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South Western Ambulance Charity has secured £200,000 in funding from NHS Charities Together and NHS England to expand wellbeing support for staff across South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT).
The funding was awarded following a successful collaborative grant application between the Charity and SWASFT’s Staying Well Hub and forms part of a national £11m programme supporting 29 projects across England. The programme includes a £5m contribution from NHS England.
The investment comes at a time of sustained pressure on NHS services, with the winter period placing additional strain on frontline staff. The funding will enable SWASFT to strengthen wellbeing support for its workforce in both the immediate and longer term.
According to research from NHS Charities Together, nearly half (47%) of NHS staff surveyed say their job is negatively affecting their mental health, while 41% report an impact on their physical health. With demand for health services continuing to rise, the need for targeted and proactive wellbeing support has become increasingly critical.
Through the funding, SWASFT’s Staying Well Hub will design and deliver a series of evidence-based wellbeing initiatives aimed at improving mental health, resilience and trauma support across the Trust.
One of the key projects is the development of a new psycho-social education programme rooted in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Delivered by SWASFT Mental Health Practitioners, the programme will support staff in developing coping strategies, understanding social influences and managing wellbeing-related change. The initiative is expected to be the first of its kind within the ambulance sector.
The funding will also support the expansion of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) across the Trust. Led by trauma therapist Paul Edwards, an EFT Master whose work is taught internationally, the project will include the creation of a bespoke practitioner training programme. This will establish a cohort of in-house EFT practitioners while providing professional development opportunities for staff.
In addition, SWASFT will launch Trauma Response and Support (T-RAS), a strengthened psychological trauma support model. The funding will enable expert input from external providers to ensure the approach is evidence-based and responsive to the needs of staff working across the Trust.
Alongside these initiatives, part of the funding will be used to develop a digital and data-driven quality improvement framework. This will support ongoing evaluation and refinement of the programmes, ensuring they remain effective and continue to evolve in line with staff feedback and need.
Lauren Dunn, Head of Wellbeing and Occupational Health at SWASFT, said the funding would enable a significant step forward in staff support.
“To receive this grant and be supported to deliver such a genuinely transformative programme of work is an immense privilege,” she said. “It allows us, as the first ambulance service to pilot and evaluate these innovative approaches in such depth, to shape not only the future of wellbeing within our organisation, but also contribute to wider sector change.”
Dunn added that the programme had been developed directly from staff feedback and engagement. “We heard clearly where support could be strengthened and where new approaches were needed. This funding enables us to respond with meaningful, evidence-based initiatives, supported by expert insight, to ensure no gap in wellbeing is left unaddressed.”
The projects will be delivered over the next 18 months, with the aim of creating a lasting positive impact on the wellbeing of colleagues across SWASFT.
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