ACE Schools are celebrating after achieving the Wellbeing at Work Bronze Award with Livewell Southwest. This is in recognition of the support they have been providing to promote health and wellbeing throughout their workforce.
ACE Schools have been working in partnership with Wellbeing at Work for a number of years. During this time they have established a wellbeing working group which involves their Wellbeing Champions, carried out a health needs assessment, and have taken part in a variety of wellbeing training courses including sleep, mental health and wellbeing champion training.
Nicky Jewell, Head of Mathematics, ACE Schools Plymouth, said: “Here at ACE we take the wellbeing of our staff seriously, and believe that happy healthy staff make the best employees. It was a great exercise to see how we already support our staff, and are looking forward to making more progress over the coming months in seeing how we can improve our support to everyone. Working towards this award has helped to keep ‘Wellbeing’ at the forefront of our plans.”
In order to achieve the Wellbeing at Work Bronze Award, a business has to set up a working group, carry out a workplace needs assessment and a health and safety assessment, and establish Wellbeing Champions. Throughout the process they are supported by a Wellbeing at Work Advisor who offers advice and guidance.
Jennifer Jenkins, Specialist Health Improvement Practitioner, said: “ACE Schools care about the health and wellbeing of their staff. Teaching can be a stressful occupation and ACE Schools place the mental health of their staff at the highest level. They have fully integrated with the Wellbeing Champion programme and have 16 members of staff across different sites and across different staffing levels. Wellbeing Champions are fully supported in the workplace. Every term ACE Schools provides a Wellbeing Day where staff members can focus on a wellbeing topic. I look forward to working with them as they continue to develop their workplace wellbeing programme”
