Occupational Health Sectors

Schools and Educational Settings

Supporting the education sector is one of our specialities

The education sector is unique and OPA Health understands the specific requirements of teacher training organisations, schools and colleges. We have successfully been delivering and tailoring our occupational health services within the education sector since 2016. We deliver a full occupational health service to many different educational providers including academies, stand alone schools, private schools, teacher training organisations, sixth form colleges, vocational colleges, nursery providers.

The focus of the occupational health service within the education sector is two-fold; addressing existing absence, both long and short term, and providing a proactive wellbeing service to help maintain staff attendance.

Absence is a major cost to the education sector. The Department for Education (DfE 2019) has calculated the annual cost of teacher sickness absence as 4.1 days per teacher accounting for 54% of absence. The average number of days lost per teacher has been calculated around 7.5 days absence per year at an annual cost of just under £800.00 per teacher. The financial impact to the whole school on this calculation equates to around £16,640 for every 20 members of teaching staff alone. This cost increases if sickness absence attributable to other members of the team including support and facilities staff are included.

There is no doubt that an early referral gaining occupational health advice reduces the financial costs of sickness absence. It promotes well-being of staff through personalised tailored advice, helps to bring together care alongside treating medical professionals within a workplace environment and guides those referred to proactive resources that can be used to further understand and aid recovery.

If you would like further information about how we can support you please fill in our enquiry form or telephone OPA Health Ltd on 01206 700911

For more information or to request a quote call us on 01206 700911 or enquire online

Successfully Implementing Occupational Health Services Across the Region

"OPA has been the Sigma Trust’s chosen partner for Occupational Health Services since April 2019. We have been impressed by their willingness to be responsive and flexible in order to meet the needs of our organisation and have found them to be efficient and effective in the service they provide. OPA provide clear, honest health reports that both benefit the employee and enable the organisation to support our employees in a meaningful and realistic way. The advice provided in reports is pragmatic and relevant and OPA understands our industry sector and the context in which we operate. We have no hesitation in recommending OPA to other organisations."

Sigma Trust

"As a company, we have had the pleasure of working with OPA and I have no hesitation in recommending Catherine because of her vast experience in the field of Occupational Health. She provides a professional, practical yet friendly service and has a very approachable and confident manner."

Lincoln Occupational Health LLP

"Our staff were hugely appreciative of the wellbeing intervention treatments you provided. Opa Health were hugely professional but friendly, putting staff at ease from start to finish. Many many thanks."

Browser Media

"We have been partnering with OPA for over a couple of years now and they have provided an excellent service, competitively priced. They were willing to invest upfront in the relationship by creating a tailored technology solution for us which reduced our admin burden and enabled us to deliver an enhanced customer experience. Their professional advice is always pragmatic and solution-focused and delivered promptly. I would highly recommend their services."

Hiscox Insurance

“I have used the services of OPA Health in two organisations now and always found them to significantly out-perform the other Occupational Health providers I have used in the past. The reports and assessments are spot-on and they also (very importantly) treat every person they see compassionately and respectfully. I can rely on them to really help support us (and the employee) even in tricky and complicated situations. They are always neutral, scrupulous and professional, playing a ‘straight bat’ – their advice is really helpful and they cut through to the significant issues adeptly. The medical knowledge they have is very good, wide-ranging and also current – not all OH providers can deliver all that. Their administration and support is also extremely prompt and efficient, which means we have a consistently good service ourselves and for our employees. Their turnaround time for the appointments and subsequent reports are quick.”

Julian Baume HR Dementia UK

"We have used OPA health since their inception and have found the service to be efficient, fast, reliable and most importantly personal. The Company and, Catherine in particular, understands the nature of our business and I am able to have a detailed report that interprets sometimes complex health issues, and puts them into work related context. In particular information is provided as to how the ill health impacts on their work and recommends adjustments that we might reasonably be able to support but understands that these are recommendations not instructions and ensures that staff are aware of this!"

Sarah Williams, HR Colchester Sixth Form College