Gestamp plant director Jonathan Phillips ( right ) and wellbeing lead Alastair Waugh at the firm ’ s Aycliffe premises .

Automotive manufacturer Gestamp has taken on a full-time wellbeing lead at its huge Aycliffe Business Park site , while the firm has trained up 25 mental health first aiders .

Gestamp – a multinational company which specialises in the design , development and manufacture of highly engineered metal components for the automotive industry – is also embracing a range of national and local mental health awareness campaigns , encouraging employees to take part .

It ’ s part of Gestamp ’ s health and wellbeing vision for the company and its 1,000-plus workforce , as the company prepares to invest in a bespoke ‘ R & R ’ wellbeing zone within a new state-of-the-art training and development facility .

HR professional Alastair Waugh has been appointed wellbeing lead at Gestamp and is heading up the firm ’ s staff health initiatives .

He said : “ Health and wellbeing is now a critical part of our strategy to reaffirm our message as a caring employer and to become the employer of choice locally .

“ We have to do things differently – especially after the last two years – and wellbeing is so important . We really want to take care of our staff .

“ It ’ s something we take very seriously . And Gestamp have invested not only in my role to deliver this , but also the new wellbeing development within the Tallent Academy .

“ It ’ s a brand new role , the only one in the UK across the Gestamp group , and I feel really privileged to be given the opportunity . Employee wellbeing is a passion of mine .

“ My passion for wellbeing comes from working in the HR sector for a number of years . I ’ ve picked up loads of great idea sand experience from previous roles over the years . I ’ d like to think I have a caring and empathetic personality .

“ We now have a strong emphasis on wellbeing in the workplace and we ’ re working hard internally , as well as with local partner organisations , to deliver that strategy .”

Gestamp have picked up on campaigns such as Movember , Blue Monday and MIND ’ S Time To Talk .

And as well as having 25 trained mental health first aiders , Gestamp have launched a 24-hour call line for workers .

Other initiatives have included giving staff extra time for breaks and free use of vending machines to encourage employees to take more time out .

“ We ’ re working with local organisations – such as the Great Aycliffe Cancer Support Group – and other support groups , building networks and creating support packages for staff ,” added Alastair .

“ I hope the work we ’ re doing is getting the message out there to employees that they can speak to someone at any time .”

As part of Gestamp ’ s drive , a wellbeing zone is being installed in the firm ’ s new Tallent

Academy development .

Gestamp says it will open up the 4,300 sq ft facility to local support groups , while other local businesses will also be able to use the facility to train up their staff .

As well as an ‘ R & R ’ wellbeing zone and counselling rooms , the Academy will include a medical area and physiotherapy suites , while the training element of the building will include high-tech robot cells , specialist welding bays and tooling facilities .

Jonathan Phillips , plant director at Gestamp in Aycliffe , said : “ This investment in our staff and their wellbeing shows our commitment to our workforce , as well as our vision to being the local employer of choice .

“ We aim to give back to the community in any way we can . Alastair ’ s appointment – along with the work he ’ s doing – forms an integral part of our staff development and overall ethos to look after our employees .

“ It ’ s a big part our strategy locally and globally to enhance our position as a top ESG company , something which is firmly located in our DNA .”

Staff ’ s wellbeing forms an integral part of Gestamp ’ s safety indicator , GHSI , which is a corporate health and safety standard which is measured and audited globally .

Part of that indicator is a psychosocial risk assessment , introduced this year to the firm ’ s health and safety management , to ensure all sites have assessed the psychosocial side of their business .

12 | Aycliffe Business