The team at Sanctuary Care are celebrating after receiving a national award for how they support the mental health and wellbeing of staff.

The not-for-profit employer received a Highly Commended accolade in the Make A Difference Awards.

Neil Quinn, Sanctuary Care’s director of HR, said: “This recognition is testament to our commitment to our vision at Sanctuary Care – to enrich the lives of our residents – and the amazing staff we have caring for them.

“And by empowering our staff to look after their own mental health and wellbeing and confidently support one another, we will create a culture where people truly thrive.”

As an employer Sanctuary Care wanted to create an open culture where people can talk freely about mental health, without judgement. They commissioned wellbeing research with their care home managers in 2021 and used this to shape their actions over the past 18 months.

The company’s mental health strategy is being rolled out across its care homes and central services. This includes delivery of a Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) course, which was used to train over 100 MHFAs in 2022 alone. The training gives people the skills to spot the signs that someone is experiencing mental ill health, approach the topic comfortably and signpost effectively. 

The nomination highlighted how the care provider has created its own ‘Cultivating Confident Conversations’ workshops and one-to-one sessions to guide managers on how to approach conversations around mental health, so that is compassionate, open and supportive.

In addition, Sanctuary Care offers menopause training to raise awareness about how symptoms can affect people, so that it can talk openly and respectfully support colleagues.

The care provider has also invested in a service where staff can have consultations for mental health, bereavement and nutritional support, a health check, digital GP appointments and expert second medical opinions for employees and family members – all for free.

Staff networks, such as its Disability Network and PRISM (for LGBTQ+ employees and allies) connect colleagues who share experiences, support one another and drive positive change.

For more about working for Sanctuary Care, please visit Sanctuary Care Homes | Sanctuary Care (sanctuary-care.co.uk).