Torbay Council has been recognised for their commitment to the health and wellbeing of their workforce by obtaining accreditation for two workplace Charters.

The council have been successful in obtaining accreditation for the Workplace Wellbeing Charter and Mindful Employer Charter status.

The Workplace Wellbeing Charter is an opportunity for employers to demonstrate their commitment to the health and well-being of their workforce and takes an holistic approach by looking at leadership, culture and communication as well as health and wellbeing topics such as physical activity, alcohol and mental health.
The Mindful Employer Charter also means that the council recognises and supports employees with mental health conditions and is committed to ensuring that awareness of mental health conditions is promoted.

Mayor, Gordon Oliver, said: “A tremendous amount of work has been done throughout 2014 and our Human Resources team have worked hard to ensure our workplace is a supportive and productive environment where our employees can flourish. The programme will continue until 2016 and we hope to build on our current success.”

Feedback from the external Wellbeing Assessor identified many strengths and areas of good practice during the accreditation and said “all those interviewed expressed how much they appreciate their job and role. They all spoke highly of their line management and how well supported they are; but more importantly, how appreciated they felt. This indicates that Torbay Council values their employees and understands that the employees are the biggest asset of the organisation”.

To help achieve these Charters a range of physical activities for staff to take part in at lunchtime and after work such as Zumba, a lunchtime running club, walking group, badminton, back, neck & shoulder massage, Tui Na massage, Tai Chi and a Choir.