Safe and Sound is a charity working to transform the lives of children and young people across Derbyshire who are, or have been, at risk of child exploitation. They provide specialist one-to-one support for at-risk young people and work across communities to tackle inequalities, increase opportunity and encourage upward social mobility.
Having attended one of British Safety Council’s free Keep Thriving webinars, Safe and Sound applied for and became one of five successful recipients of up to £10,000 of Keep Thriving funding from British Safety Council.
In keeping with their strategic framework, Safe and Sound wanted to develop their people plan and improve the wellbeing of their staff. They sought to put wellbeing at the heart of what they do, creating an environment in which individual differences and contributions from staff, trustees and volunteers are both recognised and valued.
Safe and Sound’s first step was to renew its People Plan, which included training staff on the core principles of worker wellbeing and consulting on the future focus of their wellbeing strategy.
Through this process, they identified four areas to explore throughout 2024:
- Universal learning and development
Ensure a consistent approach and provide opportunities for all.
- Employee value proposition
Ensure that the “people deal” at Safe and Sound remains attractive and fit for purpose. Ensure staff wellbeing is made a priority, and that work/life balance is honoured.
- Future-proofed culture
Empower the team to take a more strategic lens on what the organisation will look and feel like in 3 years.
- Proud to be who we are
Further understand and develop an inclusive team - that will add value and connect with the communities Safe and Sound support.
As part of this consultation process, Safe and Sound surveyed colleagues to better understand their workplace priorities. Staff reported feeling that their physical and emotional needs were supported, and most employees reported handling stress well. Scope for further stress management was identified, including access to ad hoc therapy or counselling, given the often traumatic nature of Safe and Sounds’ work.
Lone working was identified as an area for improvement, and staff were keen to see the provision of lone working devices and improved contact arrangements. They also reported wanting to increase their feeling of belonging – a major barrier to their individual and collective wellbeing. In response, Safe and Sound used a portion of their Keep Thriving funding to provide personal wellbeing items (including new branded winter coats, torches and reflective armbands) to their community support workers.
The charity expanded in 2024, subsuming another Derby-based charity into the Safe and Sound family. To build a sense of belonging between teams and to improve the wellbeing of new staff, Safe and Sound held an outdoor away day at Spring Lakes Water Sports and Leisure Centre. Colleagues were invited to leave technology behind and connect with nature instead, harnessing the biophilic benefits that proximity to nature offers. They participated in teambuilding activities and a ‘lunch and learn’ session that focused on mindfulness techniques and stress management. A post-event survey reported a stronger sense of togetherness that bridged the gaps between teams, which are often overlooked due to rising demands on services and the immediacy of Safe and Sounds’ work.
As part of their long-term wellbeing strategy, Safe and Sound have embedded regular touchpoints with staff to collect and assess wellbeing data. This encourages staff to be involved in plans for individual and collective wellbeing and allows Safe and Sound to meet the changing needs of their staff over time.
In keeping with their plans to be ‘proud of who we are’ and make all staff, trustees and volunteers feel valued, Safe and Sound have launched their Volunteer of the Year Award, which sits alongside their Staff Member of the Year.
Outside of their wellbeing work, Safe and Sound were nominated, with a highly recommended submission, for a King’s Award for Voluntary Service.
On their Keep Thriving Award, Tracy Harrison, Chief Executive of Safe and Sound said: “Our staff do amazing work. It is so important we support their wellbeing and development. Thanks to the funding from British Safety Council’s free Keep Thriving campaign we were able to take our plans forward whilst having fun too.”
