Wellbeing@Work

Our employee’s health and wellbeing matters to us and we encourage an open culture.

Our Organisation Wellbeing Pledge has five key elements to ensure that we provide our employees with the wellbeing support that they need:

1. Promote a wellbeing culture that is supportive, inclusive, honest, transparent and employee focused.
2. Ensure all employees have Wellbeing Time embedded into their working week, in a consistent and fair manner with an emphasis on employee choice.
3. Adopt an agile and SMART way of Working, to enhance the wellbeing of employees and facilitate positive work life balance.
4. Develop an employee focused feedback and reporting scheme, that values the employee voice.
5. Develop a work environment that encourages us to look after each other, based on mutual trust, employee empowerment and a One Council – One City approach.

To support our Wellbeing Pledges, we offer a variety of wellbeing support and employee led wellbeing initiatives including:

• 24/ 7 Help, Advice and Support from our confidential Employee Assistance Programme delivered by Viv Up. Face to face and Telephone Counselling appointments available when you need them.
• Access to the Our Rewards Portal, that provides direct access to the Employee Assistance programme, the brand new Your Care wellbeing platform by Viv Up and discounts on products from your phone or computer. Free to access resources include Podcasts, Self Help Guides and much more. The Our Rewards Portal also supports your Wellbeing by providing discounts to support the cost of living or take advantage of our discounted membership to WV Active Gyms and Leisure Centres.
• The custom created in house Our People Portal – is your one stop guide to everything you need as an employee.
• We have a Learning Zone where you can access additional support in your job role including training and development opportunities, alongside Wellbeing Training.
• Another key feature of the Our People Portal is the Wellbeing@Work section containing support, sign posting resources, eLearning and Face to Face wellbeing training to ensure that you can support your own and others wellbeing. Topics include support for Mental Wellbeing, Physical Health, Menopause Bereavement, Domestic abuse and Cost of Living support.
• Other wellbeing support includes social activities such as Choir and Yoga, celebrations of key wellbeing dates, such as World Mental Health Day, Suicide Prevention Day and World Menopause Day.

I am very passionate about yoga and feel privileged to be able to share this ancient practice with staff, to help improve their wellbeing, especially during these challenging times!

Mental Health and Wellbeing

As an Organisation we are dedicated to supporting our employees with their mental wellbeing and we currently offer the following support:

• Employee One to Ones and Professional Conversations with your manager
• Employee Assistance Programme – 24 hour helpline including telephone, online and face to face counselling available in multiple languages.

Support includes Stress, Anxiety and Depression. Podcasts, eLearning, Self Help Resources are also available.

• Access to the Your Care Platform – to support the maintenance of your wellbeing
• Occupational Health Service
• Mental Health First Aiders
• Named Organisation Wellbeing Contacts
• Mental Wellbeing Training Offer including support for those working hybrid
• Employee Awareness Days – where employees can share their experiences with others and take part in Learning and Development activities.

Joining us as a manager?

You will also have access to wellbeing training to support your team, coaching and mentoring opportunities and the opportunity to join either the Leadership Forum or Operational Managers Network depending on your position.

The Our People - Wellbeing@Work has been an invaluable resource offering up to date advice, guidance and support in different formats in one place for both my professional and personal needs. From a professional perspective Wellbeing@Work supports myself and my colleagues offering wellbeing tips and activities such as yoga and chatty cafes to offering colleague support from the mental health first aiders to the Employee Assistance Programme all kept up to date and available if and when needed.