Colchester Borough Council receives top workplace wellbeing award

A comprehensive programme to improve the health and wellbeing of council staff has scooped a prestigious award.

The Working Well award, which is backed by Essex Wellbeing Service and Essex County Council, encompasses a raft of initiatives aimed at improving the health, wellbeing, productivity and retention of employees.

Colchester Borough Council has recently received Level 3 accreditation – the highest awarded – after successfully demonstrating a sustained commitment to the support, creative development and engagement of its staff.

Initiatives cited include:

• Ensuring all staff are informed and able to engage with the programme
• Undertaking staff surveys to identify health and wellbeing priorities
• Launching a dedicated staff wellbeing app
• Organising health days, mindfulness sessions and fitness challenges
• Running resilience workshops
• Providing mental health awareness training for managers
• Organising mental health first aiders, wellbeing champions and stop-smoking advisors
• Promoting national health and wellbeing campaigns, as well as local campaigns such as LiveWell
• Encouraging green initiatives and flexible travel
• Promoting healthy eating and hydration and a range of physical activities
• Organising in-office NHS Health Checks
• Encouraging participation in charity and voluntary events

Adrian Pritchard, Colchester Borough Council’s Chief Executive, said: “I’m delighted the extensive programme of activities we have developed to support our staff has been recognised with the highest possible Working Well award.

“Fostering employee wellbeing – particularly mental wellbeing – is good for people and for our organisation. Positive staff wellbeing can increase productivity and engagement, improve job satisfaction, reduce absenteeism, and create a happier and more resilient workforce.

“The many challenges our staff have faced and been supported to overcome in the past year highlight, more than ever, the importance of workplace wellbeing and creating a positive working environment for all.”