Mayor encourages businesses to sign up to scheme supporting the wellbeing of staff

West Midlands Mayor, Richard Parker is encouraging more businesses to support their staff’s health and wellbeing by signing up to the ‘Thrive at Work’ scheme.

The call comes during Mental Health Awareness Week, which this year is focused on how strong communities can boost people’s wellbeing.

Around 650 employers in the region, including many small and medium businesses, have already signed up to the scheme, making mental health support available to around 300,000 workers.

Led by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), the initiative provides organisations with the resources and guidance needed to create healthier workplaces including a free online toolkit, practical support, and customised topical webinars leading to four levels of achievement - the Thrive at Work Award - Foundation, Bronze, Silver and Gold.

The initiative is a key part of the Mayor’s Jobs for Everyone priority which promotes good jobs that support people to become healthier, productive and contribute to regional growth.

The Mayor said: “I’ve always believed that a healthier workforce is a stronger workforce. When people feel well and supported, they thrive - and so do the businesses they work for.

 “That’s why I'm encouraging more local employers to sign up for Thrive at Work. It’s a simple but powerful way to show your staff you care, make meaningful changes - and to help your business grow.

“If we want to build a region that’s fairer, healthier and more productive, this is exactly the kind of practical action that will get us there.”

The Mayor recently visited DENSO, a local automotive company supported by the WMCA and Coventry’s Thrive at Work team. It was the first business to gain Gold accreditation as part of the scheme. Since then, three more organisations have achieved Gold Level accreditation.

Many organisations have already achieved some level of recognition or are working towards supporting health and wellbeing in the workplace. A total of 12 have achieved Silver accreditation, 68 Bronze and 156 Foundation Accreditation.

Achieving accreditation sets an organisation apart as an employer of choice when it comes to health and wellbeing. Businesses in the scheme also see financial benefits, including reduced sickness absence, lower staff turnover, and improved productivity and job satisfaction.

Family-run business, Howells Glazing Limited, based in Cradley Heath is another local business with 35 employees that has seen the benefits of joining the initiative and achieved the Bronze accreditation.

Debbie Willets, account manager and Thrive at Work Lead at Howells Glazing Ltd, said, “Our old policies were not fit for purpose when it came to the mental health of our staff. We didn’t really have procedures in place to deal with the issues that came up, and staff did not feel confident in raising their concerns.

“When we started Thrive at Work, the free seminars we attended as part of the programme showed us that we needed to take a more holistic approach to our employees’ wellbeing. So, we started by asking staff to complete an anonymous health survey to assess employees’ mental health across the company.

“The results of this led to comprehensive changes in the firm’s policies on mental health. Now, our staff are far more likely to raise issues earlier and our mental health first aiders are there to check in on our staff on a regular basis.

“Because of the new openness to talk at Howells, we have organised successful open days, school visits and ‘days in industry’ that we hadn’t thought about doing previously. It never would have happened without Thrive at Work. While you need to put the time and effort in to get the accreditation, the results have definitely been worth it.”

When organisations sign up for the programme, they use an online portal to track their progress. Each business is assigned a dedicated Thrive at Work assessor - certified specialists in the field – to work closely with the organisation’s health and wellbeing lead to help them achieve their goals. The portal also allows businesses to provide feedback and measure the impact of their commitment on employees.

For more information about Thrive at Work visit the website.