Deadline extended for entries to 2019 joint SPVS and MMI wellbeing awards

The Society for Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Mind Matters Initiative have extended the deadline and issued a final call for entries for the 2019 Vet Wellbeing Awards. These Awards are looking for examples of practices that are pulling out all the stops to support the wellbeing of their staff.

The deadline for the awards has now been moved back a week to Friday 29 November and there are three different categories that can be entered depending on the number of employees: small practice (15 or fewer full time equivalent team members (FTE)), medium practice (16 to 50 FTEs) or large practice (51 or FTEs).

The awards are looking for practices that take into account staff wellbeing across six key aspects of veterinary work that, if managed well, reduce the risk of work-related stress and promote wellbeing.

These are:

• Promoting physical and psychological health at work
• Relationships at work
• Communication at work
• Career development
• Workload and work scheduling
• Work demands

The judges will be looking for evidence that practices are committed to putting into place initiatives and actions that enhance wellbeing and reduce stress across those six areas and examples of positive workplace cultures that can be highlighted amongst the rest of the profession.

Lizzie Lockett, our CEO and Director of the Mind Matters Initiative, is one of this year’s judges for the Wellbeing Awards. She said: “Thank you to those who have made entries for this year’s awards so far – we look forward to going through all the applications and seeing the wonderful examples of how practice teams are coming together to instil a positive working culture that is then reflected in the service they provide to their clients and patients.

“Whilst it only takes a few hours to put together an application to the awards, we thought we would extend the deadline by a week so we can really push out the word about how the awards can demonstrate and celebrate how well your practice team works, and all the things that you are doing to enhance this.

“Even if you can’t apply this year do take a look at the website as there are case studies and examples of practical steps that can be taken to improve workplace wellbeing, and you might even consider applying for the 2020 awards!”

The entry form and further information about the Vet Wellbeing Awards can be found on its dedicated website.

This year, for the first time, feedback will be provided to practices that enter on areas where they are doing well and also areas where they can improve. It is hoped that this update to the Awards process will further help practices to view wellbeing support as an area of continuous development.

Winning and Highly Commended practices will receive a dedicated logo and certificate for display. The winners in each category will also receive two registrations and banquet tickets for SPVS/VMG Congress 2020.

In addition to the Wellbeing Awards, the MMI and SPVS are also running the Practice Star nominations, which are open to all veterinary practices.

Liz Barton, a SPVS Board Member who is also a Wellbeing Awards judge, said: “The Practice Star nominations are a fantastic way for practices to thank someone in their team who often goes the extra mile to make the practice a happy place to work. This could be someone who is often coming up with ideas to improve work-life balance, who goes out of their way to support their colleagues during tough times, or simply who cheers the team up and makes them smile.

“Practice Star nominations are also a great opportunity to get the practice team together to reflect on what people are doing to enhance wellbeing and to nominate one person who particularly deserves thanks.”

There is no judging process for the Practice Star nominations. To enter, practices need to send in their nominee’s name, job title and contact details, and a short paragraph explaining why they have been chosen. They will then receive a certificate congratulating them for being nominated as the practice’s very own ‘Practice Wellbeing Star’.

The closing date for both the Wellbeing Award entries and Practice Star nominations is Friday 29 November 2019.