Wellbeing and Reflective Practice Framework

Purpose

This framework was originally developed with staff working in mental health crisis services in mind recognising the emotional, psychological, and physical pressures they face. The aim was to create a practical and compassionate tool to proactively support wellbeing, not just in response to critical incidents, but as part of day-to-day working life.

While rooted in the experiences of crisis teams, the Wellbeing and Reflective Practice Framework is relevant to anyone working or volunteering in health and care settings. Its principles such as psychological safety, reflective supervision, and team wellbeing apply across roles, services, and organisational levels.

Rather than being a one-off intervention or isolated initiative, this framework is designed to be embedded into everyday practice and team culture. It helps create environments where staff feel supported, connected, and able to thrive ultimately enhancing both workforce wellbeing and the quality of care delivered.

Who is it for?

This framework is designed for:

  • Staff working in health and care services
  • Team leaders, service managers and supervisors
  • HR partners and wellbeing leads
  • Organisations supporting Place-based or ICB-wide provision

It can be applied flexibly across individual supervision, team development, leadership practice, and organisational planning.

How to use the framework

Think of the framework as a flexible toolkit. You can draw on different sections depending on your role and your goals. Here are just a few ways you might use it:

  • During supervision: Use the reflective practice models to support meaningful one-to-one conversations.
  • As part of team development: Integrate the wellbeing checklists or ‘I/We’ statements into team meetings or away days.
  • When responding to incidents: Use the leadership and vicarious trauma guidance to support staff wellbeing in the aftermath.
  • To inform personal development: Use the “looking after self” tools to guide self-care strategies and wellbeing conversations.
  • In planning and policy: Align your team or service actions with the organisational checklists across the four themes.

What’s inside?

The framework is organised around four key wellbeing themes, each with:

  • A definition of what good looks like
  • ‘I’ statements (how individuals might experience wellbeing)
  • ‘We’ statements (how organisations should respond)
  • Checklists for individual and organisational self-assessment
  • Practical tools and reflective prompts

Integrating it into practice

To get the most from the framework:

  • Start small: Choose one theme to explore with your team or supervisees.
  • Be honest: Use the checklists to prompt open, non-judgemental conversations.
  • Co-create action plans: Let staff contribute ideas on what changes would make the biggest difference.
  • Embed into rhythm: Use the framework not as a one-off event, but as part of everyday supervision, appraisal, team huddles and development days.

← Back