7 Jun 2024
Launching the scheme during day one of its BVA Live event, association says it will support well-being and help to boost recruitment and retention within practices.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Image: BVA
BVA has launched its Great Workplaces accreditation scheme, which it hopes will help build a thriving veterinary workforce.
The scheme, launched on the first day of BVA Live yesterday (6 June), aims to recognise and reward positive workplace culture and is the association’s latest step to support the profession to tackle challenges in recruitment and retention.
BVA is making the scheme available to all veterinary professionals and workplaces – both clinical and non-clinical – and aims to put a spotlight on workplaces that prioritise their staff’s well-being and professional development, and that allow team members to feel valued and empowered.
The launch of Great Workplaces comes as data from the BVA’s latest Voice of the Veterinary Profession Survey revealed 62% of vets working in clinical practice in the UK do not always get breaks during their working day to either eat or rest.
But while 98% of vets say a workplace’s commitment to work-life balance is important to them when considering what makes a good workplace, almost two-thirds say they only sometimes or rarely achieve such a balance.
BVA president Anna Judson said: “As well as attracting more people to join our veterinary profession, ensuring we retain the incredible talent we already have is critical to building a resilient and sustainable veterinary workforce.”
Dr Judson added: “Positive workplace culture is central to achieving this and Great Workplaces by BVA is an innovative new approach that puts the well-being of vet teams front and centre. The knock-on impact will be good for vets and vet practices, good for clients and ultimately, good for animal welfare.
“Workplaces accredited under this new scheme, will be seen as employers of choice, attracting top talent who seek fulfilling careers and a healthy work-life balance. For existing team members, working in a recognised Great Workplace could enhance job satisfaction.”
To achieve Great Workplaces accreditation, each workplace will have a dedicated and experienced accreditor from a veterinary background, who will work with leadership teams and employees.
Workplaces will be assessed against an accreditation framework covering four key themes:
Successful workplaces will achieve either gold or silver, but will be able to work towards higher from silver and would hold the accreditation for three years before reassessment.
Dr Judson added: “We’ve set out a vision for how a good veterinary workplace should look, created resources and highlighted the core principles that every workplace should follow. Now, with Great Workplaces by the BVA, we’re going one step further to recognise and celebrate workplaces where vet teams thrive.”
Visit www.bva.co.uk/great-workplaces for further information.
