Bassetlaw: Businesses rewarded for improving workplace health

The award scheme is run by Notts County Council’s public health team helps organisations to improve the health of their employees by working with them to offer practical support and providing information and advice on healthier lifestyle.

Wellbeing at Work also supports the organisations to build health champions within each workplace that can take a lead on delivering results. By improving health and wellbeing, organisations also reduce sickness absence and increase performance and productivity as a result.

The scheme comprises of four levels of achievement – bronze, silver, gold and maintenance.

On Friday, Barnsley Premier Leisure (for Worksop & Retford Leisure centres), EDF Energy, and the county council will be receiving gold awards, while Westfield Care will receive a bronze award, and Bassetlaw Community Voluntary Sector a maintenance award.

There will also special recognition awards for individual employees who go the extra mile in aiming to improve the health and wellbeing of their colleagues.

Coun Joyce Bosnjak, chairman of the Notts Health and Wellbeing board said: “Workplaces are well placed to improve individual’s health and the health of the wider local communities.”

“We know that people who achieve good standards of wellbeing at work are likely to be more creative, more loyal, more productive and provide better customer satisfaction.”

“It is basic good practice to protect and maintain our assets and the people we employ are our greatest assets.”

“The workplaces enrolled onto the award scheme have shown tremendous dedication and innovative approaches to improving the health and wellbeing of their employees.”

“I congratulate and commend them all on their achievements in this area.”

Dr Steve Kell, a Bassetlaw GP, and clinical lead for NHS Bassetlaw Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), added: “People can spend up to a third of their time in work.”

“It is therefore of paramount importance that workplaces enable employees to make healthy lifestyle decisions through the provision of information, and having healthy attitudes embedded in all aspects of the organisation.”

“Helping individuals adopt a healthy life style will reduce their risk of developing chronic diseases and in so doing prolonging or enhancing their quality of life.”

The following organisations are signed up to the Wellbeing at Work Award and are at various stages of achievement – NHS Bassetlaw Clinical Commissioning Group, Eaton GmB International, Bassetlaw District Council, North Notts College, Solway Foods LTD, Bassetlaw Action Centre, EDF Energy, Wilkinsons, Ryton Park Primary School and Focus Accounting.

At the Awards evening the CCG, the organisation responsible for planning and buying health services on behalf of the area’s 111,000 patients, will also launch their new Working Voices project, which aims to tap into the local working population and give them an opportunity to provide their views on how NHS services are delivered.