Lifting the lid on mental health awards

While more freely discussed today, it’s quite easy to forget that the words ‘mental health’ used to remain whispered in the shadows. When they were uttered, it was most commonly within the context of specific mental health conditions, which were typically considered taboo and abnormal versus more noticeable, commonplace physical health issues.

In today’s tech-and-information-driven world – still recovering from the effects of a devastating global pandemic – the ever-growing number of those suffering from mental health issues has become quickly apparent, and in turn helped society to readdress its perceptions and dialogue. As time passes, and more open, candid conversations prove that every individual can potentially suffer from mental health issues, the question has refreshingly shifted from ‘What treatment is at hand?’ to ‘How can such issues be minimised or prevented from occurring in the first place?’

Never has this topic been more widely addressed than in the workplace – and with good reason. As Elizabeth Hampson, Deloitte director and author of ‘Mental health and employers: the case for investment – pandemic and beyond’, comments:

Clearly, as well as being the morally right thing to do, providing mental health support for employees is good for business.

More mental health support = more awards for mental health strategy

With more and more companies introducing mental health-led initiatives to support their employees, and – ultimately – benefit the overall success of the business, it’s unsurprising that there has also been a rise in the number of mental health-centric awards and categories within the world of business awards.    

But what does good look like here? In general, winning entries typically address an area that was perhaps lacking in terms of mental health support for employees, followed by an outline of how the business tackled the problem, and subsequently went on to achieve clear success. As well as bottom-line data like employee retention, case study-style examples of how people have directly benefitted from the support are also important to consider. After all, this is about real people’s lives.

A wider influence on the industry as a whole is also great, if you can evidence this – for example, how you might be driving industry-level change when it comes to the perceptions and support given to mental health issues.  

Mental health awards and wellbeing awards for businesses

Before we explore mental health awards and categories within the context of specific health industries, let’s first take a look at some of the key awards for businesses across the board, and the typical criteria needed to maximise your chances of making the finals.

UK Company Culture Awards 

With the commendable aim of highlighting and encouraging adaptive, open and workforce-friendly practices, these awards honour companies which go out of their way to make their staff feel valued, considered and comfortable. The awards’ Best Workplace Mental Health Initiative (In-House and Agency) categories are particularly pertinent in this respect: judges want to see clear evidence of mental health incentives which have improved workers’ welfare and business outcomes alike by stimulating discussion and eradicating detrimental culture. https://companycultureawards.co.uk/

Working Families Best Practice Awards – Best for Mental Health and Wellbeing

With a stated mission to ‘drive positive change by supporting and advocating for working parents and carers, collaborating with employers to build flexible and family-friendly cultures’, the UK national charity Working Families hosts its annual Best Practice Awards with a view to celebrating supportive and symbiotic workplaces. Judges will be looking for elements including your company’s aims and objectives, examples of specific policies/practices which set it apart, metrics for monitoring progress, and future enhancements. A competitive entry will combine lucid storytelling and strong substantiation of ongoing development with compelling data. https://workingfamilies.org.uk/employers/bestpracticeawards/

RSPH Health & Wellbeing Awards

With a broad remit to honour projects, policies and strategies that improve the lot of communities and individuals as well as addressing ‘the wider social determinants of health’, these awards are spread across seven categories including a Health And Wellbeing In Workplaces Award. Entrants will be expected to produce demonstrable evidence of, for example, health and wellbeing structures which are embedded into management policies and procedures. Another example would be showing that employees are freely invited to participate in decision-making procedures on organisational developments that will affect them. https://www.rsph.org.uk/membership/rsph-awards.html

Employee Benefits Awards 

Devised to recognise exceptional achievements within the HR, reward and benefits community, the Employee Benefits Awards break down into categories which, appropriately in the context of this piece, include awards for Best Mental Health Strategy (won by NatWest in 2023 for championing employees’ potential and ‘help[ing] staff and families to thrive’) and Best Healthcare and Wellbeing Benefits. Wave, which won the latter award in 2023, scooped the honours for its ‘people-centric culture’ which gives employees a direct input into the wellbeing benefits and options available to them. https://employeebenefitsawards.co.uk/2024/en/page/home

Cover Excellence Awards

An award scheme for financial service companies, the COVER Excellence Awards include an Outstanding Mental Health & Wellbeing Support category which, in 2023, was won by EAP provider Health Assured. https://event.covermagazine.co.uk/coverexcellenceawards2024/en/page/home

Mental health awards within the healthcare sector

Addressing mental health issues within the day-to-day remit of the healthcare sector is obviously more commonplace, but the pandemic has helped to shine a light on those services and individuals which have been – and continue to be – worth their weight in gold. Related industry-specific awards continue to celebrate such achievements and effectively say a big ‘thank you’ to those going above and beyond in their day jobs to improve people’s mental health every single day.

Let’s have a look at some key awards here, and the criteria needed to hit the mark against your peers. 

Next steps?

It should be emphasised that the awards mentioned in this piece merely constitute a representative sample of the myriad schemes which celebrate and engender outstanding efforts by employers and employees in mental health services. The gratifying proliferation of these testifies to a long-overdue sea change in attitudes; where any admission of mental problems was once widely dismissed as a sign of weakness, mental health is now rightly recognised as a pivotal facet of the human condition. Those who are battling for greater understanding and more compassionate treatment to improve or overcome mental health issues deserve to be amply rewarded for it – and it’s our pleasure and privilege to assist in making that possible.

Contact us for more on how we can help tell your story, or help you pick the most relevant mental health-related awards and categories to celebrate your achievements in this extremely important, worthy area. 

You can contact Boost via our contact form or email me directly via lesley.billen@boost-awards.co.uk

I look forward to hearing from you.

Lesley

Lifting the lid on mental health awards

While more freely discussed today, it’s quite easy to forget that the words ‘mental health’ used to remain whispered in the shadows. When they were uttered, it was most commonly within the context of specific mental health conditions, which were typically considered taboo and abnormal versus more noticeable, commonplace physical health issues.

In today’s tech-and-information-driven world – still recovering from the effects of a devastating global pandemic – the ever-growing number of those suffering from mental health issues has become quickly apparent, and in turn helped society to readdress its perceptions and dialogue. As time passes, and more open, candid conversations prove that every individual can potentially suffer from mental health issues, the question has refreshingly shifted from ‘What treatment is at hand?’ to ‘How can such issues be minimised or prevented from occurring in the first place?’

Never has this topic been more widely addressed than in the workplace – and with good reason. As Elizabeth Hampson, Deloitte director and author of ‘Mental health and employers: the case for investment – pandemic and beyond’, comments:

“We have seen poor mental health cost UK employers up to £56 billion a year… an increase of 25% in the cost of poor mental health to employers compared to 2019. Mental health issues are a strong driver for the ‘Great resignation’. Long hours, increased stress and job insecurity have had a detrimental impact on quality of life during the pandemic. People are leaving their jobs, re-evaluating their careers and changing occupations in large numbers. 

“Burnout among employees, such as feelings of exhaustion, mental distance from the job and reduced job performance, have been more evident during the pandemic. Measures by employers to improve mental wellbeing should not only benefit employees themselves but should also reduce employment costs, such as recruitment costs, and provide broader societal benefits.”

Clearly, as well as being the morally right thing to do, providing mental health support for employees is good for business.

More mental health support = more awards for mental health strategy

With more and more companies introducing mental health-led initiatives to support their employees, and – ultimately – benefit the overall success of the business, it’s unsurprising that there has also been a rise in the number of mental health-centric awards and categories within the world of business awards.    

But what does good look like here? In general, winning entries typically address an area that was perhaps lacking in terms of mental health support for employees, followed by an outline of how the business tackled the problem, and subsequently went on to achieve clear success. As well as bottom-line data like employee retention, case study-style examples of how people have directly benefitted from the support are also important to consider. After all, this is about real people’s lives.

A wider influence on the industry as a whole is also great, if you can evidence this – for example, how you might be driving industry-level change when it comes to the perceptions and support given to mental health issues.  

Mental health awards and wellbeing awards for businesses

Before we explore mental health awards and categories within the context of specific health industries, let’s first take a look at some of the key awards for businesses across the board, and the typical criteria needed to maximise your chances of making the finals.

UK Company Culture Awards 

With the commendable aim of highlighting and encouraging adaptive, open and workforce-friendly practices, these awards honour companies which go out of their way to make their staff feel valued, considered and comfortable. The awards’ Best Workplace Mental Health Initiative (In-House and Agency) categories are particularly pertinent in this respect: judges want to see clear evidence of mental health incentives which have improved workers’ welfare and business outcomes alike by stimulating discussion and eradicating detrimental culture. https://companycultureawards.co.uk/

Working Families Best Practice Awards – Best for Mental Health and Wellbeing

With a stated mission to ‘drive positive change by supporting and advocating for working parents and carers, collaborating with employers to build flexible and family-friendly cultures’, the UK national charity Working Families hosts its annual Best Practice Awards with a view to celebrating supportive and symbiotic workplaces. Judges will be looking for elements including your company’s aims and objectives, examples of specific policies/practices which set it apart, metrics for monitoring progress, and future enhancements. A competitive entry will combine lucid storytelling and strong substantiation of ongoing development with compelling data. https://workingfamilies.org.uk/employers/bestpracticeawards/

Ragan’s Workplace Wellness Hotlist

As its title indicates, Ragan’s Workplace Wellness Hotlist rewards companies with initiatives and strategies which prioritise their employees’ mental, physical, social and financial wellness. The awards accommodate a host of categories and sub-categories: Top Places To Work For Employee Wellbeing and Outstanding Total Rewards Programs, both of which offer prizes for large, medium and small organisations; Teams Of The Year and People Of The Year, for groups and individuals; and Wellness Initiatives/Programs. The latter category has awards for multiple aspects of employer altruism including DEI, Mental Health Initiatives and Social Wellbeing. https://www.ragan.com/awards/workplace-wellness-awards/2023/%20title=/

RSPH Health & Wellbeing Awards

With a broad remit to honour projects, policies and strategies that improve the lot of communities and individuals as well as addressing ‘the wider social determinants of health’, these awards are spread across seven categories including a Health And Wellbeing In Workplaces Award. Entrants will be expected to produce demonstrable evidence of, for example, health and wellbeing structures which are embedded into management policies and procedures. Another example would be showing that employees are freely invited to participate in decision-making procedures on organisational developments that will affect them. https://www.rsph.org.uk/membership/rsph-awards.html

Employee Benefits Awards 

Devised to recognise exceptional achievements within the HR, reward and benefits community, the Employee Benefits Awards break down into categories which, appropriately in the context of this piece, include awards for Best Mental Health Strategy (won by NatWest in 2023 for championing employees’ potential and ‘help[ing] staff and families to thrive’) and Best Healthcare and Wellbeing Benefits. Wave, which won the latter award in 2023, scooped the honours for its ‘people-centric culture’ which gives employees a direct input into the wellbeing benefits and options available to them. https://employeebenefitsawards.co.uk/2024/en/page/home

WM People Top Employer Awards

A barometer of the very best in judiciously-applied progressive policies, the WM People Top Employer Awards include a Best for Mental Health category. Entries for this award can highlight case studies of employees benefiting directly from corporate practices, or present quantifiable evidence of initiatives such as addressing financial wellbeing, signposting to mental health resources and adjusting workloads via job review or redesign. https://www.wmpeople.co.uk/events/top-employer-awards/

Cover Excellence Awards

An award scheme for financial service companies, the COVER Excellence Awards include an Outstanding Mental Health & Wellbeing Support category which, in 2023, was won by EAP provider Health Assured. https://event.covermagazine.co.uk/coverexcellenceawards2024/en/page/home

Mental health awards within the healthcare sector

Addressing mental health issues within the day-to-day remit of the healthcare sector is obviously more commonplace, but the pandemic has helped to shine a light on those services and individuals which have been – and continue to be – worth their weight in gold. Related industry-specific awards continue to celebrate such achievements and effectively say a big ‘thank you’ to those going above and beyond in their day jobs to improve people’s mental health every single day.

Let’s have a look at some key awards here, and the criteria needed to hit the mark against your peers. 

HSJ Partnership Awards

Extremely well-known and well-regarded within the UK healthcare industry, these awards recognise the most effective collaboration with the NHS. Its category ‘Best Mental Health Partnership with the NHS’ is open to any private or not-for-profit business which works in partnership with an NHS organisation to deliver mental health services, or within a mental health setting. Within this category, the scheme is particularly looking for partnerships enabling the delivery of better mental health services, putting patients at the centre of care, engaging the community, and reducing stigma. https://partnership.hsj.co.uk/

HSJ Awards

The HSJ Awards continue to be the most esteemed accolade of healthcare service excellence in the UK, and offer a Mental Health Innovation of the Year category. Open to all NHS and public sector organisations, teams and services delivering positive outcomes for mental health patients, this award is designed to seek out the innovation that is leading the way in delivering better services, empowering service users to put them at the centre of care, engaging the community and reducing stigma. https://awards.hsj.co.uk/

Occupational Therapy Excellence Awards

Offering an Excellence with Mental Health category, these awards are open to any company or provider of OT services, as well as suppliers to OT practices, OT professionals or their clients. Rather than being constrained within an exacting set of criteria, entrants are encouraged to tell their story in their own way. Judging is based on validity and compliance. https://occupationaltherapyawards.com/

British Journal of Nursing BJN Awards

The vital and routinely underappreciated work undertaken by nurses is recognised in this praiseworthy awards scheme. A Mental Health Nurse of the Year Award features among the categories, wherein candidates will be assessed on the individuality, creativity and benefit to patients of their approach, ‘using the essentials of compassionate care and best evidence.’ https://www.bjnawards.co.uk/  

General Practice Awards

With categories split between HCPs and suppliers, the General Practice Awards accommodate a Clinical Improvement: Mental Health Award for an individual or team that has excelled in improving mental health services in their area, either through a consistently exceptional standard of care or an innovative project or scheme. https://generalpracticeawards.com/  

Next steps?

It should be emphasised that the awards mentioned in this piece merely constitute a representative sample of the myriad schemes which celebrate and engender outstanding efforts by employers and employees in mental health services. The gratifying proliferation of these testifies to a long-overdue sea change in attitudes; where any admission of mental problems was once widely dismissed as a sign of weakness, mental health is now rightly recognised as a pivotal facet of the human condition. Those who are battling for greater understanding and more compassionate treatment to improve or overcome mental health issues deserve to be amply rewarded for it – and it’s our pleasure and privilege to assist in making that possible.

Contact us for more on how we can help tell your story, or help you pick the most relevant mental health-related awards and categories to celebrate your achievements in this extremely important, worthy area. 

You can contact Boost via our contact form or email me directly via lesley.billen@boost-awards.co.uk

I look forward to hearing from you.

Lesley