Cloud Design Box has been recognised for its commitment to workplace wellbeing by the mental health charity Mind.
We’re thrilled to reveal that we are one of 61 organisations to take part in Mind’s seventh annual Workplace Wellbeing Index and have been recognised with a Gold Award. And our Onboarding and Adoption Manager James Emmet has won the Wellbeing Lead Award.
We’re honoured to have been recognised for successfully embedding mental health into our policies and practices and demonstrating a long-term, in-depth commitment to staff mental health.
Mind’s Workplace Wellbeing Index is a benchmark of best policy and practice, celebrating the good work employers are doing to promote and support positive mental health, providing key recommendations on the specific areas where there is room to improve. This year, Mind surveyed almost 16,000 employees across the 61 employers participating in the Index.
The 2022-23 Index Awards, hosted by Mind’s CEO Sarah Hughes, took place on 29 June and saw people from a wide range of organisations across sectors come together to celebrate their achievements.
“Winning the Mind Wellbeing Lead award for 2023 is a huge honour, and I am deeply touched to have been recognised. I am incredibly fortunate to have been given the opportunity to serve as Staff Wellbeing Officer in an incredible company like Cloud Design Box, where wellbeing truly is at the heart of everything we do. And to have had the privilege of working with an incredible team of dedicated individuals who share my passion for supporting and caring for staff,” says James.
“For me, staff wellbeing is, and has to be, at the heart of everything we do. We can’t succeed and embody our Company Values – one of which is ‘Friendly and Supportive’ – if our staff are not thriving and performing at their best. It means creating a work environment that fosters positive relationships, supports personal and professional growth and provides resources and tools to help our employees manage stress and achieve work-life balance.”
Our commitment to wellbeing at work.
As part of our commitment to prioritising the wellbeing of our team, we have built three core things into our workplace culture:
Wellbeing intranet
Filled with resources for all staff to access from any connected device, including a mental health action plan following guidance from Mind. This not only helps our line managers support their team to spot and address the signs of poor mental health, but also every staff member to look after their own wellbeing.
Monthly wellbeing chats
Every member of staff at Cloud Design Box has a monthly wellbeing chat with one of our Wellbeing Champions. In these sessions, the staff member can talk about anything they wish, and their purpose is to build up a relationship with the Wellbeing Champion, so if they are struggling with something, they feel confident to talk about it.
Staff training
We have also delivered training for all staff and manager-only sessions to help raise awareness of the topic of wellbeing at work, as well as spot the signs of poor mental health in ourselves and our colleagues.
Our staff’s thoughts on wellbeing at Cloud Design Box.
An award for a commitment to staff wellbeing means nothing without the honest opinions of our staff.
As part of our application to Mind’s Wellbeing Index, our staff were sent a survey that asked them for their thoughts and feedback about our commitment to wellbeing.
Here are some of the key findings from the staff survey:
85% are motivated by workplace culture at Cloud Design Box.
90% feel Cloud Design Box encourages openness and discussion about mental health.
80% feel Cloud Design Box makes it possible to speak openly when experiencing mental health problems.
90% say their manager regularly checks in on how they’re feeling.
80% of staff who have experienced poor mental health while working at Cloud Design Box felt confident they would be supported.
“We’ve worked tirelessly to try and support our staff by frequently promoting awareness and educating all members of staff on the importance of wellbeing, mental health, and self-care, whether this is in-person, through presentations, or online content.” James adds.
“I had only ever hoped to help one person who may have been struggling and I would’ve considered that a huge victory. But the recognition of the work that all of Cloud Design Box has contributed to, and me personally as Staff Wellbeing Officer is beyond my wildest dreams.”
Our comitment to supporting the wellbeing and mental health of our staff wont stop here. We have signed up for the Mental Health at Work Commitment to continue our work in this area.
Andrew Berrie, Head of Workplace Wellbeing at Mind, said:
“Following the profound changes to working life brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, many organisations have spent the previous year reflecting on the changes in ways of working that have been beneficial whilst seeking to navigate new uncertainties and external factors impacting mental health and wellbeing.
I find it encouraging to see that mental health outcomes at work appeared to bounce back post-pandemic. The pandemic increased focus and expedited workplace wellbeing agendas, with more attention given to implementing mental health and wellbeing initiatives at work.
We are now experiencing the positive effects of this effort, with more employees reporting that they had good or very good mental health and fewer stating they experienced a mental health problem in their present role.
The organisations participating in our Workplace Wellbeing Index are, undoubtedly, leading the way in their work to assess the impact of their efforts. By consulting with their people on what is working and where they could improve, and embedding best practice, they are prioritising employee mental health and wellbeing.
Despite these positive findings, there are worrying trends which threaten the future state of mental health in the workplace. Organisations appear to be experiencing ‘wellbeing fatigue’, with mental health and wellbeing beginning to make fewer appearances on strategic agendas. With the effects of recession on the horizon and the present cost-of living crisis, there is a danger that workplace wellbeing may fall out of focus, something which has already begun to have a negative impact.
We also recognise that stigma remains a significant challenge and is likely to be growing in the midst of economic hardship. Already, fewer employees are disclosing mental health problems to their employers and fewer are being honest when mental health has been a reason for absence.
With all of this in mind, there is a growing and pressing need for employers to reassert their commitment to employee mental health and invest in workplace wellbeing, in a way that addresses current challenges and the unique circumstances and experiences of staff.”
To register your interest in taking part in next year’s Workplace Wellbeing Awards, please visit www.mind.org.uk/index.
