10th October 2024
Orbis Education & Care Achieves Silver Quality Mark for Mental Health
Last week, we were delighted to attend the Mental Health and Wellbeing Awards at the Mercure Hotel in Cardiff, where we were nominated for the Workplace Wellbeing Award as well as the Inspiring Individual Award for the contribution our People Director, Alex Rowlands, has made since joining the team.
We’re proud to announce that we were awarded the Silver Quality Mark for Orbis Education and Care’s dedication and passion for our Mental Health and Wellbeing services. What a wonderful recognition that we are the second company in Wales to achieve this award.
Orbis has shown its commitment to promoting positive mental health and well-being in the workplace, and in 2023, with the introduction of Wellbeing Champions, who actively support employees’ mental health and well-being. Our Champions have all been trained by our People Director, Alex Rowlands, who is a Mental Health First Aider and an accredited Wellbeing Life Coach.
Our introduction of Wellbeing Rooms into three sites across the business has provided safe places to have sensitive conversations that are free from judgement and allow time for silence, reflection, and person-centred support. Our wellbeing rooms include a stress bear, zen garden, self-help books, self-help leaflets, ecofriendly journalling books and pencils, lavender bags and a TV which includes medication and relaxation apps.
Full training calendars are available for employees which include mandatory requirements such as attending a 5-day induction course and studying eLearning modules. As part of our eLearning platform, we have modules including mental health awareness, stress management, and coping with loss and bereavement. Going forward, we will be introducing the following modules:
- Wellbeing in the workplace
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- LGBT + aware for care
- Substance misuse
As an organisation, we have demonstrated a commitment towards creating a fully inclusive mental health and wellbeing support across the breadth of Orbis, we will continue to monitor this with improvement processes to help evaluate the effectiveness of our offering, so it is fit for purpose and truly makes a difference in our staff’s lives.
We appreciate that we can all experience periods of poor mental health in the same way as with physical health. Orbis Care and Education is committed to providing support for employees going through mental health concerns, and by this being recognised last night at the Mental Health and Wellbeing Awards, shows our efforts are being recognised.
We want to make sure our employees wellbeing is at the heart of our culture; we recognise that they all make a substantial contribution to the lives of our supported individuals. Only through our own wellbeing can we expect to achieve the same on behalf of those within our care, and this has been reflected following last night’s Silver Quality Mark award.
Being recognised in this way has helped us to pay tribute to all those that make the work of Orbis Education and Care possible and it is our responsibility to support our employee’s wellbeing in return for everything they do to educate and care for the individuals we support.
