Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) transforms lives through innovative, inclusive and entrepreneurial education and research. ARU is the UK University of the Year (Times Higher Education Awards 2023), holds a Gold award for the quality of its education, awarded through the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), and has been named University of the Year at the UK Social Mobility Awards.
ARU’s research institutes and four faculties bridge scientific, technical and creative fields, delivering impactful research which tackles pressing issues and makes a real difference to our communities. Their academic excellence has been recognised by the UK’s Higher Education funding bodies, with 16 of our research areas assessed as world-leading.
With main campuses in Cambridge, Chelmsford, Peterborough and Writtle, they are the largest provider in the East of England of undergraduates employed in the health and social work sector, and one of the UK’s leading universities for degree apprenticeship provision, working with hundreds of employers across the country.
The Challenge
ARU realised that the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) they had in place was disconnected and wasn’t benefitting their hard-working staff community to the level they were aiming for across the university.
ARU wanted to create a well-rounded supportive framework for their employees, one that colleagues would feel comfortable and confident to reach out to at any stage, should they need support with their mental health or other wellbeing needs.
The Solution
ARU partnered with Spectrum.Life to help them achieve their goal of a holistic wellbeing offering for their employees. The availability of 24/7 in-the-moment support was a critical deciding factor for ARU in choosing Spectrum Life over other providers. Spectrum Life provides immediate access to a qualified and accredited counsellor at any time of day, wherever they may be, 365 days per year. Following an initial in-the-moment support call, where clinically appropriate, employees also have quick and easy access to short-term counselling, another key factor in ARU’s choice. With long waiting lists and high costs of counselling in the UK, the availability of counselling in short order from the initial assessment and point of need, elevates the support available to staff.
Spectrum.Life’s Digital Wellbeing Platform has enabled ARU to upgrade its overall wellbeing offering for staff. With wider wellbeing support available including Recipe Videos for nutrition, BeCalm meditation for mindfulness, Digital Gym classes for fitness and even a Discount Marketplace for financial wellbeing, there is something for everyone.
The Impact
At the induction stage of onboarding a new member of staff at ARU, there is significant emphasis put on the wellbeing support available to staff and students. The reaction from new staff has been positive, with many surprised at the comprehensiveness of the support and the range of areas that staff have access to. ARU’s staff survey also revealed that 70% of their employees know what Mental Health and Wellbeing support is available and what they need to do to access support should they need to. This indicates that there is an increased confidence in the support available, increasing the utilisation of the EAP.
ARU has seen a significant increase in the number of colleagues signing up to the Spectrum.Life Digital Wellbeing Platform, with 40% of staff currently registered, versus 20% registrations on the previous platform. With the extensive support available across a wide range of wellbeing topics including mental health, fitness, nutrition and more, this enables the ARU team to promote key awareness dates alongside resources that resonate with employees and support colleagues to improve their own wellbeing.
Feedback from staff is overwhelmingly positive, and the senior leadership team are confident in the knowledge that ARU staff have access to personal and professional support for their mental health and wellbeing, should they need it, no matter the time of day.
Impact statements
Spectrum.Life’s Employee Assistance Programme has broadened the range of support services we are able to provide to our staff and is intrinsic to the holistic approach ARU takes to employee wellbeing. Spectrum.Life offers a comprehensive support system that includes the all-important confidential counselling service, however the service goes beyond the norm providing information, advice and support on personal real-life issues such as parent coaching, relationships, gender issues and legal, consumer, career and personal finance matters. Put simply, through Spectrum.Life support services, ARU colleagues can independently access the resources they and their families need, at the time they need it.
Janis Westley, HR Director, Anglia Ruskin University
