How to Use the Five Ways to Wellbeing in Health and Social Care

The Five Ways to Wellbeing give care staff a clear way to think about everyday wellbeing. The five actions are connect, be active, take notice, keep learning, and give. They came from work gathered by the New Economics Foundation on Five Ways to Wellbeing, and the idea has stayed useful because it is simple, practical, and easy to apply to real life.

In health and social care, this framework helps turn a broad idea into something people can see and feel. A person may not talk about “improving wellbeing”. They may talk about missing friends, losing confidence outside, feeling bored, or wanting a reason to get up in the morning. The Five Ways give staff a helpful structure for those needs.

This is where the framework earns its place. It does not replace personal care, treatment, or risk planning. It adds something human to them. NICE guidance on mental wellbeing and independence and SCIE’s work on recognising the individual in care both support the wider idea that wellbeing grows when care respects the person, not only the task.

“Good care does more than keep a person safe. It helps them stay connected to themselves and other people.”

Person-centred care fits naturally with the Five Ways. Staff start with the person’s history, preferences, energy levels, communication style, and relationships. From there, the five actions become more than labels. They become part of daily support. One person may need calm, routine, and familiar faces. Another may need group contact, movement, and a sense of purpose. Same framework. Different lives.

Why the Five Ways Work So Well in Care Settings

Health and social care often focus on urgent and visible needs. Washing, dressing, medication, eating, sleeping, moving safely. All of that is necessary. Still, when support only follows the task list, a person can start to feel like care is something done to them rather than with them.

The Five Ways shift attention back to ordinary life. They remind staff that emotional wellbeing is tied to relationships, movement, curiosity, routine, and contribution. That wider view can help people living with frailty, disability, dementia, long term illness, or mental distress. NICE quality standards on social participation and physical activity for older people both reflect this broader approach.

The framework also supports prevention. SCIE’s prevention in social care resources show why early support can reduce decline in confidence, routine, and independence. A person who stops going out after illness may lose social contact, physical strength, and motivation at the same time. The Five Ways give staff a gentle route back in.

For example, a short call with a neighbour could support connection. A walk to the garden could build movement and confidence. Noticing birds at the feeder could make the day feel less flat. Helping lay the table could restore purpose. Small actions, repeated often, can change how care feels.

A credible counter-point is that this can sound like extra work for already busy staff. There is some truth in that. Yet the Five Ways often work best when folded into care that is already happening. A conversation during personal care, a slower walk to lunch, or a chance to choose music can all support wellbeing without turning into a separate programme.

“Wellbeing in care often grows through small repeated moments, not one big activity.”

Connect: Building Relationships That Support Wellbeing

Connect is often the strongest starting point because relationships shape the rest of the day. A person may eat better, sleep better, and join in more when they feel known, safe, and included. By contrast, a person can be surrounded by staff and other residents yet still feel lonely if every interaction is rushed or task based.

Connection in care means more than arranging family visits. It includes being greeted properly, being listened to, sharing humour, feeling secure with familiar staff, and having chances to belong. Mind’s guide to the five ways to wellbeing is useful here because it keeps the idea grounded in everyday actions rather than theory.

Different people need different kinds of connection. Someone in residential care may value a regular chat with one trusted worker more than a busy activity group. A person receiving support at home may want help keeping in touch with old friends. Someone with dementia may respond best to familiar songs, family photos, and repeated topics that feel safe.

Staff need to notice what gets in the way. Hearing loss, anxiety, low mood, transport problems, speech difficulties, language differences, and grief can all reduce social contact. Once those barriers are spotted, support can become more thoughtful. Skills for Care and SCIE’s person-centred care resources are both helpful on this wider picture.

Useful ways to support connection include:

• Consistent relationships: Seeing familiar staff can lower stress and build trust over time. This often makes communication easier and support more personal.
• Meaningful conversation: Asking about interests, memories, routines, or opinions helps protect identity. It moves the exchange beyond tasks and symptoms.
• Supported participation: Help with transport, introductions, or first visits can make community groups more accessible. A person may need a gentle bridge before confidence returns.
• Family and friendship links: Phone calls, video calls, letters, and memory books can help keep relationships active. These are often valuable when distance or illness limits face to face contact.

A short example shows how this can work. A resident who refused group activities was seen as withdrawn. On second thought, the issue was not a lack of interest. The room was noisy, the timing clashed with rest, and staff changed too often. A quieter one to one coffee chat with the same worker led to better engagement and a brighter mood.

Be Active and Take Notice: Supporting Body, Mood, and Daily Experience

Be active does not mean pushing people into exercise that feels unrealistic. It means finding movement that suits the person’s strength, confidence, and daily life. That could be a supervised walk, a few seated stretches, helping water plants, standing to fold towels, or dancing in a chair.

Physical activity can support mood, sleep, appetite, mobility, and confidence. NICE quality standards on physical activity show why movement should be part of wider wellbeing support, especially when it helps a person stay involved in ordinary life. Meanwhile, SCIE’s reablement guidance shows how small gains in function can support independence.

The most useful activity is often the activity that feels relevant. A former gardener may enjoy tending pots more than following an exercise sheet. A person recovering after illness may gain confidence by walking to the dining room instead of being taken there. That sort of movement can support both wellbeing and dignity.

Take notice sits naturally beside be active. It means paying attention to what is happening now. The smell of tea. Rain on the window. The warmth of a blanket. Music in the lounge. The colour of leaves in the garden. Brief, simple things.

For some people, these moments can reduce agitation and bring calm. For others, they can break up a flat, repetitive day. Staff also benefit from taking notice. It helps them observe what soothes a person, what lifts their mood, and what causes strain.

Useful examples include:

• Tailored movement: Activity should match the person’s abilities and routines. This makes it more likely they will enjoy it and keep doing it.
• Everyday physical tasks: Carrying light items, setting a table, or walking to a different room can count as movement. These actions often feel purposeful rather than forced.
• Sensory noticing: Looking at flowers, listening to birds, or holding a warm drink can help a person settle. This can be helpful when someone feels anxious or restless.
• Mood observation: Staff can notice how a person responds before, during, and after an activity. Those patterns help shape better support later.

“A supported walk to the garden can do more for wellbeing than a long explanation about staying active.”

Keep Learning and Give: Protecting Identity, Confidence, and Purpose

Keep learning is not about formal study. It is about curiosity, trying something new, or building a skill. In care settings, this can be easy to miss because support often centres on what a person can no longer do. Learning shifts the focus slightly. It asks what is still possible.

That may mean trying a new recipe, learning to use a tablet for video calls, joining an art session, building confidence with equipment, or practising a simple memory strategy. The task itself may be small. The effect can be bigger. Learning can support confidence because it gives the person a sense of progress.

This links closely to identity. A person who learns, practises, and improves is not only receiving care. They are still developing. That feeling can be powerful for someone whose life has narrowed through illness, disability, or age. NICE guidance on wellbeing and independence supports this wider idea of staying engaged and involved.

Give is just as important. People who receive care are often placed only in the role of recipient. Equally, many still want to contribute. Giving does not need to involve money or formal volunteering. It can be as simple as helping another resident, sharing advice, folding napkins, watering plants, choosing music, or welcoming someone new.

Contribution supports dignity. It also supports belonging. A person who can still offer something often feels more settled and valued. SCIE’s prevention and self care resources help show why participation and contribution should not be treated as optional extras.

Useful examples include:

• Small new skills: Learning one digital task or one kitchen task can build confidence. Success often comes from repetition and encouragement.
• Creative learning: Art, music, storytelling, and reminiscence can support memory and expression. These can work well for people who dislike formal activities.
• Everyday contribution: Helping set out cups, folding laundry, or checking on another person can create purpose. Ordinary tasks can carry real emotional value.
• Shared expertise: A person may enjoy teaching a skill from earlier life, such as knitting, baking, or simple repairs. This helps staff see strengths, not only needs.

“People receiving care still need chances to contribute, not only chances to be looked after.”

Using the Five Ways Well in Real Care Settings

The Five Ways work best when staff use them flexibly. A tick box approach weakens the whole framework. Adding one activity to a timetable does not automatically mean a person is connecting, learning, or taking notice. The activity has to fit the person.

A caveat here is that good intentions are not always enough. A busy craft group may look positive on paper, yet leave one person overwhelmed and another bored. A quiet chat, a short walk, or a chance to help with tea may do more. Rather, staff need to watch how the person responds.

A simple step by step approach can help:

• Start with the person: Look at history, preferences, strengths, communication needs, and current mood. This gives context before any activity is suggested.
• Match support to one or more of the five ways: Choose actions that feel natural for that person. Keep them realistic and specific.
• Build them into ordinary care: Link wellbeing to daily routines such as meals, visits, personal care, or walking to another room. This keeps support practical.
• Watch the response: Notice what lifts mood, what causes strain, and what the person asks for again. Small patterns are useful.
• Review and adjust: Change the approach when something is not working. The best support usually develops over time.

The table below shows how the framework can be used in a straightforward way.

Five way	What it could look like in care	Possible benefit
Connect	Regular chats, family calls, group meals, peer support	Less isolation, more trust, stronger sense of belonging
Be active	Walking, seated movement, gardening, helping with tasks	Better mood, confidence, sleep, and mobility
Take notice	Music, nature, sensory activities, quiet observation	More calm, better focus, a richer day
Keep learning	Art, digital skills, memory games, practical tasks	Greater confidence, interest, and self esteem
Give	Helping others, sharing skills, welcoming people, simple tasks	More purpose, dignity, and social value

Common mistakes can get in the way:

• Using the framework as a checklist: This can make support feel mechanical. Wellbeing work should still feel personal.
• Choosing activities that suit the service, not the person: A full timetable is not the same as meaningful engagement. Preference still comes first.
• Ignoring barriers: Hearing loss, pain, fatigue, fear, and grief can affect participation. These need to be noticed and responded to.
• Focusing only on groups: Some people engage better one to one or through quiet tasks. Social support does not always mean busy rooms.
• Forgetting review: A person’s needs and energy can change quickly. Support should change with them.

A short checklist can help staff keep the framework grounded:

• Personal detail included: The plan reflects the person’s life, not only their care tasks.
• Daily opportunities identified: The five ways appear in ordinary routines, not only organised activities.
• Barriers considered: Sensory, emotional, physical, and practical barriers have been noticed.
• Responses recorded: Staff note what seems to help, settle, or motivate the person.
• Purpose protected: The person has chances to contribute as well as receive support.

Conclusion and next step

The Five Ways to Wellbeing are useful in health and social care because they bring the focus back to daily life. Relationships, movement, awareness, growth, and contribution all shape how care feels. Without them, support can become efficient but thin.

Used well, this framework helps staff see the whole person. It can strengthen dignity, support confidence, and make care feel more human. It also gives teams a shared language for wellbeing without turning people into a set of tasks.

The next step is simple. Look at one person’s usual day and ask where the five ways already appear, where they are missing, and what small changes could make the day feel fuller, calmer, or more connected. Start there. Then build.