Developing a workplace wellbeing strategy
Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance client case study
The Challenge
Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance (DSAA) is a life-saving charity with a small but mighty team of 70 people. Working in high-pressure, high-impact roles, their team is deeply committed to serving others - and they wanted to offer the same care and attention to the wellbeing of their own people.
We were invited to partner with DSAA to develop an evidence-informed workplace wellbeing strategy that reflected their culture, challenges and future ambitions.
Rather than beginning with training, the priority was to understand the organisation first. This project focused on creating a practical wellbeing strategy that could guide future investment and support over the coming years.
Our Approach
Before making recommendations, we invested time in understanding DSAA's people, culture and organisational context. This ensured every recommendation was grounded in evidence rather than assumption.
To build this understanding, we undertook:
An organisation-wide wellbeing survey
Analysis of current offerings and strategy
Targeted focus groups with employees
Ongoing planning conversations with the leadership team
This gave us a detailed understanding of organisational strengths, workplace pressures and opportunities for development. It also ensured employees had the opportunity to shape the future wellbeing strategy from the outset.
The Wellbeing Strategy
The insights from the discovery phase informed a three-year strategic Wellbeing Action Plan. This included:
Key themes emerging from employee feedback.
Strategic priorities for organisational wellbeing and culture.
Recommended learning pathways and development priorities.
A phased implementation plan to support sustainable progress over three years.
The first recommendation within the strategy was to bring the whole organisation together for an engaging "One Team" workshop, designed to reconnect colleagues and establish a shared foundation for the wider programme.
‘One Team’ Workshop
The workshop was designed specifically for DSAA - tailored to their values, their language, and their people. It was delivered in-person to the whole team as part of an all-staff development day.
The session focused on:
Building trust and connection across different teams
Developing a shared understanding of wellbeing within the organisation.
Reflecting on the realities of working in a high-pressure environment.
Encouraging shared responsibility for a healthy workplace
We kept things interactive and engaging, with small group work, whole room discussion and reflective exercises.
The Impact
The workshop marked the first stage of DSAA's wider wellbeing strategy. Feedback demonstrated strong engagement and reinforced confidence in the direction of the programme.
Over 90% felt the session met their expectations.
84% said they were “very satisfied” or above with the training.
Employees said they felt heard, included, and energised and that the session had ‘hit the mark’.
“Loved the session. Chris was engaging, fun and covered a broad area with a varied group. Mixing individuals up into groups they don't usually work with added extra team collaboration for a group who don't meet up often.”
“I found the conversations that raised from the sessions thought provoking and interesting to hear different approaches to wellbeing at work”.
“We were so impressed with Work Well Being! You worked with the different needs of the group perfectly and your style was absolutely spot on. Thank you also for being so patient with me through this process. You have been super professional and organised throughout.”
- Julie Plowden, Deputy Chief Executive Officer & People Lead
Looking to build a workplace wellbeing strategy?
The most effective wellbeing strategies begin with understanding your people. We help organisations gather meaningful insight, identify priorities and develop practical action plans that support healthier workplace cultures and long-term organisational success.
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