MBKB Group

Organisation Name: MBKB Group Limited

Sector: Businesses Services

Size of Organisation: 50 employees

Thrive Lead: Katie Biggs

What They Do: MBKB Group specialises in delivering apprenticeships and bespoke training packages to businesses across a range of sectors. The businesses head office in Dudley and employs almost 30 people who work across England and Scotland.

What MBKB did: Katie Biggs, MBKB Operations Manager/Safeguarding and Wellbeing Manager, led on working towards Thrive at Work Bronze accreditation. A number of tasks had to be completed which proves that a business has clear procedures in place to monitor staff attitudes to health, including mental health, and to support workers to address any issues or concerns. This included demonstrating that mental health is discussed and prioritised at senior level, which involved collating meeting minutes and implementing a dedicated health and wellbeing policy within the business. 4 employees received training to become mental health first aiders, enabling them to support colleagues, to promote greater awareness of mental health in the workplace and to help reduce stigma associated with mental health. Another member of the senior leadership team also completed a level 3 certificate in Understanding Mental Health.

MBKB introduced a dedicated wellbeing section on its internal platform, which includes information, advice, and support on a range of health and wellbeing topics, such as healthy eating, alcohol awareness, diabetes prevention, mental health, and musculoskeletal health. Katie said: “We’re incredibly lucky that mental health and wellbeing has always been high on the agenda with our senior leadership team, and Thrive at Work has enabled us to put something formal in place to really highlight that commitment. It’s been fantastic to get all of the team involved, giving them the opportunity to run or take part in a range of regular classes and one-off workshops to support wellbeing." “One colleague who regularly meditates began holding fortnightly sessions, we’ve had team members run healthy eating sessions, diabetes prevention talks, and sleep workshops – there’s been something for everyone.

How Thrive at Work has impacted the Organisation: Katie said: “The lockdown put a huge amount of pressure on everyone’s mental health and all of the team at MBKB had different home-life circumstances. “We already had flexible working hours, but one of our main aims has been to ensure that all our staff feel fully supported during an incredibly challenging time. Our CEO posted out wellbeing packages for every member of the team, which included candles, wellbeing journals, water bottles, some treats and lavender shower gels to aid sleep. “We moved our wellbeing classes and workshops online, and as well as fortnightly meditation sessions we also introduced virtual ‘crafternoons’ where colleagues take part in craft activities to help them relax, ‘walking Wednesdays’ where we have a social phone call while taking a walk and we’re also going to introduce virtual fitness sessions. “Giving people the opportunity to take part in these activities during work hours is a real morale boost and has been extremely well-received. “We’ve also thought of ways to spread positivity, including sending out kindness boards to each person, as part of mental health awareness week. These included positive comments that their colleagues had written about them and really brightened a difficult time for us as a team whilst working remotely.”

Katie said the whole team has engaged with the Thrive at Work programme and it has helped them to feel confident in speaking openly about any problems they may be having. She said: “Thrive at Work has helped us to increase the culture of openness in the business, and as well as people feeling confident to speak out when they are having a down day, we’ve also seen wellbeing become a normal, everyday conversation. We have a thriving team who are happy, healthier and more productive as a result. “We now look forward to achieving our silver accreditation which we’ve already started working on.

Accreditation Date: November 2019