The teams that won this year’s Occupational Health Awards, announced at a lunchtime celebration in London this month.
OVERALL WINNER AND WINNER OF HEALTH PROMOTION AND WELLBEING
Leeds Metropolitan University
Category judge: David Maslen-Jones, wellbeing champion, London and the East of England, Department of Health
“Leeds Metropolitan University’s excellence programme is based not just on 3,000 staff but on 30,000 students linking wellbeing-related expertise across academic and practitioner functions using the internet and a range of departments to focus on the wellbeing programme. A superb example of what can be achieved with high-level commitment in an organisation.”
The overall winner judges’ panel
Dr Olivia Carlton FRCP FFOM, head of occupational health, Transport for London, and president of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine
Subash Ludhra, president elect, Institution of Occupational Safety and Health
Jan Maw, public health adviser, Royal College of Nursing
Jeremy Smith, president of the Association of Occupational Health Nurse Practitioners, and acting area manager, ATOS Healthcare
Comments from the overall judging panel
“An excellent pan-university approach to health and wellbeing. Excellent supporting materials helped to unpack the depth and breadth of the intervention. Well planned and executed, with a clear evidence base and outcome measures to assess impact. Well constructed and thought-out programme reaching staff and students. Impressive, in a sector that isn’t good at health and wellbeing, and superb to work with staff and students. Although in its early stages, serious attempts to measure the impact are being made.”
WINNER, RISK MANAGEMENT AND ILL-HEALTH PREVENTION
John Lewis
Category judge: Caroline Minshell, health director – the Middle East, Africa and Indian sub-continent, BP
“A well-written and structured entry, although repetitive. It would have been useful to document the risk-assessment process in more detail and what programmes stemmed from it to reduce the risks identified, and what the outcomes were. I have never seen a health risk assessment tool outside my own company so it was good to see this innovation. The teamwork and leadership shown was paramount to the success of this project and well managed and systemised with management key performance indicators.”
WINNER,HEALTH AND WELLBEING SERVICE DELIVERY
Centrica
Category judge: Paul Nicholson, associate medical director (Europe), Procter & Gamble, and clinical lead for the Faculty of Occupational Medicine
“This entry defines how Centrica has developed a 21st-century service that helps prevent ill health while maximising the opportunity to use the workplace as a setting to promote wellbeing. While other organisations are implementing similar programmes, this one is outstanding and innovative, and the team has worked with branding people to come up with its Be well, Get well, Stay well approach. Training managers to manage certain illnesses is also a benchmark innovative programme.”
WINNER, INNOVATION IN OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
Police Service of Northern Ireland
Category judge: Bashyr Aziz, occupational health programme teacher, University of Wolverhampton
“This is not a response to occupational health legislation, nor is it related to illness or injury caused by work, and that is what makes it very innovative, because it is an inspired strategy to help workers through difficult illness when a person can feel depressed, disempowered and worthless. It is interesting that the project was created in response to staff needs, and it demonstrates a caring and responsive organisation.”
WINNER, ABSENCE MANAGEMENT
Diodes Zetex Semiconductors
Category judge: Louise Boston,occupational health manager, E.On
“A clear, concise submission demonstrating their starting point and areas of concern and workforce consultation. The team sought to understand best practice, worked with outside specialist agencies and clearly demonstrated reductions in absence and cost savings as well as continued thinking and focus on the future.
WINNER,MENTAL HEALTH AND STRESS MANAGEMENT
E.On
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Category judge: Liz Griffiths, chairwoman, the Association of Occupational Health Nurse Educators
“There was clear evidence in the entry statement that the mental health and stress management criteria had been addressed, in particular, the inclusive nature of the project, the links to the business case and attention to evaluation. I particularly liked the promotional material and the reference to the use of data to inform developments.”
