlined in this new Action Plan. These objectives build upon what we have learned so far through the Thriving at Oxford scheme, existing good practice across our departments, and the insights of experts within and beyond the University. 

Everyone has a part to play in staff wellbeing and University staff are encouraged to take responsibility for their wellbeing by seeking support early and signposting colleagues to the available services.

- Vice-Chancellor, Professor Irene Tracey

The Thriving at Oxford Action Plan supports the work-life balance, health and wellbeing priorities identified by the Pay & Conditions Review. Delivered under the University's People Strategy, it also supports other University strategies including the Collegiate University EDI Strategic Plan 2024-27.

Based on a review of all staff data and a significant evidence-base, this action plan will input into applications for the REF 2029, Athena Swan Charter and general grant applications.  

The Thriving at Oxford Action Plan aims to:

  1. Set out priorities for the University's Staff Wellbeing Programme; and
  2. Create a University-wide approach to wellbeing, highlighting a division of responsibility for staff wellbeing between central, divisions, departments, line managers and team members.

The Wellbeing Programme Team would like to thank divisions and departments for their ongoing work to support staff wellbeing across the University.

The following resources are already available via Thriving at Oxford and associated programmes. This list will grow as the recommendations of the action plan are carried out:

  1. Employee Assistance Programme: Spectrum.Life
  2. Mental health awareness training
  3. Wellbeing Champions Network
  4. Mental Health First Aider guidance and resources
  5. Occupational Health Services

Visit the Looking after you webpage to view the full list of wellbeing resources and services available to staff.

The vision

Everyone is empowered to feel and perform at their best as part of the University and College community. 

Our mission

From June 2025 to June 2028, the Wellbeing Programme is to collaborate with central University bodies, divisions, departments, colleges and individual staff of all grades, types and characteristics to implement a structured, inclusive and holistic approach to wellbeing in support of the Institution’s vision. This approach should incorporate the implementation of evidence-based, quality assured resources, services and training, grouped within the prevent, detect, respond, treat model, whilst addressing the key organisational barriers to wellbeing.   

Core areas 

This three-year action plan aims to give direction, at a top level, to the Wellbeing Programme Team on the promotion of good staff wellbeing backed up by the current evidence base. This action plan is divided into three sections following the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline on mental wellbeing at work (NG212). A review of all available University staff data and external evidence has guided the selection of the following priorities in each section. 

  • Organisational-level approaches aim to address the barriers to staff wellbeing at source. The priorities identified aim to support the prevention and management of work-related stress including the prevention of bullying and harassment, the promotion of psychological safety and good line manager training and support.
  • Individual approaches seek change in workers’ capacities, attitudes and behaviours. Whilst the EAP service, Spectrum.Life, is the main source of support for University staff, the wellbeing programme goes further, raising awareness of the indicators of poor mental health and wellbeing, giving tools and strategies to prevent poor wellbeing and proactively signposting to sources of support. This includes better education and training for line managers, people professionals, wellbeing champions and mental health first aiders.
  • Targeted approaches aim to support specific staff groups and/or target specific staff need. In addition to the staff groups identified above, parents, carers, staff in grades 1-5, deskless workers and early-career researchers, male staff and neurodivergent staff have all been identified to be at risk of poor wellbeing. This action plan aims to work with the Staff disability advisor, the Researcher Hub and many other University bodies to provide tailored support to these staff.

 

View the Thriving at Oxford action plan 2025-28 here. 

In order to reduce departmental workload due to duplication and a lack of strategy, a system of central, divisional and departmental responsibilities for staff wellbeing has been developed. It is important to note that the responsibilities listed below do not represent extra workload but a reminder of best practice already in place across many departments. These actions are in fact time and workload-saving as they aim to reduce sickness and absence, increase recruitment and retention, increase productivity and creativity and improve relationships as per the evidence-base.

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  1. Central service provision: Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
  2. Communications around EAP and other health and wellbeing resources
  3. Collaboration with central services, divisions and departments on organisational-level interventions
  4. Mental Health awareness workplace training
  5. Mental Health First Aider support
  6. Wellbeing Champions support (see section 9)
  7. Data strategy to identify wellbeing need at the University level (see section 8)
  8. Guidance on divisional and departmental wellbeing provision
  9. Quality Assurance of central services
  10. Foster an inclusive culture in which the rights and dignity of all members of the University community are respected.

  1. Encourage good working conditions e.g. flexible working, change management
  2. Encourage open conversations around wellbeing and mental health and awareness of resources available
  3. Encourage staff to attend mental health awareness training
  4. Collate anonymised department and team data (e.g. sickness/absence, leaving reasons)
  5. Identify wellbeing need at the divisional level including organisational, individual and targeted interventions
  6. Collaborate with the central Wellbeing Team on organisation-wide activities (e.g. implementation of new policy on work-related stress)
  7. Put interventions in place to deal with unacceptable behaviour

  1. Signpost to central provision
  2. Encourage staff to attend mental health awareness training
  3. Recruit Wellbeing Champions
  4. Collate anonymised team data (e.g. sickness/absence, leaving reasons)
  5. Identify wellbeing need at departmental level
  6. Ensure good and supportive line manager training
  7. Ensure implementation of policy e.g. flexible working, work-related stress
  8. Targeted wellbeing provision
  9. Cross team activity groups based on departmental need
  10. Signpost to departmental Harassment Advisors

  1. Signpost to central provision
  2. Signpost to departmental Harassment Advisors and support
  3. Encourage staff to attend mental health awareness training 
  4. Recruit Wellbeing Champions
  5. Collate data (e.g. sickness/absence, leaving reasons)
  6. Identify wellbeing need at the team level
  7. Targeted interventions based on team need (examples available in the Work Wellbeing Playbook).

Please watch this page for further updates.

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Read the full action plan here 

Contact us

For enquiries, contact wellbeing@admin.ox.ac.uk.

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