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Accredited Employers

Silver Award

Servomex

Servomex is the first employer in East Sussex to be accredited with a Wellbeing at Work Silver Award, for workplaces with 50+ employees.

As part of their Silver award application, Servomex evidenced their menopause policy with practical tips for managers to support staff, as well as a range of other policies related to wellbeing such as mental health, volunteering, neurodiversity and flexible working. They are particularly proud of how mental health and wellbeing has become embedded in the company’s culture through a range of interventions. Some examples of what they have put in place are: MHFAider’s, provision of workshops – including all Managers and Team Leaders being trained in Mental Health Awareness, senior leaders talking about mental health and sharing mental health information through various forms such as on noticeboards, digital screens and by email.

In addition to having good policies in place and regularly updating staff of any changes, Julie Burridge (Health and Wellbeing Manager) feels it is important for wellbeing and other hard-to-talk-about subjects to be part of everyday conversations. “It’s not about how much money you have to invest – we don’t have a big budget for wellbeing, but to be constantly talking about mental health through different communication channels and to train managers to do it as well.” This approach has also helped to retain and recruit staff in a very competitive industry. One staff member stated: “I have never seen a company install an openness like Servomex. The organisation genuinely cares about wellbeing and provides somewhere to go for support – it’s not just a tick box exercise”.

Servomex Wellbeing Manager receiving their Silver Award
East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Silver Award presentation to Servomex in November 2022. Left to right: East Sussex County Council’s Flavia de Melo Dewey, Julie Burridge from Servomex, East Sussex County Council’s Sarah Nash.

Small Business Silver Award

Industrial Construction (Sussex) Ltd

ICS Roofing was awarded with the Small Business Silver Award in August 2023, being the first business with less than 49 employees and the first construction company in the county to reach this status.

As part of the award process, ICS invested in new adjustable standing desks for all members of staff, a new phone system has been installed with Bluetooth headsets to allow staff to take calls whilst standing up.  Central recycling bins have been placed strategically round the office to encourage staff to move throughout the day.

Employees recognise that there is a real investment in wellbeing at ICS Roofing, that is providing a positive and more healthy working environment.

East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Small Business Silver Award presentation to ICS Roofing in August 2023.

Affinity Select Insurance Services

Affinity Select Insurance Services Limited, a small business based in Uckfield, achieved the Wellbeing at Work Small Business Silver Award in July 2023. This follows on from their achievement of the Commitment Award in September 2022, and Small Business Bronze Award in January 2023.

As part of their award, Affinity Select Insurance Services have provided new and updated guidance to their managers on sickness absence management, to make it easier for managers to support staff who are off work. It has also helped staff to know that they will be supported if they are unwell. The organisation has also made their offices a ‘smoke free site’ – taking steps to ensure smoking does not take place anywhere on the organisations premises to make the environment a healthier place for all to work. The organisation is proud of its mental health strategy, they have worked to get everyone involved in it, as well as making the workplace environment as safe as possible for mental health by creating an open culture to discuss issues. Lastly, the workplace has been considering its role in wider community, a drive for a local foodbank throughout the month of August has been underway, and they have also brought local foodbank volunteers into the workplace to deliver a talk to staff to increase their understanding of such projects.

East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Small Business Silver Award presentation to Affinity Select Insurance Services Ltd in August 2023.

Bronze Award

Wealden District Council

The council is the first employer in East Sussex to be accredited with a Wellbeing at Work award, achieving Bronze award status for workplaces with 50+ employees.

As part of their award application, Wealden has implemented a range of initiatives and programmes that support staff wellbeing. These included Coffee Roulette – a virtual coffee meet randomly pairing two staff members from across the company, cycle to work scheme, flexible working and the introduction of mental health first aiders.

Wealden District Council’s portfolio holder for Human Resources Councillor Roy Galley said, “Wealden council has a reputation as a good place to work and we take great care in looking after and valuing our staff. This award is a testament to the work those within the council have done over a long period of time.

“I would like to thank the officers who helped us achieve this award and we are very proud to be the first council in East Sussex to gain this accreditation.”

Image of Wealden District Council being awarded with a certificate to recognise that they have achieved Wellbeing at Work Bronze Award.
East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Bronze award presentation to Wealden District Council in April 2022. Left to right: East Sussex County Council’s Flavia de Melo Dewey, Karen Rosier and Sarah Garner from Wealden District Council, Councillor Roy Galley, East Sussex County Council’s Sarah Nash and Wealden council’s Chris Bending and Kat Jenner.

Servomex

Servomex is the first private sector employer in East Sussex to be accredited with a Wellbeing at Work Bronze Award status for workplaces with 50+ employees.

Some of the successful interventions evidenced as part of their award application were the provision of mental health awareness training to all 75 managers as part of their management development programme, and having mental health first aiders who work closely with managers to support staff. Both have contributed to creating an organisational culture that supports staff wellbeing and open conversations about mental health issues. An employee stated: ‘I am proud of the way Servomex treats its employees, which distinguishes us from other workplaces in the area’.

The key for Servomex’ success, according to their wellbeing lead Julie Burridge, is the ongoing promotion of mental health first aiders, and to have the buy-in from the senior leaders. To Julie, taking part in the programme and pulling all of the evidence together helped realise how much the organisation had achieved in terms of wellbeing. “It was great to reflect on what we have accomplished”.

East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Bronze award presentation to Servomex in June 2022. Left to Right: East Sussex County Council’s Flavia de Melo Dewey, Servomex’s Julie Burridge (Health and Wellbeing Manager) and East Sussex County Council’s Sarah Nash

Sylvania Lighting

Sylvania Lighting has reached Wellbeing at Work Bronze Award for workplaces with 50+ employees with innovative interventions, including an active travel map produced in partnership with Living Streets and regular self-led walks around the industrial estate in Newhaven, where they are based. The weekly and monthly walks have been beneficial not only for wellbeing and team building, but also helped staff explore and understand the potential of their local area, historically seen as just a drive past.

Undertaking the accreditation has provided them the structure they needed for their wellbeing initiatives, and helped them bring their workforce together through training, wellbeing events and walks in the local area. All initiatives have received good feedback from employees, especially the training offer, with some members of staff applying their new skills in their roles and seeing good results. The accreditation enabled them to offer Mental Health Awareness training to all managers, which led them to engage staff members who hadn’t been engaged previously and to show the company’s commitment to wellbeing in a post-Covid environment, where staff morale was low. The HR team’s hard work has paid off. Staff feels there has been a huge cultural change in the organisation over the past year.

To Wellbeing Lead Adam Woolcock, ‘from a company and personal point of view, I would promote the scheme to any organisation that wants to develop employee wellbeing. Looking forward to building on this in the future’.

East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Bronze award presentation to Sylvania Lighting in November 2022. Left to Right: Sylvania’s Senior HR Advisor Adam Woolcock, East Sussex County Council’s Sarah Nash, Sylvania’s UK General Manager Matt Carpenter, HR Manager Belinda Buckley and HR Administrator Feliciana Ciancia.

St. Wilfrid’s Hospice

St Wilfrid’s Hospice was awarded with the Wellbeing at Work Bronze Award in January 2023.

As part of their award, St Wilfrid’s convened a Mental Health First Aider working group in the organisation, to bring together the 10% of the workforce which are trained in MHFA to help shape the organisation’s wellbeing initiatives and deliver its mental health action plan. One of the benefits of this approach has been to allow staff to be involved in the decision-making and give them the ownership of the process, instead of wellbeing improvements being solely ‘top down’. They have also utilised internal skills to enhance their wellbeing offer, e.g. yoga and holistic therapy sessions led by staff members, team leaders sharing their own lived experience of mental health and their top tips on wellbeing. HR Operations Lead and Wellbeing Lead Stephanie Green said ‘’we are proud that staff are leading the way on our wellbeing initiatives’’.

When asked about wellbeing at St Wilfrid’s, a member of staff stated ‘’the communication and support in place for staff is the best of any organisation I have worked in… It is a wonderful place to work for my own wellbeing’’.

East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Bronze Award presentation to St. Wilfrid’s Hospice in January 2023. Left to Right: St Wilfrids’s HR Operational Lead Stephanie Green and East Sussex County Council’s Flavia Melo Dewey.

FSN Charity

FSN Charity has reached Wellbeing at Work Bronze Award in January 2023. One of the best achievements FSN highlighted from their wellbeing journey was undertaking a formal staff wellbeing survey. This survey allowed them to have a good insight into staff health as well as providing staff with an opportunity to feedback anonymously what support would be helpful for them. FSN has sought a supportive environment in their organisation by encouraging an open-door policy, so that staff feel able to discuss any concerns with management as well as being signposted to support services where necessary. As a result, to their staff the organisation couldn’t do more to show they care about people’.

Jackie Earl, their HR Manager and Wellbeing Lead, found that the training provided by the programme has been very helpful. Training key members of staff in MHFA has helped to boost their confidence in talking to team members about mental health when issues arose. The award criteria felt daunting at first, but the support received from the Wellbeing at Work team and the regular check-ins have been useful and a great motivator. Overall, she feels that the process has been brilliant, and particularly likes the networking sessions as it gives the opportunity to learn from other employers.

Two people holding the Bronze Award certificate
East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Bronze Award presentation to FSN Charity in January 2023. Left to Right: FSN’s HR Manager Jackie Earl and East Sussex County Council’s Sarah Nash.

Sussex Housing & Care

Sussex Housing & Care was awarded with the Wellbeing at Work Bronze Award in January 2023.

As part of their award, Sussex Housing has committed to promoting one wellbeing topic each month, building upon their very well received wellbeing workshops launched during the pandemic. Their intranet brings user-friendly topic-based sections with guidance and signposting information. The company also offers further information and support in different formats to suit people in different roles and locations, considering their very diverse workforce.

According to their wellbeing leads, undertaking the award has helped them understand the bigger picture in terms of workplace health and join all of their wellbeing initiatives under one umbrella. The support and feedback received from the Wellbeing at Work team was great, and the champion training done through the programme boosted their confidence to keep up with their work. As a result, employees perceive the organisation as being ‘’very supportive and a friendly working environment. It’s a very good company culture’’. Staff feel reassured that there is a lot of support available, and they feel confident to discuss mental health and help a colleague if needed.

East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Bronze Award presentation to Sussex Housing & Care in January 2023. Left to Right: Sussex Housing’s Wellbeing Leads and HR Manager Debbe Wordley and Training Coordinator Gabby Dolan, and the CEO Tracey Evans.

Knill James LLP

Knill James LLP, a firm of chartered accountants based in Lewes with a team of just over 60 people, achieved the Wellbeing at Work Bronze Award in February 2023. This follows on from their achievement of the Commitment Award in November 2022.

The greatest benefit for Knill James of undertaking the Bronze award has been looking at how to use all existing forms of communication within the firm to engage with the team about wellbeing and promote all their initiatives. There are now wellbeing topics discussed at the firm’s quarterly meetings, wellbeing pages on the intranet with useful links, plus regular updates on initiatives in the staff newsletter.  As most of the team sit at desks all day, there has been a particular focus on musculoskeletal health, with an in-house Pilates session and a flow chart developed for reporting and addressing musculoskeletal symptoms. “The whole process has been a very positive experience which has helped us to focus and create a framework for all our wellbeing activities. The support we’ve received from the WAW team has been invaluable and we’re looking forward to carrying on with the journey.” – Nick Rawson, Joint Managing Partner.

Two people holding a framed certificate for Bronze Award
East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Bronze Award presentation to Knill James in February 2023.

Small Business Bronze Award

Ridgeview Wine Estate

Ridgeview is the first employer in East Sussex to be accredited with a Wellbeing at Work Small Business Bronze Award. Some of the successful projects they have launched as part of their wellbeing journey are implementing a cycle to work scheme, charity giving through payroll, a healthcare cashback scheme, mental health first aiders and becoming a disability confident employer. Due to the nature of their business, they take great care in promoting MSK injury prevention and provide manual handling training too.  As put by their employees, ‘The company embraces continuous improvement, is open to feedback from staff and is supportive of people across all stages of life. The CEO is very visible and approachable. It’s a great place to work.’

A challenge of having seasonal workers is ensuring everyone feels truly part of the organisation. Ridgeview ensures that all staff updates are filmed and available to rewatch, which ensures that all staff have access to communication channels and the ability to be involved in decision making.

East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Small Business Award presentation to Ridgeview Wine Estate in August 2022. Left to Right: East Sussex County Council’s Sarah Nash, Tamara Roberts – CEO, Ridgeview Wine Estate and East Sussex County Council’s Flavia de Melo Dewey

Industrial Construction (Sussex) Ltd

ICS Roofing is the first construction company in East Sussex to be part of the scheme and be awarded with the Small Business Bronze Award.

As part of their award, the company has created a wellbeing folder in the shared drive, with wellbeing information and links for staff to seek information privately in their own time. They also run frequent Toolbox Talks on site for staff and sub-contractors, on particular topics such as mental health, musculoskeletal health and general wellbeing. Lunch and learn sessions are held regularly in the office, where staff come together to not only refresh their skills but also have wellbeing conversations.

Due to the various awareness training provided, managers feel confident to have wellbeing conversations when required and signpost staff to further information and support. The company wants to ensure everyone is supported. Undertaking the staff survey has allowed the opportunity for staff to feel that they are valued and that everyone has a voice.

All these initiatives have led ICS Roofing to create a truly open culture in a predominantly male industry, surrounded by a lot of stigma and stereotypes. An Impressive achievement! ‘Taking part in the awards scheme has given us the framework we needed to co-ordinate all our wellbeing initiatives’, summarized Chantalle Sullivan, the Wellbeing Lead and PA to Operations Manager.

Four people holding a framed certificate in their office.
East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Small Business Award presentation to ICS Roofing in January 2023. Left to Right: ICS Roofing’s Lorraine Brown, Commercial Manager; Darren Gray, Flat Roofing Contracts Manager; Chantalle Sullivan, PA to Operations Manager, and East Sussex County Council’s Flavia de Melo Dewey

Gradient Consultants Ltd

Gradient Consultants, a company with six employees based in Eastbourne, was awarded with the Small Business Bronze Award in January 2023.

Through weekly pulse surveys, a WhatsApp group where they check-in on each other daily and Monday meetings where everyone shares their priorities and concerns for the week, and has the opportunity to ask for support, the company has created ways of having everyday conversations about wellbeing, keeping a sense of connection between colleagues and fostering an open culture. As building surveyors and asbestos consultants, the nature of their work can often see the team on site and coupled with their hybrid working policy, which allows the freedom to work from home, they regularly work independently, making those check-ins a great way to bring the team together and create a safety net for them to fall back onto and get support. The Friday Pulse surveys are a simple way to assess staff morale and act quickly if any issues arise. They also provide staff with the opportunity to express their gratitude to colleagues, which reinforces a sense of connection. Their Teams Wellbeing Channel is always kept fresh and updated, which is a great way to share information and reminders. With their awards journey, the company wants to ensure there is support available to everyone, and wellbeing conversations are kept current and at the forefront.

Two people holding a certificate.
East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Small Business Bronze Award presentation to Gradient Consultants in January 2023. Left to Right: East Sussex County Council’s Flavia de Melo Dewey and Gradient’s Wellbeing Lead Julia Johns.

Care to You Heathcare

Care To You Healthcare is a small organisation based in Bexhill that provides home care services, which achieved the Wellbeing at Work Small Business Bronze award in January 2023.

One of the initiatives that had the greatest impact that the organisation undertook as part of their award was running a staff wellbeing survey. They felt that the survey has allowed them to recognise feedback and to involve staff in shaping the organisations wellbeing offer. It highlighted areas that the organisation was already doing well with, as well as areas for improvement. Mo McAdam, Deputy Manager and Wellbeing Lead, stated ‘’undertaking the Small Business Bronze award was a more useful exercise than expected, the programme framework provides a holistic approach to wellbeing which we hadn’t previously considered. It has been helpful for us to focus on our own wellbeing, not just that of our clients’’.

Group of people holding a framed certificate for Small Business Bronze Award.
East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Small Business Bronze Award presentation to Care To You Healthcare in January 2023.

Havens Community Hub

Havens Community Hub is a small Community Interest Company (CIC) based in Denton that provides support, engagement and community projects on the coastal stretch between Seaford and Saltdean. Havens Community Hub achieved the Wellbeing at Work Small Business Bronze award in January 2023.

One of the best initiatives that the organisation undertook as part of their award was running a staff health and wellbeing survey, as it is not something they had done before. The survey has provided excellent insight into which areas of health and wellbeing that staff would like support with. Dani McDonald, award lead and Project Support Administrator, said ‘’We have always been focussed on the needs of staff and volunteers as Havens Community Hub with wellbeing at the forefront of everything that we do. However taking part in the Wellbeing at Work programme, and running a staff survey in particular, has helped us to prioritise providing the support and information that would be most helpful to our staff. We are excited to continue with the Small Business Silver award’’.

A group of people in an office holding a framed certificate for Small Business Bronze Award.
East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Small Business Bronze Award presentation to Havens Community Hub in January 2023. Left to Right: Paula Woolven (company secretary), Rebecca Woolven (food cooperative manager), Dani MacDonald (small projects coordinator) and Dawn Norman (community manager)

The Village Shop and Cafe

The Village Shop and Café in Upper Dicker is the first hospitality and retail employer in East Sussex to be part of the programme and be awarded with the Small Business Bronze Award.

Taking part in the programme has given them the opportunity to think differently about wellbeing, and to review and change some of their practices and policies. As part of their award, they have promoted health and wellbeing through fun activities such as a laser tag game for staff, and an outdoor treasure hunt in the beautiful surrounding countryside for staff and local residents. The café has made the most of their privileged position in a small village to also provide wellbeing support to the community. A mental health signposting sheet has been produced and handed out not only to employees but also to regular customers. Their director Tess Flower recognises that investing in wellbeing is much more important these days, and she wants her café to be a space for people in the village to come together as a community and support each other. After shifts, staff have the opportunity to catch up about their days and how they are feeling. ‘It’s lovely to work here. Even though it’s a very busy environment, it’s a friendly one. There is a family feel and we are a close-knit group’.

Three women standing outside a cafe holding a framed certificate for Small Business Bronze Award
East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Small Business Bronze Award presentation to The Village Shop and Cafe in January 2023. Left to Right: The Village Shop’s Tess Flower (director) and Jo Robinson-Sivyer (manager), and ESCC’s Flavia de Melo Dewey.

Affinity Select Insurance Services Ltd

Affinity Select Insurance Services Limited, a small business based in Uckfield, which achieved the Wellbeing at Work Small Business Bronze Award in January 2023. This follows on from their achievement of the Commitment Award in September 2022.

As part of their Bronze award, every member of staff has undertaken suicide prevention training which has been one of the initiatives that the organisation is most proud of. A number of staff have also completed Mental Health First Aid or Mental Health Awareness training. The organisation has a young workforce, and felt mental health and suicide prevention are important topics to address which would have a wider impact beyond the workplace. Implementing training on typically hard-to-talk about subjects has brought the workforce together, with more conversations about mental health taking place and colleagues talking more openly and confidently with one another.

Two women holding a framed certificate for Small Business Bronze Award
East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Small Business Bronze Award presentation to Affinity Select Insurance Services Ltd in January 2023.

Seaview Project

Seaview Project, a small charity based in St Leonards, achieved the Wellbeing at Work Small Business Bronze Award in July 2023. This follows on from their achievement of the Commitment Award in April 2023.

As part of their award, Seaview Project have created a new staff bulletin that is shared regularly, as a consistent method of providing organisational updates and health and wellbeing information amongst the workforce. Through the bulletin they have raised awareness of healthy eating, getting better sleep quality, mental health and musculoskeletal health, as well as providing links to further support in local services. To aid with organisation and staying on track with their award, they have created a yearly plan for the bulletin. The organisation has also being making use of the programmes training offer to upskill staff, with some individuals who have attended Menopause Demystified training becoming menopause champions for the workplace. When interviewed, staff members shared that they feel Seaview ‘‘ is a lovely place to work’’ and they ‘’definitely feel supported’’. The organisation has also been providing staff with practical help with the cost of living crisis – such as free lunches and a food store.

East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Small Business Bronze Award presentation to Seaview Project in August 2023.

Heringtons Solicitors

Heringtons are a leading law firm, with five offices along the coast of East Sussex, employing around 100 staff. They were accredited a Wellbeing at Work Bronze Award status in November 2023.

One of the most successful interventions evidenced as part of their award was moving individual printers from desks to dedicated printing rooms on each floor, providing opportunities for staff to move and take breaks away from their desks. Also introduced was a comprehensive wellbeing intranet section, and standing newsletter item, allowing wellbeing awareness to be embedded in communications. Another initiative has been to create wellbeing noticeboards across the workplace. Each noticeboard promotes topics such as NHS screenings, affordable healthy eating options and local signposting information. Significantly, staff have taken up NHS screening opportunities as a direct result of posters also being displayed on bathroom doors.

Staff have made use of access to training opportunities including Menopause Awareness and Managing Overwhelm. The Wellbeing at Work programme has formalised an already open and caring culture that supports wellbeing.

ESCC staff handing over framed certificate of wellbeing award to Heringtons' employee
East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Small Business Bronze Award presentation to Heringtons Solicitors in November 2023.

Dawson-Hart Solicitors Limited

Dawson Hart Solicitors, based in Uckfield, achieved the Wellbeing at Work Small Business Bronze Award in November 2023. The company dived in at Bronze level, achieving the award within approximately 6 months! As part of the award, the workplace has established a Wellbeing Committee who have been instrumental in introducing a number of wellbeing initiatives, such as weekly lunch time walks, and promoting two-way communication between staff and members. Staff have also attended suicide prevention and Mental Health First Aid training.

From their involvement in the Wellbeing at Work programme, Dawson Hart have also updated their Policies and promoted MSK pain and disorders and how they can be prevented. Information on workstation exercises has been shared, with print outs available in kitchen areas. Employees also received an invitation to a free back check, following an all staff meeting where MSK prevention and management were discussed.

The Award Lead, Nicola Harding, said of the Wellbeing at Work experience “the programme has provided great support and a useful framework for staff wellbeing”. Employees have noticed wellbeing is actively talked about, encouraged and clearly communicated in the workplace since the introduction of the award.

Award presentation to Dawson Hart Solicitors employees
East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Small Business Bronze Award presentation to Dawson-Hart Solicitors in November 2023.

Commitment Award

Design Specific Ltd

Design Specific Ltd has achieved Commitment Award in a unique collaborative process. A Laughton-based manufacturer with just eight male employees, the business made the most of being a small workplace. A staff health and wellbeing survey was conducted, and the results were discussed collectively at the monthly staff meeting. Instead of choosing one action to be implemented by the business based on the survey results, the team decided to set each one an individual target to work towards depending on their individual health needs, which ranged from losing weight to cutting down alcohol intake and on the number of cigarettes smoked. This way they can all support and celebrate each other’s successes.

To Bill Taylor, their CEO, the most challenging aspect of the process was to get started and find the time to do it, even though they knew that investing in wellbeing was important. But having the ongoing support of the Wellbeing at Work team and one of their staff members trained as a ‘Workplace Wellbeing Champion’ was helpful to keep the motivation going and to access ideas and information about the local support services available.

Employees receiving their Commitment Award for taking part in the programme
East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Commitment Award presentation to Design Specific in June 2022.

The Prideaux Group

The Prideaux Group are the first employer in East Sussex to be accredited with a Wellbeing at Work Commitment Award – an even more impressive achievement for a small group of care homes who have also been dealing with ongoing challenges caused by the covid-19 pandemic.

As part of their award application, an anonymous staff health and wellbeing survey was conducted. Operations Director, Denise Argent, and Registered manager, Ella Gallop, found that the survey was a useful and insightful activity to undertake as it helped them to understand what areas of health and wellbeing that staff would like further support with. After analysing the results, Ella and Denise found that a main concern for staff was sleep, which wasn’t an area which had been highlighted previously. Off the back of this, they were able to share top tips for good sleep hygiene in staff meetings, as well as on their brand new wellbeing notice boards in the staff room.

The organisation is also arranging staff social activities such as bowling, and staff challenges such as a ‘hanging basket competition’, which are contributing to creating a positive, welcoming and open culture in the workplace.

East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Commitment award presentation to The Prideaux Group in June 2022. Left to Right: The Prideaux Group’s Ella Gallop (Registered Manager) and Denise Argent (Operations Director); East Sussex County Council’s Sarah Nash and Flavia de Melo Dewey

Age UK East Sussex

Age UK East Sussex have been accredited with a Wellbeing at Work Commitment Award, the first charity in the county to do so.

As part of their award application, the workplace has undertaken a staff health and wellbeing survey, as well as listening groups to follow on from this.

People & Development Manager, Claire Goater, and HR Advisor, Caroline Taylor, found that the survey was a helpful activity to undertake as has supported staff engagement, and the listening groups have provided an opportunity to delve into staff feedback in more detail. Claire and Caroline feel that undertaking the survey has helped to raise an awareness of mental health across the workforce. It has also built an appetite for everyone to get involved, with some staff members having since completed Mental Health Awareness and Mental Health First Aid training.

Two employees from Age UK holding their Commitment Award certificate.
East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Commitment award presentation to Age UK East Sussex in October 2022. Age UK’s Claire Goater (People and Development Manager) and Caroline Taylor (HR Advisor).

Affinity Select Insurance Services Ltd

Affinity Select Insurance Services Limited, a small business based in Uckfield, have been granted the Commitment Award in September 2022 – within 4 weeks of enrolling on the programme.

As part of their award application, the workplace has undertaken a staff health and wellbeing survey, which has been driven by two members of staff – Daisy Otway (general insurance clerk) and Naomi Penfold (trainee insurance clerk) who have taken on implementing the award criteria as a project.

Jenny Carter-Vaughan (Director) was motivated to undertake the award as it aligns with one of the company’s core values, to look after each other, however wanted to ensure that employees bought into the award as opposed to it being communicated from the top. The organisation has also been working to upskill staff by enrolling team members on mental health awareness and workplace wellbeing champion training, as well as rolling out suicide prevention training across the whole workforce.

East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Commitment award presentation to Affinity Select Insurance Services Ltd in October 2022. Pictured are East Sussex County Council’s Sarah Nash, Affinity Select Insurance Services Daisy Otway (General Insurance Clerk) and Naomi Penfold (Trainee Insurance Clerk).

Wealden Community Care

Wealden Community Care are a domiciliary care provider with 53 members of staff, who achieved the Wellbeing at Work Commitment award in November 2022.

To achieve this award, they undertook a staff wellbeing survey – which generated the most responses the organisation has had for any staff survey. Wealden Community Care feel that running a holistic wellbeing survey and acting upon the results has allowed them to show their care for the workforce, and the staff themselves liked the survey responses being anonymous.

One of the key areas that staff indicated as an area of interest in the survey was getting more support with was sleep. As a result, a sleep fact sheet (including signposting) has been shared with staff, as well as fact sheets on menopause, anxiety and prostate cancer. Sharing fact sheets has seen an uptake in staff accessing support for wellbeing concerns, in particular the anxiety fact sheet has encouraged more staff to access the in-house Mental Health First Aiders for support. Sarah Ridley-Smith (Wellbeing lead) and Angela Wright (Director and Registered Manager) strongly feel that ‘‘a supported employee is a productive employee, and the process has helped them to nurture’’ staff, as well as helping them to consider and improve their approach to staff surveys by providing a structure and focus.

East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Commitment Award presentation to Wealden Community Care in November 2022. Left to right: Angela Wright (Director/Registered Manager) and Sarah Ridley-Smith (Trainer and wellbeing lead)

Fieldskill Ltd

Fieldskill Ltd provides local Sussex businesses with business essentials across four main areas of expertise: Packaging, Janitorial, Stationery, & Office Furniture. They have 13 staff based in Eastbourne and achieved the Wellbeing at Work Commitment award in November 2022.

By undertaking the staff survey as part of the Commitment award, the organisation now feels more in touch with staff having provided this formal opportunity for them to provide feedback. Fieldskill has been able to use the feedback from the survey to inform their offering to staff and have started providing Westfield Health (a health cash plan), as well as free fruit in the office for all staff. When asked about their experience of the Wellbeing at Work programme, Sacha Bowles (Finance Manager and Wellbeing Lead) said ‘’It’s been a really supportive process, that I would encourage any workplace to take a look at. Our team is so important to us, if we can look after their wellbeing then in turn it will help our business. Wellbeing in the workplace is not a tick box exercise but a crucial area that must be addressed, which we feel very passionately about at Fieldskill.’’

Some of the team at Fieldskill Ltd receiving their Commitment award, gained in November 2022.

Knill James LLP

Knill James LLP, a firm of Chartered Accountants based in Lewes with a team of over 60 people, achieved the Wellbeing at Work Commitment award in November 2022.

As part of the award, the firm ran a wellbeing survey to understand the needs of the workforce. One of the highlights was being able to present the results to the team, to demonstrate how the firm values each person’s individual views, and to discuss actions based on the survey results. Knill James ran two practical sessions following on from the survey – an introduction to mindfulness and a pilates session, which included exercises for good posture and ergonomics that could be done seated at a desk.

HR Manager, Tracey Tivey, has been working with colleagues who have completed Wellbeing at Work’s Workplace Wellbeing Champion training to plan the campaigns and activities the firm would like to run in 2023. When asked about Knill James’s experience of the programme, Tracey said, ‘’The framework provided has been great – we were already addressing our team’s wellbeing, but the framework has given us a great structure to work within and enables us to direct our wellbeing initiatives in the best way to support the team.’’

East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Commitment Award presentation to Knill James LLP in December 2022. Left to right: Michael Williams (Tax Manager), Tracey Tivey (HR Manager) and Gemma Hanrahan (Tax Senior)

Spring Care PAs Battle Ltd

Spring Care are a domiciliary care provider based in Battle who achieved the Wellbeing at Work Commitment Award in January 2023 – an impressive achievement for a small company who has also been dealing with other challenges such as lack of time and the impacts of Covid-19.

This was the first time they implemented a formal wellbeing initiative and, as part of their award application, an anonymous staff health and wellbeing survey was conducted. Having a workforce largely made of lone and remote workers can be an extra challenge. This survey allowed them to not only have a good insight into their staff health and what support would be helpful for them, but also to bring them together as a team and show that the business care about their wellbeing. As a result, more information on sleep, healthy eating and other health topics has been shared with staff in their beautiful and carefully crafted newsletters. They have also promoted their in-house Mental Health First Aider Janet Mitchinson, which has led to a great response with more staff accessing this support. They are now thinking to expand on these successes and run a monthly drop-in session as an opportunity for their remote and lone workers to connect, increase their sense of belonging and support each other.

Three women holding a certificate in their office.
East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Commitment Award presentation to Spring care in January 2023. Left to right: Janet Mitchinson, Training Manager and Mental Health First Aider; Shirley Matthews, Registered Manager; and Sarah Smithwick, Director

APAC Ltd

APAC (Academy of Play and Child Psychotherapy), the largest training provider for play therapy based in Uckfield with 20 employees and 30 contractors non-office based, have achieved Commitment Award in January 2023. Running an anonymous employee health and wellbeing survey was very beneficial. It not only gave their staff the opportunity to say more openly what they wanted, but it gave the organisation a great idea of what to focus on in terms of wellbeing. In order to have a more strategic approach and keep the momentum going, they decided to put together a calendar of wellbeing activities for the year based on the survey results, being the first one a 10k challenge to encourage staff to be more physically active with different options of participation, from walking to running or just cheering colleagues. The organisation has gone beyond and is now finalising their new Wellbeing policy for the workplace. They are also thinking of ways to have a wider impact and include their many contractors in their wellbeing activities. 

To their Wellbeing Lead, HR and Office Manager Radek Kwietniewski, the training courses offered by the Wellbeing at Work Programme were really good and provided them with the confidence they needed to move forward their wellbeing initiatives. The support received from the programme has also been invaluable, ‘the team is very approachable and ready to answer any questions’.

A person holding the Commitment Award certificate in front of their office.
East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Commitment Award presentation to APAC in January 2023. HR and Office Manager Radek Kwietniewski

Community Supporters

Community Supporters, a small environmental education charity based in Bexhill with five members of staff and a few volunteers including young people, achieved Commitment Award in January 2023.

As part of the award, a health and wellbeing survey was conducted, and the results were discussed in an informal team meeting at the local pub. Being in a different environment outside work helped the team feel more relaxed and open to talk about their own wellbeing with colleagues, which was positive. CEO and Founder Lindsay White found that undertaking the survey gave them the opportunity to reflect on their own wellbeing and discuss it as a team. The process has been worthwhile because looking after people and promoting wellbeing is aligned with their aims and values as a charity. Off the back of the survey, one of the volunteers is organising a guided walk for staff and their volunteers in the surrounding countryside that will take place in March.

Two people holding a framed certificate in front of a shop window.
East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Commitment Award presentation to Community Supporters in January 2023.

East Sussex Recovery Alliance

East Sussex Recovery Alliance is a small charity that provides drug and alcohol addiction recovery services at their two café hubs in Eastbourne and Hastings. They achieved the Commitment Award in January 2023.

Although they were already doing a lot in terms of staff wellbeing, all the activities were ad hoc. Undertaking the award has given them the opportunity to create a formal and continuous wellbeing offer in the workplace, with activities for staff during working hours e.g. yoga classes. As their role is to support people in recovery, which can be challenging at times, and with some employees in recovery themselves, the charity wanted to make sure all staff had the time and space to look after themselves and build their resilience. To their wellbeing lead Jacqui Skilton, overall taking part in the programme has been straightforward; the supporting documents provided have been useful and the Wellbeing at Work team have been very quick at replying to queries and providing support.

A group of people holding a framed certificate in front of a cafe.
East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Commitment Award presentation to East Sussex Recovery Alliance in January 2023.

Adams & Remers

Adams & Remers are a law firm based in Lewes and London, with just over 100 members of staff, who achieved the Wellbeing at Work Commitment Award in January 2023.

As part of their award, Adams & Remers ran a staff wellbeing survey, which was very well received by staff with a 70% response rate. They have convened a group of wellbeing champions, who are leading on implementing a wellbeing calendar which focuses on engaging staff in monthly wellbeing campaigns, activities or challenges. They are currently holding a challenge throughout March, where staff are aiming to each walk 50miles (the distance between their two offices in Lewes and London!) over the course of the month. To support this they have been leading lunchtime walks, which have been well attended and have provided an opportunity for staff to connect socially as well as be more physically active.

East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Commitment Award presentation to Adams & Remers in January 2023

Seaview Project

Seaview Project achieved their Commitment Award in May 2023.

East Sussex Wellbeing at Work’s Commitment Award presentation to Seaview Project in May 2023. Pictured: Michele Laurens – Harm Reduction Programme Coordinator (L) and Hannah Hallett – Business Manager (R).

Integrated Family Healthcare

The team of nine was awarded the Wellbeing at Work Commitment Award in November 2023.

Staff largely work autonomously in the community, healthcare practices or from home, meaning interactions within the team can be limited. As part of their award, Integrated Family Healthcare have identified opportunities to bring the team together to benefit wellbeing, setting up a monthly walk. This has been no mean feat, given the nature of how staff work. Nevertheless, the team have committed to the walks wherever possible. Wellbeing Lead, Nicola Brocklehust, said the experience of the Wellbeing at Work programme has been “really positive. It has made the team think about our wellbeing, talk about it and action things”.

Staff from Integrated Family Healthcare have taken up training opportunities, as part of the programme including Menopause Awareness. The Team are also looking forward to an office move, where they will have a larger dedicated space to work more closely together, and strengthen their team spirit.

ESCC staff and Integrated Family Healthcare wellbeing lead employee awarded with framed certificate of Commitment Award Wellbeing at Work accreditation
Integrated Family Healthcare Wellbeing Lead with framed certificate of Commitment Award in November 2023

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Media Coverage and Press Releases

The Carer Digital Issue #106, the publication for Nursing and Residential Care Homes (page 18)

East Sussex County Council, The Newsroom

Uckfield Chamber of Commerce

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