Health and Wellbeing for Pilgrims’ people

At Pilgrims, we recognise that our workforce is our greatest asset and their wellbeing is vitally important to us. That is why at the end of 2021, we launched a dedicated Health and Wellbeing Strategy. 

More than ever, COVID has taught us that we must support our employees and volunteers to balance their physical, mental and psychological health and wellbeing to ensure our workforce remains healthy and well. 

Using the local and employee survey feedback, we have identified four key areas;

  • Emotional and Mental Wellbeing – Ensuring every member of the workforce has access to tools and services to support and improve their emotional and mental wellbeing.
  • Supporting Our Workforce – Recognising that people are living and working longer, and that with the right support, these workers can continue to make an invaluable contribution to the organisation.
  • Reward and Recognition – Motivating and improving the morale of staff and volunteers by ensuring each individual feels valued and recognised for their contribution.
  • Successful Leadership – Empowering managers with the skills they need to promote wellbeing within their teams and to create a positive, healthy culture. 

Firmly aligned to our strategic objectives, these pillars shape our roadmap for the future. We have become an accredited Mindful Employer, are currently internally recruiting Mental Health First Aiders, and we have identified a range of health initiatives that we will support, ranging from National Nutrition and Hydration Week to Men’s Health Week and Walk to Work Day. By doing what we can to encourage our employees and volunteers to actively look after their physical and mental health, we can continue to provide high quality care to those who need it most in the east Kent community.

Workforce Engagement Survey 

Part of our Health and Wellbeing Strategy is to understand what it is like to work for Pilgrims Hospices. As part of our ongoing efforts to engage with, recognise and listen to our staff, we participate in Hospice UK’s national workforce engagement survey. The survey gives our employees and volunteers a voice by which they can share their thoughts and views about working and volunteering with Pilgrims Hospices. 

As an organisation, we use the survey to celebrate what we do well and help us identify areas where our employees and volunteers feel we can improve. The survey remains one of our most valuable tools for gathering feedback and gauging the opinions of our staff and volunteers. The Board of Trustees and the Executive Management Team always act upon the feedback received.

This year, the results were hugely positive, especially considering the challenging backdrop of COVID-19 and the significant changes to the ways of working. Some of our highlights were:

• 96% of our staff said they were proud to work for Pilgrims Hospices

• 97% said that they understood the aims of the charity

Our volunteers were equally positive about the organisation:

• 93% of our volunteers said that they felt they were making a difference

• 92% said that they would recommend Pilgrims Hospices as a place to volunteer

The results of the survey are shared openly with all employees and volunteers, who also have the opportunity to determine what is in the action plan for the year ahead.

Working for Pilgrims Hospices is hugely rewarding.

For more information about working life at Pilgrims, contact the Human Resources team on 01227 812 612 or email us at recruitment@pilgrimshospices.org.

We also have a range of volunteer opportunities available for anyone who would like to donate their time to support Pilgrims.

If you’re interested in learning more about the work of Pilgrims Hospices, please visit our website, or click here to find out how you can join one of our talented teams.

 

 

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