The Leeds Mindful Employer Network is excited to announce that the latest winner of the Mindful Employer of the Quarter Award is…Leeds Autism Services!
Leeds Autism Services is a local third sector organisation which has won as a result of the lovely nomination below!
“For a relatively small organisation with extremely limited funds, I believe we go over and above to look after our employees. Examples of this range from the management team, all the way up to the CEO being extremely approachable and always having open and honest lines of communication. We have Suicide Prevention champions in place and are not afraid of having difficult conversations if that means we can get the right help for someone going through a difficult time. We have introduced a wealth of menopause advice and information that all of our employees can access which covers everything from nutritional support to emotional wellbeing. We are big fans of a Wellness Action Plan for all employees and always ensure reasonable adjustments are in place wherever needed. Our HR team will regularly check in with staff and hold informal wellbeing meetings if needed. Our recruitment process is extremely inclusive and we try to reach people who may not otherwise find work through our partnerships with agencies and the local council. I could go on! :)”
Mindful Employer Project Coordinator, Leigh Staunton, has been speaking to Brooke Asquith, HR Manager at Leeds Autism Services, about the organisation’s approach to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of employees.
Congratulations on winning the Leeds Mindful Employer of the Quarter Award! How does it feel to win and read the nomination back?
It feels amazing! We are so proud of the work we do and truly do value our staff who give such amazing support to our service users every day.
Tell us a bit about Leeds Autism Services and why employee wellbeing is such a big priority.
Leeds Autism Services staff and service users having a grand day out
Leeds Autism Services is a charity dedicated to helping to create a more autism-friendly society. We have been helping autistic people to reach their true potential for over 30 years. Employee wellbeing is a top priority for us as our employees do an often difficult job and can face challenging situations. We recognise that we need to look after our staff to empower them to support our service users in the best possible way. We are always exploring new ways to promote wellbeing, such as with the introduction of our new menopause hub. We also recognise the absolute importance of there being a culture of informally checking in with each other. A simple ‘how’s your day been?’ or ‘fancy a catch-up?’ can demonstrate that we care and give someone an opportunity to offload.
Why do you think having a management team that is approachable and keeping lines of communication open and honest is so important for employee wellbeing? How have you achieved that?
I have to say that a lot of this comes from our CEO, who would hate me saying this! However, he is one of the most approachable, supportive and friendly people I’ve ever met. He has time for everyone and will always do what he can to help, despite being ridiculously busy! His approach has had such a positive influence on the management and HR teams. It’s an open-door policy but levelled up!
Tell us a bit about Wellness Action Plans and how you utilise them at Leeds Autism Services.
We absolutely love a Wellness Action Plan here! The plans are owned by the employee and gives them the opportunity to share how they might behave if they’re feeling down or stressed. This empowers managers to take a more proactive approach and means they can put supportive measures in place for our staff as and when they need them.
Tell us some of the ways your HR team supports employee wellbeing
Our HR team works collaboratively with the management team to make sure that reasonable adjustments are in place, that wellness action plans are reviewed and they also play a big role in those informal check-ins with staff. Our HR manager is a suicide prevention champion and our HR advisor took the lead in getting our menopause hub up and running.
Can you give us some examples of your inclusive recruitment process? What’s your top tip for Leeds Mindful Employer Network members on being an inclusive employer?
“Our staff provide amazing support to our service users and we want to make sure we support them as much as we can.”
When inviting to interview we offer everyone the option to be sent the interview questions beforehand. This isn’t done as an adjustment, just as standard! We work with different organisations and local community hubs to get our job ads out there; they’re not just sat online. The interview itself features some really great values questions which allows us to really develop rapport with the candidate and find out what makes them tick.
Leeds Autism Services signed the Mindful Employer Charter last year. What would you say to an employer who is considering taking this step?
Do it! It’s such a great thing to be a part of, the team is on hand to provide help and really helped us develop our engagement plans. Not only that, but signing up really does demonstrate your commitment to employee wellbeing and there are some fab events!
In terms of employee wellbeing, what are your priorities for the next 6 months?
To continue building on all of the good work we’ve done so far! We really want to focus on gathering feedback from our staff team and implementing the things that will help to promote their wellbeing and support them to do a great job in a sector which is facing a lot of challenges in the new year.
Thanks so much to Brooke for contributing to this blog. Learn more about the Leeds Mindful Employer Network.
Check out the Leeds Autism Services Podcast.
Check out Leeds Autism Services’ Wellbeing Channel to find lots of accessible resources to help with feeling great and staying healthy.
