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Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has won a national award in recognition of the support it has put in place to look after staff health and wellbeing before and during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Trust was awarded the Best Voluntary Benefits accolade at the Employee Benefits Awards, ahead of many well-known public and private sector organisations including the John Lewis Partnership, Speedy Services and the University of Lincoln.

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals employs over 18,500 members of staff and is one of the largest NHS Trusts in the country.

The Trust has used staff feedback and ideas to develop a range of support services including free physiotherapy, health MOTs, 24-hour mental health support services, sports and hobby clubs, a salary sacrifice scheme to reduce the cost of childcare, cycles, and car parking, flexible working and fruit and veg stalls on both hospital sites.

An enhanced programme of support was rolled out during the COVID-19 pandemic which led to the launch of 45 Calm Rooms where staff could spend a few minutes away from their work environment to reflect and recharge with access to snacks and refreshments and read further information on support for both their physical psychological wellbeing.

In partnership with employee benefits specialist, Vivup, a 24-hour confidential telephone helpline and counselling support service was set up and all staff have access to a range of mental health apps to empower them to proactively manage personal mental health needs such as stress and sleep.

Mark Gwilliam, Director of Human Resources & Staff Development at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Our staff are the reason we can deliver safe, high quality patient care and so it is really important we do as much as we can to look after their health and wellbeing. We all have periods where we need a little more support than usual either mentally or physically and so if we can provide that extra help to each other then overall we are a stronger team. During these challenging times it is even more important we provide the right support and advice.

“This award is the culmination of so many people’s hard work and determination to do the right thing for our staff and it is great that we have such a comprehensive package of benefits and support in place. I would also like to thank Sheffield Hospitals Charity for their continued support for staff wellbeing initiatives like the Calm Rooms and to members of the public whose tremendous support lifted the spirits of our staff during recent months.”

The Trust was also named as a finalist in the Best Mental Health Strategy.

ENDS