SOLAS Awarded with Ibec's KeepWell Mark

SOLAS/22.03.2024

SOLAS, The Further Education and Training,  Authority, is delighted to announce that we have been awarded with Ibec’s KeepWell Mark, a national accreditation that recognises and celebrates organisations that put the health and wellbeing of employees at the centre of company policy. 

Ibec’s accreditation process measured SOLAS’ performance against a set of recognised standards across eight pillars of wellbeing. Areas include leadership, absence management, health & safety, mental health, smoke free, physical activity, healthy eating, and intoxicants.

Speaking about the accreditation Andrew Brownlee, CEO at SOLAS said: “A key part of our role in SOLAS is driving the continuing transformation and success of the FET sector. To achieve this ambition, it is vital that we make SOLAS a great place to work for our employees and become a leader on people and culture across the public sector. We are delighted to receive The KeepWell Mark from Ibec as it highlights SOLAS’ commitment to supporting employee wellbeing.”

Recent SOLAS wellbeing initiatives that have been implemented include our Blended Working Policy to enhance employee motivation, performance, and productivity. As well as SOLAS Team Steps Challenge, nutrition and mindfulness sessions, and a number of webinars, campaigns, and training to improve staff physical, mental, and financial wellbeing. We also have the Employee Assistance programme that is designed to support SOLAS staff in resolving personal or work-related concerns, to have a healthier and happier working life.

Also speaking about the accreditation, Moira Walsh, Director of People at SOLAS said: “We are very proud of our team for this fantastic achievement. Since the pandemic we have focused on embedding wellbeing practices into the culture of SOLAS through a range of initiatives and policies. We strongly believe in the importance of employee wellbeing and engagement which supports our staff to feel healthier, happier, more fulfilled, and more motivated in the workplace”. 

Rachel Hehir, Head Of Commercial Products at Ibec said:

We are delighted to award SOLAS the Ibec KeepWell Mark. The KeepWell program focuses on key areas of workplace wellbeing, including leadership, mental health, absence management, physical activity, and healthy eating. Upon joining the program, organisations like SOLAS receive our framework of standards across all aspects of workplace wellbeing, along with tools to benchmark their current performance and establish new standards to enhance employee wellbeing. We look forward to continuing our work with SOLAS on the next phases of their wellbeing journey.

SOLAS began the accreditation process for The KeepWell Mark in January 2023 and has since undergone a rigorous and in-depth assessment, which included a self-assessment, evidence gathering, submissions, and an on-site assessment and verification by an Ibec independent assessor. 

This was SOLAS’ first attempt at applying for the KeepWell Mark. Post assessment SOLAS received national recognition and certification which is valid for two years, pending a mid-cycle check-up in 2024. We will continue to build on this success and focus on areas of improvement for the future.