One of the largest employers in Lancashire, Lancashire County Council (LCC), has been awarded the Menopause Friendly Accreditation.
LCC is a public sector political organisation whose mission is to ‘help you to make Lancashire the best place to live, work, visit and prosper’. Its responsibilities include social care: supporting health and education services; building and maintaining roads and bridges; recycling centres; registering births, deaths and marriages and running libraries and museums. As such, it is a very large organisation with 264 settings where staff work, including its head office at County Hall in Preston.
Lucy Thompson, Lancashire County Council’s director of People says: “We are delighted to have been given Menopause Friendly Accreditation, which is the gold standard for organisations to reach in showing how seriously they take this very important health issue.
“Here at Lancashire County Council, we are proud to have created a workplace environment where every staff member feels heard, supported and empowered to navigate the menopausal journey with dignity and confidence.
“We focused on creating a culture where menopause is recognised universally as potentially impacting on both mental and physical wellbeing, and where every individual experience is respected and valued.
“We have been proud hearing how much the support we have put in place has touched people and made real improvements to their quality of life at work and at home.
“Listening to the concerns and experiences of our staff, we have proactively raised awareness of symptoms and the challenges they may bring. Not everyone may feel comfortable discussing their menopause experience, so we want to provide flexible solutions and resources suited to individual preferences and circumstances.”
The Menopause Friendly Accreditation, established by Henpicked: Menopause In The Workplace (www.menopausefriendly.co.uk), recognises high standards and proven practices that embrace menopause in the workplace. Industry-recognised, it’s the only accreditation that sets clear standards which must be met. As such, it is truly meaningful and considered by many as a mark of excellence for menopause in the workplace.
In order to achieve The Menopause Friendly Accreditation, employers are assessed by an Independent Panel and must demonstrate evidence of their effectiveness in five key areas, namely: culture, policies and practices, training, engagement and working environment.
LCC highlighted four menopause friendly initiatives of which they are most proud:
- Their comprehensive training that includes senior leader webinars, awareness training for all staff, separate training for managers, e-learning utilising staff experiences, as well as yoga, nutrition and sleep sessions from a local partner college.
- Monthly lunch and learn sessions which enable staff to find out ways to support their menopause journey and learn from others.
- A comprehensive guide and bespoke policy.
- Peer support network.
“We felt the Menopause Friendly Accreditation gave us an opportunity to be recognised externally for the support we have in place while also helping us further improve our offering to staff,” says Lancashire County Council Wellbeing Officer, Debra Jones. “The key to success was gaining senior leader support and bringing together a project group from a diverse range of roles, grades and experiences. By ensuring they are involved throughout the journey, the outcomes are reflective of our workforce and their needs.”
“LCC already had support in place when they began their journey towards accreditation, which was so heartening to see,” says Deborah Garlick, CEO and Founder of Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace. “The independent panel, which makes the accreditation, noted the range of initiatives LCC had introduced as part of a very structured plan. Importantly, they included means by which they could measure the benefits that each initiative was bringing to their colleagues meaning their menopause friendly approach remains fresh and keeps developing.”
