We are dedicated to your wellbeing
The Council has a wellbeing group which brings together expertise from HR, Communications, IT, Health and Safety and Public Health. The Council offers a range of of supportive resources and activities for staff, including:
- Putting wellbeing at the heart of 1:1 conversations – the 'Our Conversations' framework encourages a specific discussion on wellbeing.
- An Employee Assistance Programme, provided by Health Assured which offers confidential advice 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Services include counselling, bereavement, legal, financial and medical support.
- Colleagues specially trained to listen and signpost when you need help, including mental health first aiders, and Respect at Work contacts.
- Regular employee engagement surveys, to seek feedback and understand how people are feeling about important topics at work.
Our other wellbeing initiatives include:
- Putting wellbeing at the heart of 1:1 conversations – the 'Our Conversations' framework encourages a specific discussion on wellbeing.
- An active Equality and Diversity Network, including peer support groups.
- Making sure people get space for breaks throughout their day – We have introduced the ‘Protected Hour’ where colleagues are supported to avoid scheduling internal meetings during 1pm-2pm as well as building breaks into longer meetings and starting meetings at 5 past the hour or ending at 5 to the hour.
- Similarly, to the Protected Hour, colleagues have also been encouraged to add ‘focus time’ in their calendar to encourage focused work without any distractions.
- Flexible working such as 9-day fortnights, part-time, and hybrid working.
- Encouraging work-life balance and using Office 365 to support ideas such as a virtual commute, using Headspace. With most working remotely for all or some of their job, it’s easy to continue working late every day – we encourage people to stop at the end of their daily hours. Work life balance is important.
