O.C.O named as finalist in APT Award

We are proud to announce that O.C.O’s recent Focus on You Campaign was shortlisted as a finalist in the APT’s Award for Fostering Good Mental Health in the Workplace. 

Of all the finalists shortlisted for awards this year, O.C.O were the only one not in the ‘Care Industry’.  Other finalists included NHS Trusts, a school, a prison and other support services for adults and young people with complex needs.

Our Focus on You Campaign, led by Lee Thompson, Christine Oddy and Karen Finch, ran from 1^st April to 30^th June this year to promote positive mental health and wellbeing across the Company.

Employing nearly 90 staff across 3 production sites in the UK, the team of Mental Health First Aiders became acutely aware of the wide-ranging effects that the recent COVID pandemic was having on a huge number of employees.

With the full backing of the Board of Directors, the Campaign was launched with a wellbeing gift box being sent to all members of staff.  This contained a number of little treats all aimed at getting our staff to take some time out and look after themselves for a few minutes for a change.  There were biscuits and hot drinks sachets, candles and face masks among other things.

A number of activities and competitions were implemented across the Campaign’s three-month period.  From a Race round the Sites where we asked staff and their friends and families to walk, run, cycle or even skip the 574-mile distance between the three sites to art and photography competitions – and Easter Egg design to signify Kindness, an Earth Day Poster competition and a photo competition entitled ‘what makes you happy’

The entries for all competitions were shared with all staff around the business by displaying them on all Company laptop and desktop backgrounds and canvasses have been printed of the winning entries which are displayed in conference rooms and receptions at the three sites.

O.C.O were pitted against the Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in the Fostering Good Mental Health in the Workplace Award category and all three finalists delivered a presentation on their Campaigns during an online event held on 30^th September via Zoom.  Voting was opened after the presentations and the results given there and then.

Our congratulations go to the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust for their campaign of offering psychological support to over 20,000 members of staff across Leeds’ hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We received some very encouraging comments from the other finalists and attendees of the awards ceremony. 

We were praised for the diversity of the events we ran and for a ‘great initiative’, with ‘super ideas’ in making our ‘people feeling valued’.

This was O.C.O’s first ever Focus on You Campaign but, following some really positive feedback received in our recent staff survey, it will most definitely not be the last!