Health Manager has been used across the Trust since summer 2022. It refers colleagues to occupational health quickly and appropriately. It gives automated referral case notifications to both line managers and colleagues, supporting regular updates on the referral case progression without the need to contact occupational health and wellbeing.
This system is due to be replaced in Mersey Care later in 2023 and a new system will be introduced.
For more information about the changes, contact us at empactis
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When does Health Manager go live? |
The “go live” date for the Health Manager management referral form on 12 July 2022. This is the first stage of rolling out the functionality of the whole system but the rest of the processes are unchanged at this time. |
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EMPLOYEE QUESTIONS |
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| What if employees are off sick and not accessing their work emails, will it be sent to their personal emails? | There is an option to put an alternative email address in the referral being made by the manager. Colleagues will be able to access the Empactis platform through any mobile, tablet, laptop or PC. |
| How is the report sent to the employees? |
Colleagues receive email notification that the occupational health outcome report is available to view in Empactis. Included in this email is a web link that takes colleagues to the Empactis login page. Once logged in the ‘task’ to view the outcome report is visible to colleagues. |
| Not all staff members have access to smart phone or computer, if they are off long-term sick will they be able to see the report? |
Empactis is an online / cloud-based occupational health system, so access to a device that supports this is required. Prior to submitting an occupational health referral for colleagues, managers should consider clarifying with their colleague device accessibility at home or remotely and whether any practical solutions are needed prior to contacting occupational health. |
| How do employee’s login to the system? |
From 12July 2022 you will be able to login via an Empactis desktop icon. The first time you login to this you will need to input your merseycare email address and click on “forgotten password” to create a password. Empactis will then email a link for you to create the password. Once created you can save your login details to your internet favourites for easier access in the future. |
| Can the referral form be edited or updated after it is submitted to provide additional information? |
Once occupational health receives, and accept, a management referral form it cannot be edited. However, until this occurs the management referral form can be edited by managers. |
| How are the employee referrals prioritised? |
Unless the referral is marked as urgent, priority is by the date received. On the management referral form there is an additional information box where managers can mark as urgent. For example, ‘This is an urgent referral’ or if the referral needs prioritising, managers can also ring Occupational Health for support. |
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MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS |
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| With staff who are currently off sick, when we go live with the health manager, will they be moved onto this new system, and if the answer is yes when and what will the transition look like? |
Colleagues who are referred into Occupational Health prior to Empactis going live will be handled through the current management referral process; this is different depending on whether the referral is received at Hollins Park House Occupational Health or Switch House Occupational Health. There will be a legacy view available for Cohort, (the current Occupational Health system) which the Occupational Health team will be able to view. |
| The sickness in my team is managed by a team of 4. Can each of those 4 individuals access each person’s referral and reports? |
If colleagues are assigned to managers under ESR, the assigned managers will be able to access Empactis for their employees. However, only the referring manager will receive the email notifications from Empactis. |
| Would a manager know if someone was in the pension scheme? |
The question on the management referral form ‘is the colleague in a pension scheme’ is not a mandatory field for completion and there is an ‘unknown’ response option on the drop-down list for this question. However, if managers are referring colleagues to Occupational Health for an opinion on ill health retirement, the colleague must be in an NHS pension scheme to be eligible for this. |
| If there are Three Charge nurses on a ward and a Ward Manager, how does that line management work for who’s on shift who’s not and annual leave? |
A referring manager must be designated as a colleagues’ manager on ESR Supervisor Hierarchy to be able to create the online management referral to occupational health for the colleague. If you are the manager and are off your manager will be able to access the Empactis system for your colleagues. |
| Are there timescales for when managers will receive the outcome reports? Are there time scales attached to referrals? How long will referrals take to be dealt with? (This will help teams decide which managers deal with referrals and who will be about when the outcome report comes back? |
If a colleague consents to simultaneous release of an Occupational Health outcome report this will normally get released the same day as the consultation. However, if a colleague requests prior sight of a report they have 2 days in which to view this. This will delay report release, which the referring manager is notified of via email. If a colleague does not give consent for release, the report does not get released and the referring manager is also advised of this via email. Referrals are dealt with, and processed, as soon as possible by Occupational Health. |
| If I put a referral through and I went off sick, is there a way of my manager being able to get onto the system? |
Health Manager works on the ESR Supervisor Hierarchy. If you are a manager and make a referral for a colleague, and then you are absent yourself, then only your manager will be able to access any referrals you have made and any outcome reports that you receive in relation to your team members. You cannot “delegate” responsibility in Health Manager, to another manager or a deputy manager in your absence. |
| I am worried that there will be a delay in receiving reports if staff do not log on to approve them. |
The prior sight process consent is clearly communicated with colleagues during the Occupational Health consultation and through emails from Empactis. This includes regularly checking emails for an automated email notification that the Occupational Health report is available to review. Referring managers also receive email notification of this prior sight stage, so referring managers can also communicate with their colleagues regarding timely reviews of Occupational Health outcome reports. |
| Does the report link take you directly to the report or just to the dashboard for the manager and then the manager must go through the dashboard to get the report? |
Referring managers receive email notification that the occupational health outcome report is available to view in Empactis. Included in this email is a web link that takes managers to the Empactis login page. Once logged in the ‘task’ to view the outcome report is visible to managers on the Empactis dashboard. |
| Can we have some guidance on the number of days absence? Do we include weekends or not for staff who typically work Monday 9-5pm? |
As per the Trust’s Attendance Policy, sickness days continue to be 7 days due to Statutory Sickness Pay. For triggers onto different stages in the policy, this is managed on contracted days. |
| If there are Three Charge nurses on a ward and a Ward Manager, how does that line management work for who’s on shift who’s not and annual leave? |
A referring manager must be designated as a colleagues’ manager on ESR Supervisor Hierarchy to be able to create the online management referral to Occupational Health for the colleague. If you are the manager and are off your manager will be able to access the Empactis system for your colleagues. |
| We update SharePoint with Line manager Information is that linked to ESR at all? |
The only thing on SharePoint which could result in an ESR supervisor change is a new starter form or a contractual changes form. |
| Can a senior manager raise OH referrals for the 5 employees that is under another manager, and will the senior manager also have access to the OH referrals raised by the manager that is under her for the 5 employees? |
Managers can raise and see referrals and outcomes for ALL employees within their scope of control on ESR. In this case senior managers can raise Occupational Health referrals for the 5 employees and will also have access to the Occupational Health referrals raised by any management under her/him on ESR for the 5 employees. |
| If a manager is on long term absence or snowed under, is there away of someone else that can do the referral? |
The hierarchy in ESR goes up rather than down, which means your manager could pick up the referral. |
| How confident are we that the ESR hierarchy is correct? |
Managers are encouraged to look at their ESR profile hierarchy and make sure it is correct prior to the Empactis go live date on the 12th July 2022, as Empactis is linked to ESR hierarchy. |
| Can I log on Empactis as another manager? |
Login details must not be shared, it is against Trust Security Policy. |
| If the manager has changed since previous reports, will the new manager be able to view the previous reports? |
An employees’ new manager will be able to see previous occupational health referrals and outcome reports in Empactis if the new manager has the employee assigned to them in ESR. The occupational health consent form signed by employees outlines this, as line managers can change throughout an employees’ employment. |
| Will there easy to follow screen shots that can be shared with managers that have been unable to attend a session/new manager? |
There are user guides, E-learning package links (both for managers and employees) and video recordings of this demonstration on ‘YourSpace’. |
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HR QUESTIONS |
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| Are HR included in receiving the outcome report? |
Not at this stage. However, the wording on a colleagues’ consent for the release of an outcome report includes consent to share the report with a human resources representative on a need-to-know basis. The responsibility to share the outcome report for this will be with the colleagues’ line manager. |
1. Login to Empactis using your login details
2. Make sure you are in ‘Health Manager’ and within your ‘employee’ role
3. Select the ‘Self-Referral For Physio’ referral form by clicking on the green ‘Request this service’ tab
4. Complete the ‘Self-referral for physio’ referral form by clicking on the green ‘Request this service’ tab
5. Complete the Self-Referral form, and once completed click on the green ‘Submit for Occupational Health and Wellbeing Team’ green tab
You will be notified once the self-referral form is accepted by the Occupational Health and Wellbeing Team, and of future appointments, by the email and telephone contact details provided on the form. Updates will also be available when you login to Empactis.
The implementation of the Empactis system is being led by Chris Lyons, Director for Strategic Programmes and Development and is supported by a small project team.
- Management referral training session held on 6 July 2022
- Management referral training session held on 5 July 2022
- Management referral training session held on 4 July 2022
- Management referral training session held on 27 June 2022 (contains advice on when a manager is also sick)
- Management referral training session held on 30 June 2022
- Management referral training session held on 28 June 2022 (contains advice on when a manager is also sick)
- Management referral training session held on 29 June 2022 (contains advice on when a manager is also sick)