Health and wellbeing check-ins are designed to be fairly informal opportunities for a line manager to ensure that you feel supported in your role. At a check-in, you can expect your manager to ask how you are – and to have a general conversation around anything that is troubling you.

Check-ins should result in action being taken to try support you in any challenges you’re facing. For example, those struggling mentally might be asked if they would like to be referred into our counselling partners, those with back trouble might be referred into physiotherapy, those with financial concerns might be directed to our priority Citizens Advice Gateshead access, those struggling with sleep might be advised to access a free NHS membership to Unmind or Headspace, and so on.

Managers probably won’t always have the right answer on the spot. However, they should follow-up with you around any concerns raised with some useful resources that might help you.

Health and wellbeing check-ins should take place at least annually. There is no bad time to have a check-in!

As check-ins can be fairly informal, your manager could have a check-in with you regularly. This might include following up on concerns you’ve raise previously to see how you’re progressing, whether the situation has developed and understand if we could offer further support.

As health and wellbeing check-ins should take place for everyone at least annually, managers should initiate at very least check-in with you if you haven’t had one at any point throughout the previous twelve months. Some managers will check-in much more regularly, which is fantastic and very much encouraged where possible.

However, it is important you feel comfortable raising a request for a check-in at any given time. This might be in a 1:1, following a team meeting, in general conversation or otherwise. The main point of check-ins is to provide opportunity for us to support you.

If you feel you’re in need of support, please don’t hesitate in requesting a check-in. This doesn’t need to be formal – it could be done in a meeting, over a coffee or otherwise.

Due to the informal nature of check-ins, we recognise that where some managers might see a certain discussion as a check-in, our colleagues might see it as a normal conversation. Please bear the informality of a check-in in mind when considering if you have had one in the past twelve months.

Equally, managers may wish to consider how they make it more apparent that a conversation constitutes a check-in. This might involve following up on a conversation and touching on the previous “check-in”, to create a mutual understanding in a natural manner.

At the moment, check-ins are not currently recorded. However, in the interests in ensuring these are taking place consistently across Gateshead Health, plans are afoot to introduce recording.

Check-in recording will not note down any concerns – it will likely be a ‘tick box’ in ESR for managers to record that, similar to an annual review, a check-in has taken place in the last 12 months. This will serve to remind them to check-in with you at least annually.

No personal nor information from a check-in is shared at any time, in any direction. The main purpose of a check-in is to ensure you have an opportunity to be supported around any particular issue. In that respect, your feedback is only really used for your line manager to identify relevant support which can then be shared with you.

Plans are currently being discussed around the potential of asking areas for broad and overarching common themes. The idea of this is to provide the health and wellbeing team with a better understanding of common issues for those on the ground, so we can provide a more targeted response in relation to support. If and when this becomes reality, no identifiable information will ever be shared.

Absolutely. While we encourage everyone to have a check-in with their line manager to help build relationships and help them to understand your concerns and challenges so they can better support you, we understand this isn’t always possible or ideal.

If you’d like to have a check-in to find out how Gateshead Health can support you with your concerns and challenges, please contact [email protected] and we can arrange an alternative. This will remain confidential and your manager will not be informed.

Of course. Please get in touch on or alternatively, view our Employee FAQs document which includes further frequently asked questions.

Absolutely – just drop us a line on or alternatively, view our Manager FAQs document which includes further frequently asked questions.