Bishop Auckland College strikes silver in wellbeing award with a sights on gold
Bishop Auckland College has been officially recognised for its outstanding commitment to employee wellbeing by securing the Better Health at Work Silver Award.
Having achieved the Bronze tier at the start of 2026, the college has continued to build on its commitment to staff health and wellbeing over the past 12 months, with plans to further develop and strengthen its wellbeing offer and is already mapping its route to Gold.
The Better Health at Work Award is an initiative that supports local employers who prioritise the health and wellbeing of their workforce.
Bishop Auckland College has embraced this framework as part of its ongoing commitment to supporting the health and wellbeing of its workforce, helping to further strengthen a positive culture of wellbeing across the college.
Driven by a team of five dedicated health advocates who championed the Silver award submission, the college rolled out initiatives targeting mental, physical and financial wellbeing. The aim has been a renewed focus on work-life balance.
Nicola Tierney, Training and Development HR Adviser at the college, said: "I would say the introduction of the working from home policy has been the biggest success.
"Themed coffee mornings have always been popular too, providing staff with regular opportunities to connect.”
Over the past year, the college has also delivered targeted campaigns. Physical health and lifestyle have been promoted through a Pace Health Club onsite event featuring a free competition to win a £100 spa day, alongside healthy eating pop-up stalls and a quit-smoking promotion delivered in partnership with Wellbeing for Life.
Health awareness has been a priority, marked by the college's participation in the Cancer Champion Project, accompanied by a dedicated Cancer Awareness stall and fundraiser.
Additionally, mental health and support have been bolstered by specialised addiction and alcohol awareness workshops.
To ensure staff have immediate, peer-level support, the college has also invested heavily in grassroots training, successfully qualifying 18 staff members as Mental Health First Aiders.
The positive impact of the college's ongoing focus on health and wellbeing is reflected in recent HR data which shows a 70 per cent reduction in counselling referrals, an 86 per cent reduction in staff requiring a formal wellbeing support plan and a 22 per cent reduction in occupational health referrals, alongside a reduction in stress related absence.
The college's commitment to supporting staff health and wellbeing is reflected in positive workforce outcomes and strong performance against further education sector benchmarks.
Staff turnover has similarly outperformed the sector standard, registering at just 11 per cent compared to the 14.28 per cent benchmark.
Nicola said: "We are now working towards the Gold Award. We are committed to building a healthier and, more resilient workforce.”
.png)