East Midlands Chamber is helping to set the bar for workplace wellbeing after landing a global accreditation – with the help of the region’s top expert in the field.
The region’s largest business representation group has achieved the WELL Health-Safety Rating at its offices in Chesterfield and Nottingham, following consultancy support from workplace consultants and office fit-out specialists Blueprint Interiors, based in Ashby-de-la-Zouch.
Administered by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the rating is an evidence-based, third-party verified rating for buildings that focuses on operational policies, maintenance protocols, stakeholder engagement and emergency plans to address a post-Covid environment now and into the future.
WELL certification helps large and small businesses to take the necessary steps in order to prioritise the health and safety of their staff, visitors and stakeholders by reviewing environmental aspects such as air and water quality, nourishment, light, noise and comfort.
The WELL Health-Safety Rating focuses on stakeholder engagement, health resources, emergency preparedness and cleaning procedures.
East Midlands Chamber director of resources Lucy Robinson said: “The pandemic shone a new light on how we manage workspaces in order to instil confidence among employees and visitors who use our buildings, whether it is everyday or on a hybrid working basis.
“We therefore felt it was important to adopt a recognised standard to ensure our buildings support the wellbeing of our people when they are working from the office in order to support collaboration with colleagues.
“Working closely with our patron Blueprint Interiors, we focused on areas including air and water quality management, cleaning and sanitation, emergency preparedness, health service resources, and stakeholder engagement and communication.
“As a result of these efforts, we are delighted to have received the WELL Health-Safety Rating, which we believe will enhance our offer as an employer of choice in the region while also acting as an exemplar for our 4,000-plus members.”
Workplace design consultancy and interior fit-out specialist Blueprint Interiors became the first company in the East Midlands to achieve the WELL Health-Safety Rating in 2021, and now supports other businesses to meet the requirements for accreditation.
Rebecca Beadle is a WELL-accredited professional, and lead project designer and well-being specialist at Blueprint Interiors.
She said: “We are continuously innovating in order to bring workplace consultancy, practical processes, sustainable building techniques, psychological theory, data insights and accreditations such as the WELL Building Standard together to ensure workplaces meet the needs of the people that use them. East Midlands Chamber has fully embraced all these principles and we are pleased to have been able to support it to achieve this prestigious rating.”
