Digital Handbook

Making It Happen

Optional ideas informed by the EuroPris Staff Wellbeing Expert Group to help you explore the topic further and adapt approaches to your own prison service.

• Develop a deep understanding of the unique pressures faced by prison staff to support their wellbeing, and include regular engagement through surveys, feedback sessions, and one-to-one check-ins (e.g. quarterly wellbeing surveys and scheduled conversations to explore stressors and identify support needs).

• Prioritise mental health as a core component of staff wellbeing, and include accessible resources tailored to the justice sector (e.g. confidential counselling services, trauma support pathways, and stress management programmes available on-site or via referral).

• Encourage a healthy work-life balance to prevent burnout and maintain morale and include practical measures that support rest and recovery (e.g. flexible shift arrangements, protected break times, and promoting full use of annual leave).

• Offer stress management programmes that reflect the realities of prison work and include practical tools and techniques for coping with pressure (e.g. resilience training, mindfulness sessions, and workshops on managing emotional demands).

• Foster a supportive work culture where staff can connect and share coping strategies and include peer-led initiatives that reduce isolation (e.g. peer support networks, mentoring schemes, and informal wellbeing groups within establishments).

• Lead by example in promoting wellbeing practices across the team and include visible actions that reinforce a wellbeing-first approach (e.g. regular wellbeing check-ins, signposting resources, and proactively addressing workplace stressors).

• Adapt wellbeing strategies based on ongoing staff feedback to ensure relevance and impact and include mechanisms for continuous improvement (e.g. reviewing programme uptake and effectiveness through staff surveys and direct conversations).

• Embed wellbeing into long-term organisational goals to support sustained resilience and retention and include strategic alignment with wider justice sector priorities (e.g. integrating wellbeing into workforce planning, leadership development, and staff engagement strategies).

• Integrate wellbeing goals into performance and development conversations to reinforce their importance, and include clear links between wellbeing, professional growth, and team success (e.g. discussing wellbeing during appraisals and including it in personal development plans).