The Salon at Maxy Farm leads way with workplace health champions

Staff at The Salon at Maxy Farm have become the first health and beauty business in Lancashire to train as Workplace Health Champions, thanks to the ESF-funded training on offer from Business Health Matters.

8 employees from across the business recently completed a Level 2 qualification to learn more about the key factors for living a healthier life, both inside and outside of the workplace. Staff covered modules on nutrition, physical activity and considerations around mental health in the 1-day course, equipping them with the skills they need to improve their own health and inspire colleagues to do the same.

Salon Manager, Daniella Steenbergen, said: “As soon as I heard about the training, I wanted to offer it to our staff so that we could get a better idea of how to look after ourselves physically and mentally, both in and out of work. The courses are the first of their kind in Lancashire so we were really keen to sign up and become the first in our industry to have our very own Workplace Health Champions!”

“The multiple lockdowns over the last 2 years have hit our industry really hard and we had definitely noticed an increase in issues, particularly around mental health. As a result, we felt really passionate about supporting our staff with some tools and knowledge on how to work on these areas. The day with the team from Business Health Matters was really well-structured and informative, with a lot of discussion and team work that helped us understand how we can apply what we were learning to our workplace.”

The training focuses on simple and manageable ways to improve health and wellbeing within work so that staff can feel empowered to take control of their own wellbeing, whilst signposting their colleagues to support that can help them make healthier choices. Businesses can select a Level 2 (1-day) or Level 3 (3-day) option and both routes are free to employed staff working within Lancashire-based SMEs.

According to research carried out by Talentlms*, 91% of companies say that upskilling opportunities in work have made their staff more productive. 80% of staff also reported that upskilling opportunities boosted their confidence. As a result, businesses benefit from greater performance and resilience during challenging times.

Eden Walmsley, a Beauty Therapist at the salon, explained: “The training has already made such a difference to my work. I speak to clients all day every day and they can often talk to me about a range of things. I’ve felt a lot more confident discussing issues around mental health since the training and within the team. We’ve started to make plans to include more physical activity in our weeks including walking, yoga and even Zumba!”

Daniella added: “I genuinely think that this training should be made compulsory for employers across the county. Offering opportunities like this will not only help people become healthier but also shows employees that you care about them as a whole person, not just as employees. From the feedback we have had from staff following the training, I can already see how excited they are to put their learning into practice!”

Lancashire-based SMEs are invited to take advantage of this free training, which is delivered by a range of local delivery partners across the county. To learn more about the Workplace Health Champion Training on offer from Business Health Matters and check the eligibility criteria, please click here.