Organised by one of the leading professional associations for Business Psychologists, The ABP Workforce Experience Awards is a celebration of excellence in the application of Business Psychology in the workplace.
Zeal Solutions won the Excellence in Change Management Award in recognition for improving working lives in the NHS as a result of a long-term project focussing on organisational culture.
East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EMAS) employs 3,000+ employees occupying various roles and providing emergency care and assistance for a population of 4.8 million people.
Over time, the increase in demand and working practices caused a decline in workforce morale and engagement, and increased workforce turnover, sickness and self-reported stress – which was evidenced by workforce opinion surveys. The Trust’s growing concern for the health and well-being of the workforce became the driving force behind the cultural assessment that was to come.
Zeal Solutions were commissioned to design, develop and conduct a ‘Health, Well-being and Culture audit’ to support a positive change towards creating a happier, healthier and more productive workforce.
These projects involve a great deal of skill in helping the organisation make sense of how 1,000’s of employee’s experience the workplace and, importantly, supporting them to take action in the most appropriate areas. To be successful, it requires a great deal of participation and coordination, and critically, the ability to engage with the workforce at all levels.
Personally, I’m both pleased and very proud that we have won this award. The team at Zeal are not only passionate about what they do, everyone is totally engaged and focussed on our purpose of strengthening people and organisations. It is a privilege to be working with the team at EMAS. I say this not just as a supplier but as a partner. The fact that this project has been recognised with an award also serves to demonstrate the importance of people in the delivery of high-quality care.
The organisation now has a 2-year plan in place for implementing business-wide interventions around communication, mental health and resilience, career and leadership development. Leadership training has already begun, and early evaluations demonstrate a positive impact on leadership confidence, knowledge and behaviour.
Zeal will continue to support EMAS whilst they implement actions as part of their long-term plan for culture change, through regular evaluation of employee health, well-being and other organisational indicators.
Due to the success of the project, the scope of the work was extended by the client to investigate other cultural elements. Additionally, our client’s recommendations to other organisations have resulted in Zeal securing similar contracts with other Trusts and has led to Zeal informing approaches to ‘leadership and culture’ nationally through NHS Improvement and the NHS Employers. We look forward to continuing our relationship with the NHS and enhancing the working lives of those in the Trust.