Paths for All have delivered successfully across the workplaces we recruited in Q2. We have worked with them to develop Walking Action Plans and have delivered on some of the short term recommendations within those action plans. What we have been able to deliver under the difficult situations in which we have found ourselves has been very encouraging and final figures and stats will be provided with the end of year report. The Step Count Challenge has been the main focus of delivery in Q4 and has been successful, hopefully it paves the way for future similar delivery despite this project not being taken forward.

The focus of Q3 has been in finalising the partnerships with workplaces, understanding the needs and the current barriers to walking of their staff, and developing a set of
tailored walking action plans for delivery for each organisation for the coming year based on this learning.
Of the 7 organisations who were part of initial discussions in Q2, 5 workplaces are now confirmed as participating in the Walking Workplaces programme:

• NHS Grampian
• Aberdeen City Council
• Aberdeen Health and Social Care Partnership
• EnQuest
• Nestrans

Getting organisations to the official ‘sign up’ point took a long time from the initial contact and registering of interest, the earliest being a month after initial contact. This was largely due to the challenges of capacity within those organisations, finding time to meet and ensuring the right people are available, and then in some cases having to get further sign off from other colleagues/managers before a final decision to take up the programme could be agreed. It was important to get a good reach of both Aberdeen city and the shire, however finding organisations with 50 or more staff was more challenging outside of the city. There was also little existing awareness of Paths for All and the Workplaces Programme as a new piece of work, which we hope in future will be less of a barrier.

Baseline surveys were conducted with each organisation to gather evidence of the current behaviours and attitudes around walking and active travel across their organisation. Surveys were conducted between September – December with varying levels of response from staff. Aberdeen City Council were already conducting a travel survey which we were able to use the result from, reducing duplication of work and survey fatigue. Getting the message out about the survey to staff was a challenge – we relied on organisations doing this themselves due to data sharing concerns, adding an additional layer of delay and a need to chase staff in those organisations to send links to the survey and encourage engagement. Key contacts in organisations being on leave or working part time hours was also difficult as it led to long delays. Engagement was helped for NHS Grampian through some in person engagement via a stall in workplace cafes.

Despite these challenges the survey responses have been sufficient to give a useful baseline snapshot of current behaviours, attitudes, and the barriers to walking and active travel of staff across these 5 workplaces.

Walking Action Plans
Baseline survey results have been analysed alongside the qualitative data captured by the development officer from regular conversations with workplaces to develop a tailored walking action plan for each workplace [appendices 1-4]. These set out the range of interventions that the programme can put in place to encourage active travel behaviour change addressing the specific barriers raised in each workplace. Each action plan sets out initial short-term recommendations which will be delivered by the end of the current funding period (to 31 March) alongside medium- and long-term actions that can be further tailored and adapted should funding continue for further years.

Short term interventions include:

• Bespoke Step Count Challenges
• Co-ordinating and leading lunchtime walks for staff
• A ‘walk to work day’ incentivising walking amongst staff
• Information and awareness campaigns about the benefits of walking
• Capturing information on walking routes around the workplace for the development of a series of maps
• Engaging in the Grampian Wellbeing Festival.

The development officer for the Nestrans region, Natalie Blevins, started in her role on 19th August. In this short period of time, Natalie has engaged with the following organisations in order to introduce them to the Walking Workplace programme and encourage them to sign up : NHS Grampian, Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership, EnQuest, CBRE (management company for Marischal Square), Chevron, North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA). As a result of the meeting with CBRE, Natalie ran an information stall in Marischal Square on Wednesday 25th September and spoke to a large number of staff. Chevron and NSTA also approached Natalie and enquired about the programme. These contacts are now being followed up.

By 30th September NHS Grampian and Aberdeen City HSCP had signed up to participate in the programme. Aberdeen City Council and EnQuest are expected to also sign up within the next 2 weeks.

The initial stage of the programme is to run a workplace survey and these have already been distributed to NHS Grampian and Aberdeen City HSCP staff. The same survey is being used across Scotland and results will be collated and assessed in early November before activities are agreed with each workplace.

Nestrans have also registered for the Programme both to encourage and support our staff to walk more as part of our daily behaviours but also to help assess the Programme from the perspective of an inductee.