‘The appreciation station’ and its effects on staff well-being and burnout: a pilot study on implementing a well-being tool

Purpose Burnout continues to be a major concern across the NHS, with increasing evidence that it negatively affects both staff well-being and retention. Psychologists, often involved in developing strategies to reduce workplace stress, are themselves vulnerable to burnout. This pilot project introduced a simple well-being initiative, The Appreciation Station, within a psychology team based in a Forensic Low Secure Service. The purpose of this study is to improve staff well-being and reduce feelings of burnout. Design/methodology/approach Team members completed three standardised measures before (PRE) and approximately six months after (POST) the initiative was introduced: the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Professional Fulfilment Index and the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale. The POST measure also included a space for open-ended feedback. Findings The results of this study suggested a significant improvement in staff well-being, although changes in burnout scores were not statistically significant. Even so, a downward trend was observed. Originality/value Early findings are encouraging, and the next step will be to explore whether this initiative can benefit other disciplines across the Low Secure Service.