Kernow Vet Group are celebrating being the only vets in Cornwall to win a silver Healthy Workplace award from Cornwall County Council for the health and well-being initiatives they have put in place for their staff. Working within the veterinary industry can mean long hours and tough, life-or-death decisions which can have a profound impact on the mental health of all staff. Suicide rates in the industry being 4 times that of the national average. Add to that the restrictions and difficulties we are all experiencing, due to the Global pandemic, and it is clear that mental health and well-being should be top of the agenda within businesses. The management at KVG recognises, as an employer, they have a responsibility to make sure the health and well-being of their staff is firmly on the agenda. Practice Manager and Director, Renay Rickard said, “At Kernow Veterinary Group we believe in the importance of excellent patient, client and staff care. We are dedicated to continually improving as an employer and work with staff to develop health and wellbeing initiatives to support employees with both their physical and mental health. Kernow Veterinary Group are proud to be the only Veterinary practice in Cornwall to be a Healthy Workplace Employer. We joined The Cornwall Healthy Workplace Programme in 2019 and were awarded a bronze award for our hard work and commitments to this. She went on to say, “2020 proved to be a testing and turbulent year for so many, however over the past 12 months, following the efforts and enthusiasm of our HR and Wellbeing coordinator, support of management and staff engagement, we are delighted to announce that we have now achieved a Silver Award. This workplace award is a county standard of good practice and a quality mark of health and wellbeing in the workplace, which we will strive to embed now and years to come. Well done team KVG!” Kernow Veterinary Group intend to continue to contribute to the health and well-being of their employees by embedding what they have currently achieved, with input from staff to help develop future initiatives. Jade Trevenna, HR Co-ordinator for the group said, “We spend such a large portion of our lives at work. We believe that having a close team who look out for each other, both professionally and personally, is a top priority. It is so important, and even more so now, that we continue to embed our wellness initiatives, building on the work we have already done to create a happy, healthy workplace culture.”

Tamsyn Cleave RVN & Karen Searle Receptionist enjoying their fruit.