SOLAS Wins Champions Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategy Award 2024

SOLAS/26.04.2024

SOLAS, The Further Education and Training (FET) Authority, is delighted to announce that we are winners of the HR Champions Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategy Award for our important collaboration with the Irish Prison Service (IPS) that's helping to support inclusion and widen access to education. The winners were announced at an Awards ceremony in Dublin on Friday, 19th April 2024.

SOLAS is working towards becoming one of the most progressive & sustainable public sector organisations in Ireland.  Through our CSR initiatives we are driving positive impact in our workplace and our local community.

Over the past year, our People Team has led a broad range of CSR initiatives - from InHouse Harmony - our inside/outside choir collaboration at Mountjoy Prison, to expanding access to education through programmes such as Building Bridges - all of these vital initiatives are driving real change and transforming lives of those in custody.

We are also part of valuable community partnerships with local organisations such as the Northeast Inner-City Consortia (NEIC) which give us a fantastic opportunity to link directly with our neighbourhood schools and youth projects. Our People Team (Engagement) host Transition Year Programmes with NEIC schools and have participated in their mentoring programme. Our voluntary work with the Cavan Centre has led to an annual SOLAS staff volunteer day as well as the recycling of SOLAS fit-for-purpose equipment at the centre.

Creating a diverse and inclusive workplace culture, and supporting employee wellbeing

Building on the successful delivery of wellbeing initiatives for staff in previous years, the SOLAS People Team (Engagement) have focused this year on implementing a more robust model. This Wellbeing Model includes the mental, physical, environmental, and financial health of our employees.  

A key highlight of 2023 was being awarded with the IBEC Keep Well Mark, a national accreditation that recognises and celebrates organisations that put the health and wellbeing of employees at the centre of company policy. SOLAS has also been recognised as one of the IBEC top 100 WellBeing organisations. 

Recent SOLAS wellbeing initiatives implemented by the People Team in 2023 include:

  • Delivery of Mental health training to the SOLAS Senior Leadership Team and open to all staff members by Mental Health First Aid Ireland. As a result, SOLAS currently has 23 Mental Health First Aiders. 

  • A series of all-staff financial health webinars implemented throughout the year.  

  • Blended Working Policy to enhance employee motivation, performance, and productivity.

  • SOLAS Team Steps Challenges, that took place in Spring and Autumn 2023 with strong staff engagement.

  • Our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been recently renamed by our People Team to reflect the current environment – it is now named Social Corporate Sustainability’ (SCS) to ensure we aspire to positively contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and ensure we leave a better society and a more sustainable planet for the future.