The Role of Councils in Driving Workplace Wellbeing: Practical Models in Action
Call 0116 303 3560
Across the UK, local authorities are navigating increasingly complex public health landscapes.
Strategic priorities such as reducing health inequalities, improving access to early mental health support, addressing preventable illness, and integrating services are consistently present in local health and wellbeing strategies.
While these priorities are shared nationally, their delivery is shaped by local context — rural and urban settings, population health profiles, and workforce demographics all influence how interventions are prioritised and delivered.
At the same time, workplaces are emerging as critical platforms for preventative health — particularly for reaching working-age adults who may not otherwise access support through traditional settings.
The intersection between business and public health presents a meaningful opportunity to improve wellbeing, reduce pressure on services, and support broader community resilience.
At Optima UK, we’ve had the opportunity to partner with several councils who are already taking active steps in this space — designing and delivering workplace wellbeing programmes that align with their strategic objectives, engage employers, and produce measurable outcomes.
From our experience supporting councils across the country, several key themes consistently emerge:
Workplace wellbeing programmes are increasingly being recognised not as standalone initiatives, but as mechanisms that support broader public health and economic goals — embedding preventative support where people spend most of their time.
We’ve supported the delivery of several programmes that are council-led, locally shaped, and outcome-driven.
In Birmingham, we’ve worked closely with the public health team to develop the Workplace Champions model.
The programme aims to improve the health and wellbeing of Birmingham citizens who are employed within the city by equipping Workplace Champions with the knowledge, skills, motivation, and practical tools to promote health improvement in their workplaces. It is underpinned by three central goals:
The model focuses on enabling champions to act as positive influencers within their workplaces, supporting long-term cultural change.
In Worcestershire, we collaborated with the council to deliver the Work Well Live Better programme, which supports workplaces across the region to improve employee health and wellbeing across seven key areas:
The programme offers targeted wellbeing development for small and medium-sized enterprises and promotes a preventative, inclusive approach. It supports organisational resilience by embedding healthier habits and improving workplace environments at scale.
In Suffolk, we supported the council in delivering a programme that helps individuals take their next steps into formal education, training, and ultimately sustainable employment. The programme offers:
This approach ensures that workplace wellbeing is extended to populations who may be facing exclusion or disadvantage, reinforcing Suffolk’s broader inclusion and employment strategies.
Each programme was co-designed with local authority teams to reflect existing strategies, employer profiles, and service capacity.
Crucially, none took a one-size-fits-all approach – because what works in one locality doesn’t always translate directly to another.
While many councils face shared challenges, the way these are expressed and prioritised varies.
Some grapple with service access in dispersed rural areas; others focus on issues like substance misuse, community resilience, or engaging priority groups such as older workers or young people entering employment.
Our delivery model is built on flexibility, collaboration, and alignment. We don’t offer a fixed product. Instead, we work with local teams to design something that fits their specific landscape.
That includes mapping programme design to Health & Wellbeing Strategies, setting relevant KPIs, and ensuring employers see the programme as a partnership, not a directive.
It’s a model that respects what’s already in place and strengthens it.
On 24th September 2025, we’ll be co-hosting a live event in Birmingham alongside the council’s public health team.
The event will showcase the Workplace Champions programme in action — how it was built, what has been achieved over the past year, and what it means for businesses, employees, and the council’s wider public health goals.
It’s a unique opportunity to explore how a council-led approach to workplace wellbeing can be implemented and adapted across different localities.
If your team is exploring ways to extend the reach of public health through employer engagement, you’re warmly invited. The session will include practical insights, shared challenges, success stories, and open discussion.
Because when we support people in the workplace, we’re not just improving their 9–5 – we’re investing in the health, resilience, and sustainability of our communities.
Larraine is CEO of Optima UK. She leads a team that specialises in workplace wellbeing and mental health training programmes, delivered in partnership with local authorities across the UK.
With a background in leadership development, Larraine is passionate about co-creating initiatives that reflect local challenges, build employer engagement, and deliver measurable public health impact.
