Topic People
Date 19 Mar 2018
Morrison Construction’s commitment to wellbeing has been showcased in front of its industry peers, after being invited to present the approach by the Mates in Mind charity.
Group Health, Safety and Sustainability Director David White appeared on behalf of the business at the event held by Mates in Mind, whose initiative to improve mental health awareness in the construction industry is a key part of parent group's Galliford Try’s wellbeing strategy.
David’s presentation summed up the company’s ‘Be Well’ approach to promoting wellbeing and, in particular, mental health. Launched last year, it is based on five themes namely ‘take notice’, stay connected’, ‘keep learning’, ‘be active’ and ‘give back’. The theme changes as the year progresses and each has three specific areas of focus.
The new programme encompasses both physical and mental wellbeing, incorporating several different levels of support including a comprehensive employee assistance programme; online health check tools and advice lines to discounts on fitness products and general guides on how to structure our working lives better to increase productivity and reduce stress.
As part of the programme and partnership with Mates in Mind, already 15 mental health first aiders have been appointed across the business, as well as 45 internal Mates in Mind facilitators. Over 130 staff attended mindfulness workshops and 38 line managers have been trained in mental health awareness.
David commented: “Through our partnership with Mates in Mind, we have been able to put a significant emphasis on mental health issues, and we remain committed to helping all our people receive the support they need to stay as happy and as healthy as they can be at work.
“’Be Well’ is a fantastic framework, but it’s our people that have really made this a success, because it’s important to them and we look forward to building on this in future.”
Pictured from left: Galliford Try’s David White with fellow speakers Dean Holliday (Managing Director & Tri-Build Solutions), Rob Kendall (Guest Speaker), Steve Hails (Tideway and Chair of Mates in Mind), Phil Graham (Associate Director, Tri-Build Solutions) and Henrietta Frater (event host Crown Estates).