As holders of the Level 2 Worcestershire Works Well (WWW) Accreditation, ISO QSL have been leading the way for Worcestershire-based businesses looking to put the health and wellbeing of their staff at the forefront of their business activities.

ISO QSL have shown continued dedication to their employees’ health and wellbeing since they won their first Special Award for their work with a mental health nurse within the company. As they continue to support employees, ISO QSL have won their second Southco Special Award for their “Wellbeing Promises” to their team.

The company have implemented Wellbeing Champions, which are reviewed annually to allow all members of the team to get involved in the initiative. Staff members at ISO are able to put themselves forward to be a Wellbeing Champion and are then chosen at random to fulfil the voluntary role. The team of Champions meet regularly to discuss their plans for the upcoming year.

Staff input is extremely important to ISO QSL, and they have recently communicated with the wider team to ask where they would like to see efforts focused. These communications help to encourage new starters with the company to feel welcome and included in these initiatives. Efforts are made to ensure the wellbeing activities are accessible to all, and, significantly, relevant to everyone.

Debbie Farr, HR and Facilities Director at ISO Quality Services Ltd, commented: “We want to listen to what people really want and not just use our wellbeing initiatives as a ‘tick-box’ exercise. Our staff here have come to expect that we have their health and wellbeing at the heart of what we do, and that we will offer things that are beneficial, useful and of some value.

“This is mirrored in how we encourage our services to our clients. It needs to become part of what you do, not just something you look at once and put away. That’s how we approach Worcestershire Works Well.”

Some of the activities that ISO have organised as part of their WWW accreditation include days out to play darts and enjoy food from local restaurants, walking challenges, a popular book club and a fun-filled day out to Blackwell Adventure.

ISO Quality Services Ltd is an independent organisation that specialises in the implementation, certification and continued management of ISO and BS EN Management Standards. They also offer ISO / BS consultancy and training Services, helping clients to maximise the benefits that ISO certification brings to their business.

Worcestershire Works Well is open to all public, private and third sector organisations located in Worcestershire that have a minimum of 5 employees. The scheme has been operating for over 10 years and there are more than 100 active businesses across the county. Participation in the Worcestershire Works Well scheme is free.

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They have implemented many activities and initiatives to support colleagues through this difficult time. They have over 200 Mental Health First Aid Champions trained to offer practical support and 1:1 advice and run regular drop-in sessions for employees. Short burst virtual training sessions on navigating the new norm, getting quality sleep and staying energised in challenging times, have all helped their employees to cope with the many emotions they have been experiencing during these unprecedented times.

Worcestershire Works Well has helped Worcester Bosch to adopt a more strategic approach to their workplace health and wellbeing offering. Their employee-led Health and Wellbeing team have found the additional standards extremely helpful when planning the annual calendar of activities, initiatives and focus areas. Most recently they have focused on supporting Working Carers and are very proud to have joined Worcestershire’s Carer Friendly Employer Network – a new membership scheme to help identify and support carers in the workplace.

To support the Time To Change initiative, which looks to end the stigma around mental health, they have encouraged their colleagues to open up about mental health and spark conversations, creating a safe space at Lol’s Cafe at their Worcester HQ where employees could grab a free drink and cake and have a chat.

They are also currently working with partner charity Mind to champion mental health and support those who may be struggling.

Worcestershire Works Well is open to all public, private and third sector organisations located in Worcestershire, that have a minimum of 5 employees. The scheme has been operating for over 10 years and there are more than 100 active businesses across the county. Participation in the Worcestershire Works Well scheme is free.

The Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce are helping to support the Worcestershire Works Well scheme and can provide guidance to businesses looking to get involved.

To find out more information on the scheme please visit www.worcestershire.gov.uk/worcestershireworkswell or interested businesses can contact dawnh@hwchamber.co.uk.

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What is The Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB)? The HWB brings together the organisations responsible for making decisions about services in Worcestershire that support our health and wellbeing things like children’s services, adult social care and the local NHS.

Worcestershire’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2022 – 2032
The HWB is required to develop a strategy including a vision and priorities for improving the health and wellbeing of people who live and work in Worcestershire. For the 2022 – 2032 Strategy, the HWB would like to identify good mental health and wellbeing as the main priority, supported by action in areas that we all need to ‘Be Well in Worcestershire’. We want to know if you agree with our vision, priority and supporting areas, and to understand what being well means to you. There will also be space to tell us where there are gaps and anything else that is important to you.
This is your chance to make a difference to the health and wellbeing of people in Worcestershire.

We know that ‘good mental health and wellbeing’ may mean different things to different people. As someone who lives or works in Worcestershire, your thoughts and suggestions are important to us. Help shape the future of health and wellbeing in Worcestershire by sharing:

• Your thoughts and feelings on mental health and wellbeing
• How COVID-19 has impacted on your mental health and wellbeing
• Your views on our proposed Strategy

To have your say, visit: https://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/HWBStrategy2022

The post What does being well in Worcestershire mean to you? appeared first on Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce.

Access 365 days a year to counsellors who are available from:

• 12.00-10.00pm Monday to Friday
• 6.00-10.00pm Saturday and Sunday

Log on through mobile, laptop and tablet.

Features include:

www.qwell.io

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From 7 to 13 February, National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) 2022 took centre stage with the national aim to #BuildtheFuture with emphasis this year on how apprenticeships can help build successful and rewarding careers.

To support this message locally, the Worcestershire LEP and Worcestershire County Council are working with the Worcestershire Apprenticeships programme to highlight the variety of work going on locally to promote and support apprenticeships.

The week featured a plethora of talks and activities for schools and colleges as well as a variety of activity digitally to help inspire people to become an apprentice. The team are working with some of the county’s exemplar partners to help spread the message of apprenticeships far and wide.

One of the new additions to the week, was the launch of the new Worcestershire Apprenticeships Roll of Honour, a platform to recognise and celebrate the exemplar employers we have in the county. The programme will focus on local employers who embrace the value of apprenticeships and is an opportunity for them to be celebrated for their commitments to helping to strengthen the local economy, as well as building their future workforce.

The first employer to be inducted into the Worcestershire Apprenticeships Roll of Honour is Sanctuary Group. Sanctuary are a local employer who support the apprenticeship message, being awarded numerous awards locally for their support of the programme.

More employers will be added to the Roll of Honour on a monthly basis.

The Worcestershire Apprenticeships team will also be sharing information on current vacancies to help highlight the availability of apprenticeships.

Gary Woodman, Chief Executive of Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “I am pleased to be supporting National Apprenticeship Week in Worcestershire. As a county we have a fantastic support network for apprenticeships, employers and training providers through the Worcestershire Apprenticeships programme.

“Launching the new Roll of Honour is a great step towards continuing our celebration of those stand out employers and I look forward to seeing this grow throughout the rest of the year.”

Councillor Marc Bayliss, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Economy and Skills, added: “Apprenticeships are one of several routes for people to help start or transform their career, and for employers, enables them to build their future workforce with the skills they desire.

“National Apprenticeship Week is always a fantastic week which embodies these key messages and I am proud to see yet again the tremendous support locally for apprenticeships.”

For more information on how to become or hire an Apprentice visit the Worcestershire Apprenticeship website. – https://worcsapprenticeships.org.uk/

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Many employees welcomed the return to work, but there are also some employees who had initial concerns over returning to the office. All of these constant inconsistencies have left some employees feeling anxious and uneasy.

It has never been more important that an organisation has the wellbeing of its employees at the front of its mind. The free accreditation scheme Worcestershire Works Well can help your business ensure your organisations policies are focused towards the wellbeing of your employees. The scheme also shows a business’s investment in the wellbeing of its staff.

Making changes in the workplace to improve health and wellbeing not only reduces sickness but also creates a more positive work force. Simple measures to prevent and manage ill health can have benefits for both employees and employers.

Worcestershire Works Well is open to all public, private and third sector organisations located in Worcestershire, that have a minimum of 5 employees. The scheme has been operating for over 10 years and there are more than 100 active businesses across the county. Participation in the Worcestershire Works Well scheme is free.

The Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce are helping to support the Worcestershire Works Well scheme and can provide guidance to businesses looking to get involved.

To find out more information on the scheme please visit www.worcestershire.gov.uk/worcestershireworkswell or interested businesses can contact dawnh@hwchamber.co.uk.

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Movember was established in 2003 and has funded more than 1,250 men’s health projects globally. It is committed to investment in evidence-based mental health initiatives, with a focus on prevention and early intervention programmes in communities that are disproportionately affected.

Grants of between £200,000 and £400,000 are available to scale up community and workplace initiatives that support mental health and wellbeing in men and boys (aged 12 and over) across the United Kingdom.

Match funding is not required. However, initiatives that can demonstrate the ability to attract other funding sources will be favourably considered.

Find out more and apply here.

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Armstrong and Seven Arts are the latest businesses to sign up to the Worcestershire Works Well programme. These companies will now be working towards the first of the 3 levels of accreditation within the Worcestershire Works Well Scheme. The free scheme is designed to support businesses to improve the health and wellbeing of their employees. Improved employee health and wellbeing has been shown repeatedly to improve profitability and productivity of businesses.

A number of accredited Worcestershire Works Well businesses have also recently received their level 1 and level 2 certificates.

Climate and odour control specialists Air Technology Systems have recently been awarded with their Worcestershire Works Well Level 1 accreditation for their efforts in spotlighting employee wellbeing.

Electronic vehicle and sustainability specialists Indra Renewable Technologies were also awarded their level 1 accreditation. Hannah Owen, Head of Business Operation at Indra Renewable Technologies, commented: “We are delighted to have achieved our Level 1 Worcestershire Works Well accreditation. The people at Indra are what makes our business successful which is why it is important to us that we listen to and look after our team. We strive to continue be an employer that takes a modern and caring approach to employment.”

Payara Services have recently worked towards their level 2 accreditation with the Malvern-based software company’s efforts towards their mental health policy being praised by Worcestershire Works Well, particularly as they are a global team with offices in Portugal.

Julia Millidge, HR Director for Payara Services, said: “In the same year we were honoured with the Queens Award, we are proud to see Payara recognised as a global success. It is fantastic to see events like our Payara Week team bonding event and other activities celebrated for maintaining team spirit across continents.”

As Worcestershire Works Well celebrate the success of these businesses who are investing in their employee, if you would like further information on how you can get started and sign up to the free accreditation, please visit www.worcestershire.gov.uk/worcestershireworkswell.

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The peak age for caring is between 45-64 which means some of your most experienced staff will also be in a caring role.

Come along to the breakfast launch of the Worcestershire Association of Carers’ new Carer Friendly Employer Network and see how they can support you to support your working carers!

Friday 22 October at Stranbrook Abbey from 8.30am until 10.30am. Register here.

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The event started with a physical activity to reflect the importance of physical wellbeing in the new world of work. Lorea Sarobe, Active Herefordshire and Worcestershire held a virtual warm up for a busy day of wellbeing discussion and showed how a simple physical activity whilst working from home, can keep workers active and benefit productivity.

The day also saw a number of speakers discussing a range of informative topics around the new world of work. Sally Morris, Partner and Head of Employment at mfg Solicitors, discussed the legal obligations of homeworking that businesses may need to be aware of. Attendees were then given an update on the generational differences in the workplace by Lucy Barkas, Director and Principal Coach at 3WH.

One of the biggest issues over the past 18 months for businesses and employees has been tackling mental health. Mel Whistance, Public Health Practitioner at Worcestershire County Council, joined the event virtually to advise attendees on the best practices in managing and recognising loneliness. Mark Billau, Associate Public Health Practitioner and Louise McEvoy, Advanced Public Health Practitioner covered the important topic of suicide prevention.

A huge resource for businesses tackling mental health within the workplace has been the Time for Change Worcestershire team. Amanda Wright, Health and Wellbeing Development Manager at Community First, shared information on the Time to Change initiative in Worcestershire and how this can help tackle the stigma surrounding mental health.

Overall a useful and informative event that equipped attendees with a new perspective on how to manage this new way of working. Resources relating to wellbeing of workers has never been more important and schemes like Worcestershire Works Well have continued to support employers during this difficult time.

Dawn Hardman, Director of HR at the Chamber of Commerce, who leads the project, said: “We were delighted to be able to hold our bi-annual event this week at the Three Counties Showground. Our theme was ‘the new world of work’ and our event was delivered in ‘hybrid form’ with two of our speakers delivering their presentations virtually, one of them from Northern Spain!

“Our thanks go to our speakers on the day for delivering such informative and valuable information and raising awareness of important health topics such as loneliness and suicide prevention. We now look forward to planning our next event which will take place during 2022.”

The event finished with a celebration, with certificates presented to recently accredited level 1 businesses, Wilcox Matthews and Jacobs, the latter also being recognised as winners of the Southco Outstanding Achievement Award, presented by Sue Fitzmaurice, Compensation and Benefits Manager at Southco.

Worcestershire Works Well is an accreditation scheme which is free to join and is designed to support businesses to improve the health and wellbeing of their employees. Improved employee health and wellbeing has been shown repeatedly to improve profitability and productivity of businesses.

Business can obtain further information on the scheme here www.worcestershire.gov.uk/worcestershireworkswell.

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