Vet Wellbeing Awards 2017 launched

The Society for Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) and the Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) are building on the success of last year’s SPVS Wellbeing Awards to launch the new Vet Wellbeing Awards.

The Awards are open to UK practices, branch surgeries or other organisations who employ vets or vet nurses. They were created to highlight wellbeing in the veterinary profession and celebrate workplaces where:

• health and happiness are valued;
• there are systems and initiatives that motivate;
• staff are engaged;
• communication is positive;
• there is commitment to being a better place to work.

Stress management is a legal health and safety requirement and research from across the world shows that a happy, healthy workforce improves productivity and staff retention.

The new-look awards have been developed in collaboration with Dr Elinor O’Connor, Senior Lecturer in Occupational Psychology at Alliance Manchester Business School.  She said:  “A good working environment has positive effects on our health, wellbeing and job satisfaction. In contrast, work-related stress can cause physical and psychological ill-health, and in turn compromise organisational effectiveness and productivity.

“Data from the Health and Safety Executive shows that 11.7 million working days were lost to work-related stress in the UK in 2015-16. The Vet Wellbeing Awards will recognise veterinary workplaces that actively support colleagues’ wellbeing, as well as enabling the profession to share ideas for increasing wellbeing in veterinary work.”

Nick Stuart from SPVS said: “We were delighted with the quality of entries we received last year and were encouraged with both the activities and incentives that practices are undertaking to ensure that their team members’ wellbeing is encouraged and maintained through what we all know can be very busy and stressful jobs.”

Lizzie Lockett, MMI Director, said: “A happy, healthy workforce means improved animal health and welfare and better client service. Although there are legal requirements around stress management, our Wellbeing Awards recognise and celebrate those who go one step further – or in some cases, many steps – to ensure their team can be at their best, both in and out of work.”

The Vet Wellbeing Awards are open to practices, branch surgeries and any organisations who employ vets or vet nurses in the UK and entries can be made now via the website. 

The closing date for entries is Friday 24 November 2017. The prize for each category includes two registrations and banquet tickets for SPVS/VPMA Congress 2018 where the winners will be announced to the media and will be available for interview.

You can also follow the awards on Twitter @vetwellbeing and on Facebook.