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The Corporate Health Standard and the Small Workplace Health Programme has proved itself to be one of the most effective and enduring of all the public health initiatives undertaken in Wales over the last 20 years.
Launched in 1995 by Health Promotion Wales and delivered now in partnership between the Welsh Government and Public Health Wales, the programme continues to grow in importance and impact with over 2,400 organisations having received support and advice through the Healthy Working Wales programme, involving almost 31% of the working population of Wales.
Ranging from small nurseries and care organisations to construction and maintenance contractors - and enterprises the size of Welsh Water and the Welsh Ambulance Service - what they all demonstrate is the belief that happier, healthier workforces are the key to getting the most out of life and work.
In South Wales, at a ceremony in Swansea’s Liberty Stadium, the Awards were presented by the Deputy Minister for Health, Vaughan Gething AM at a “Be Active” event.
The event focused on the promotion of the Five Ways to Wellbeing and physical activity through the workplace and included presentations from Sustrans Cymru, Dragon LNG and Aberystwyth University. Let’s Walk Cymru then reinforced the ‘Sit Less – Move More’ message by leading everyone on a hike around the Stadium!
Corporate Health Standard (CHS) Bronze Awards went to Aberystwyth University, grounds maintenance and landscaping contractors Hortech Limited, construction and infrastructure specialist Morgan Sindall plc, Rhondda Housing Association and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water.
Silver Award winners were Cardiff YMCA Housing Association and the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust while the top award, Platinum, went to Cwm Taf University Health Board.
Bronze Small Workplace Health Awards (SWHA) were presented to Career Change Wales – Training Academy, Happy Days Childcare (Wales) Limited, Incy Wincy’s Hengoed Flying Start, Net Support UK Ltd, Squiggles Nursery and Women’s Aid – RCT.
Silver SWHA went to Abbeyfield Wales Society Ltd, Age Connects Cardiff and the Vale, City Day Nursery in Swansea, Little Inspirations Day Nursery in Barry and St Jude Care Home in Cardiff.
In North Wales, a CHS Silver Award went to Anheddau Cyf care home at Bangor. SWHA Bronze Awards were presented to three Farm & Pet Place
centres, FHJ Computer Support, Delyn Safety and Jackson for Fire & Safety Solutions, while Gold went to Oak Alyn care home, Wrexham.
Vaughan Gething said “It is great to recognise companies and organisations that are doing such a good job in helping their staff become more active and improve their health. Increasing the physical activity of staff can have benefits, including increased productivity. Employers involved with Healthy Working Wales have reported reductions in sickness absence by up to 30%.”
Two decades of progress
Issue 4
Health Minister Vaughan Gething (centre) joins the winning line-up at Swansea’s Liberty Stadium
Oak Alyn receive their Gold Award from John Griffiths of the CHS independent assessment service
Platinum Award for Melin HomesCongratulations to Melin Homes, which has become the latest organisation to achieve the ultimate – a Platinum Corporate Health Standard Award.
Mark Gardner, Chief Executive at Melin said “It really is great that the hard work and efforts of our staff have been recognised by the Welsh Government. The news has left me beaming with pride because I see the great work the team do in this area on a day-to-day basis. We see ourselves as a place to work that believes a healthy team is a happy team.”
WAST Tweets its success!
The Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust has signalled its drive to improve the health and wellbeing of its employees after being awarded the Silver Corporate Health Standard.
With more than 3,000 staff, many of them working in physically and emotionally challenging roles, the Trust has put in place a suite of measures to support staff and reduce high levels of sickness absence.
These include a Wellbeing Support Service, which offers confidential information and advice and an Occupational Health Service designed to prevent ill-health caused or exacerbated by work and to help staff to stay in work or return after an illness.
Staff have access to smoking cessation courses, stress management workshops and ‘Explore and Walk’ courses. The Trust also offers free counselling, childcare vouchers, free eye tests and flu jabs and discounted gym membership.
CHS Assessors visited ambulance stations in Neath and Wrexham and Clinical Contact Centres in Llangunnor and Llanfairfechan to speak to staff about their experiences. It was the first time
that a workplace had issued live Tweets during an assessment, which helped keep staff informed in real time about how the assessment was going!
Tracy Myhill, Interim Chief Executive at the Welsh Ambulance Service, said “I’m thrilled the Trust has received this award, which is the result of a lot of hard work by our health and wellbeing group supported by the Board and with the active participation of staff.
“This Trust is on a journey of transformation and the award is recognition that we are on the right path. We’re not going to rest on our laurels though - we are already gearing up for the Gold Award!”
Carol Tunnah, Principal Workplace Health Practitioner at Public Health Wales, added “The Welsh Ambulance Service has recognised the links between good work and good health and is striving to improve and embed wellbeing at all levels of the organisation. It’s been a pleasure working with them and we wish them well on the next steps of their journey.”
The Welsh Government has taken a fresh look at the Awards criteria - last updated 10 years ago - to bring it into line with the current evidence. The refresh reflects changes in technology and workplace practices over the last decade and addresses forthcoming challenges.
Ava Fine (right), manager of the independent assessment service for the CHS, said “Since 2005 the health and wellbeing agenda has become much more integral to productivity and business success and is now widely accepted as part of human resources and health and safety best practice.
“There are no major changes in topics within the revised criteria; the existing ones have merely been updated to reflect the latest approach and the format has been restructured to allow it to flow more logically. It also aims to make the CHS a more developmental process.”
Organisations starting work on a new level of award will
Criteria review prompts changesbe advised by their Public Health Wales Adviser to follow the new criteria. Those currently working towards a level of award on the former criteria should continue to assessment. Your PHW adviser will help you with any queries. The aim is that by the beginning of 2016, most organisations will be working towards the revised criteria.
On the Podium . . .The Corporate Health Standard and Small Workplace Health Award, funded by the Welsh Government and delivered by Public Health Wales as part of the Healthy Working Wales Programme, are the national frameworks and quality marks for workplace health improvement in Wales. Podium brings you more information about the independent assessment service and highlights the advantages of being involved, including some of the
success stories.We welcome suggested topics for Podium – emails to:
NTS on a rollNeath Port Talbot-based Network Training Services has become the first company to achieve bronze, silver and gold in the Small Workplace Health Awards and then move onto the CHS programme -where it has just secured a bronze! The growing company provides commercial and Government-funded staff training and development in the manufacturing, engineering and management sectors.
Assessments for the CHS and SWH Awards are carried out by a team of 20 specially-trained Assessors, chosen for their knowledge and career experience.
The team, most of whom are pictured here with Richard Lewis, (fifth right, back row) Workplace Health Specialist at the Welsh Government, comprises leading workplace health consultants, directors/senior managers from industry and health organisations, occupational health & safety specialists, a former assistant chief fire officer, water authority operations manager and a BBC News executive. The full list is on: http://wales.gov.uk/docs/phhs/publications/140626assessoren.pdf.
Here, Podium focuses on three more Assessors.
Colin Hammacott (second right, front row) is a doubly qualified nurse by profession (R.M.N. S.R.N). With 40 years experience in NHS management, Colin was formerly Assistant Clinical Director with the Glan-y-Mor NHS Trust. He was a councillor in Swansea for 20 years, with responsibility for all staff matters. A winner of numerous national health awards, Colin was awarded an OBE for
his commitment to health in Wales and services to Swansea.
Christina Lloyd (fifth right, front row). Christina has worked in local government since 1980. She qualified as an Environmental Health Officer and worked in a number of areas of public health before specialising in the area of health and safety at work. Christina has been the lead officer in respect of the management of health and safety at work within Cardiff Council since 1988. She has also been actively involved in health promotion in the workplace and has had a role in human resources management.
Terry James (fourth left, back row). Following Terry’s HR career in Midlands aircraft, defence and automotive industries, he joined a multi-national organisation in Cardiff involved in sales, marketing, hospitality, distribution and brewing. A Health and Safety Diploma led to a national role in risk management, helping to develop UK-wide health and safety policies, with the provision of advice, audit, training and accident investigation for businesses of varying sizes. Since 2003, he has been a self-employed consultant involved in H&S, quality assurance and health promotion.
One of the fastest-growing firms in Wales which is having to manage an explosion in international interest has shown that it still can find time to promote the health of its workforce.
Hydro Industries at Llangennech, Llanelli, specialises in electro-based water purification treatments. It supplies blue-chip multi-nationals like Shell, Tata and Morganite and has recently announced a £1m partnership with the United Arab Emirates. Its products are supplying clean drinking water to hundreds of thousands in India.
With the company planning to double its workforce in coming years, staff welfare is a priority. Following guidance from Rhian Parry, Workplace Health Practitioner at Public Health Wales, it is now the proud recipient of a Bronze Small Workplace Health Award after impressing assessor Julie James.
Joe Davies, Hydro’s Quality Health Safety & Environment Manager, said “Healthy Working Wales called Hydro in January to engage us with their programme. We met Rhian Parry and her team and have completed the Bronze Award. Our workforce now has that extra factor that we were missing. Thanks again!”
Meet the Assessors team –workingwith you!
It’s a Hydro electric SWHA performance
Wayne Preece, CEO at award-winning Hydro Industries, with some of his staff.
Health is a pet project…A leading North Wales-based supplier of farming and pet goods has joined the ranks of SWHA Bronze Award winners after demonstrating a high level of commitment to staff health and welfare at three of its stores.
Farm & Pet Place offers a diverse range of lines from equine goods and work wear clothing to gardening products. Launched in 1970 by owner Gwyn Lewis, the company has scooped Bronze Awards for its stores at Mochdre, Mold and Ruthin.
SWHA Assessor Peter Rimmer said “Health and safety risks were identified and well managed. Sickness absence was low. Flexible working was a major contributor. Most staff had their own animals, were knowledgeable about the products and we saw excellent customer skills – everyone was positive, helpful and friendly.” Farm and Pet Place owner Gwyn Lewis with HR Manager Terri Roberts
(centre) and SWHA adviser Victoria Sorotos from Public Health Wales
Golden age for OAP championThe office of the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales in Cardiff Bay has entered a ‘golden age’ after securing a Gold Small Workplace Health Award!The office, under Commissioner Sarah Rochira, won particular praise from SWHA Assessors Emma George and Chris Edmondson for “the best travel to work plan we’ve ever seen.”
The organisation was supported by NHS Workplace Health Practitioner Chris Garlick.Led by an administrator rather than senior staff and developed in partnership with Sustrans and a team within Newport City Council, the plan – including staff input - was ‘very clear and comprehensive’ and included maps and pictures of where bike racks were located etc. The plan will be posted on the office’s website for visitor information. Emma said “All the office’s policies are very good and extremely easy to read. Staff have also had training in ‘Love Food, Hate Waste’ which looks at reducing food waste, the training being provided by a social enterprise. Congratulations to them for a strong award-winning performance.”
Morgan Sindall plc is celebrating after becoming the first construction and infrastructure company to be awarded the Corporate Health Standard. Morgan Sindall is a major international group with a turnover of £2.2 billion. The Bronze CHS Award recognises the company - and specifically the 110 people working on its Welsh Water Framework team - for their ongoing work in improving employee health and well-being. The Award citation praised the company for proactively encouraging the health and well-being of its workforce through a robust occupational health management system with open and regular channels of communication, facilitated by the senior management team.CHS Assessor Ava Fine said “Many employees have worked at Morgan Sindall for a long time. Turnover is low in an industry known for short-term contract working, which clearly shows that Morgan Sindall is appreciated as an employer. The company is well-placed to achieve the next levels of Award.” Claire Waters, Principal Practitioner in Workplace Health for Public Health Wales, said “The CHS can set you apart from competitors. The programme is designed to allow organisations to progress at their own pace and comes along with lots of helpful free support and advice from our specialist workplace advisors.”Martin Worthington, Morgan Sindall’s Director of Safety and Sustainability, said, “I am delighted that our team working for Welsh Water has been recognised for going the extra
mile to create a healthy and safe working environment. We are very proud to have received the Award.”
Martin Worthington, Morgan Sindall’s Director of Safety and Sustainability, receives the company’s CHS Award from Deputy Minister for Health Vaughan Gething AM (left).
CHS first for Morgan Sindall
South East Wales (including South Powys)Beverley Warburton (CHS) 07891 869379 [email protected] Valerie Scholey (CHS) 07973 749729 [email protected] Garlick (SWHA) 01443 824185/07891 869278 [email protected] Sykes (SWHA) 01443 824166/07580 901806 [email protected] Sullivan (SWHA) 02920 348776/07972 732938 [email protected] Susan Doran (SWHA) 02920 348773/07773 055056 [email protected]
Mid & West Wales (including Bridgend)Melanie Perry (CHS) 07527 795300 [email protected] Rhian Parry (SWHA) 01792 607400/ 07583 064406 [email protected] Davies (SWHA) 02920 379752/07891 869296 [email protected]
North Wales (including North Powys)Carol Tunnah (CHS) 07792 353336 [email protected] Cheliotis (SWHA) 07891 861385 [email protected]
Contacts…Contacts…Contacts…The CHS and SWHA (fewer than 50 employees) network has become a leading forum for the exchange of ideas and experiences on workplace health among a huge variety of enterprises. All employers, from SMEs and public authorities to multi-national businesses, have easy access to free, professional advice and support. For more, go to www.healthyworkingwales.com or contact your local practitioner below.
