Sanctuary Care is celebrating after being shortlisted for a national workplace mental health and wellbeing award.

The not-for-provider is a finalist in the Make a Difference awards with the winner to be selected by a public vote which is open until 17 April.

Neil Quinn, Sanctuary Care’s director of HR, said: “At Sanctuary Care our vision is 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.”

Sanctuary Care’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. 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 not-for-profit has also created its own ‘Cultivating Confident Conversations’ workshops and one-to-one sessions to guide managers on how to approach conversations around mental health, while its menopause training raises awareness about how symptoms can affect people and encourages colleagues to talk openly and respectfully support each other.

Sanctuary Care has also invested in providing free staff consultations for mental health, bereavement and nutritional support, a health check, digital GP appointments and expert second medical opinions for employees and family members.

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

You can vote for Sanctuary Care in the awards public poll by clicking here: Make A Difference – Public Vote.