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Month: May 2023

Mental Health Awareness Week is an important reminder to think about mental health, tackle stigma, and explore how to prevent mental health problems.

The construction industry continues to face a mental health crisis in worker wellbeing that shows no signs of improvement. Rather, current statistics indicate the situation is getting worse.

Around 20% of all cases of ill health in the sector are due to stress, anxiety, or depression (with the true number of cases likely being higher due to a lack of reporting and recording). As a result, over 400,000 workdays are lost each year.

According to the Office for National Statistics, construction workers are three times more likely to see suicide than workers in any other industry. And if you are working in construction trades or groundworks, that number is even higher – about eight times more likely.

Systemic problems such as long hours, lack of diversity (with construction being a male-dominated industry), lack of employer awareness & support, extended time working away from home, and the precarious nature of many construction projects are all contributing factors to this crisis.

Making Wellbeing Visible

We must act now to drive positive change in wellbeing in the industry and ultimately save lives. In order to make a sustained change at the levels and the pace that we need to, this action needs to be a collaborative effort.

The new Make It Visible web portal aims to combat mental health problems facing the built environment industry by providing free wellbeing support to workers and their families.

To mark the launch of the portal, the School is hosting a virtual conference on Wednesday 24th May to discuss the importance of creating an effective wellbeing culture, how to work together to scale improvements in welfare and wellbeing, and the practical steps companies can take.

Attendees will hear from experts from CITB, Considerate Constructors Scheme, Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity and Ripple & Co. along with major contractors, including Canary Wharf Contractors, Lendlease, L Lynch and Speedy Services.

Find out more about our ‘Scaling Wellbeing & Welfare Improvement in the Built Environment: #MakeItVisible Launch’ conference here.

Written by Lyndsey Morrison, the Wellbeing Lead at the Supply Chain Sustainability School.

Today, we released our 2023 Impact Report, which surveyed over one thousand of our members across the country to get their thoughts on what is important to their organisation and supply chain, plus find out how the School has continued to positively impact their organisation and supply chain, through the School’s free practical learning and support.

The past few years have been challenging for the built environment industry; the pandemic made for a very unsure time, closely followed by the global economic downturn putting pressures on the industry with material shortages and steep rises in costs. However, sustainability remains firmly at the top of the agenda worldwide, meaning more opportunities for the School to continue to grow and widen its impact.

Reflecting this, the Supply Chain Sustainability School’s engagement figures are up significantly, with 24,160 (+44%) individuals from 5,503 companies (+30%) actively learning through the School. This has driven a 35% increase in resource views compared to the previous year. At the same time, quality ratings for the training received by the members remain very high, with 95% rating the training by Action Sustainability consultants as good or excellent.

Shaun McCarthy OBE, Chair of the Supply Chain Sustainability School, commented: “It’s been another brilliant year for the School and we are thrilled to have over 24,000 individuals training through our learning platform. However, we recognise that there is still a way to go to achieve our vision of an industry where everyone will have the skills and knowledge to deliver a sustainable future. To achieve mass impact, technology will be a key focus moving forward. It is our hope that this additional technological investment and expertise will not only support the School’s growth, but ensure it is armed for arising opportunities so we can continue to provide membership with accessible and credible learning.”

Organisations are becoming increasingly interested in understanding sustainability and embedding more sustainable practices. Many members have identified the School as a powerful tool to help them do this. Almost three-quarters of members (73%) reported that the School has helped them to better understand their organisation’s sustainability impacts. The School has also helped 65% of members improve their understanding of modern slavery, and 54% to increase their understanding of Fairness, Inclusion and Respect.

Members also shared how the School has helped them to improve their sustainability impacts. This includes reductions in carbon emissions (52% of members) and total waste (50%), as well as increased community engagement (57%) and apprentice numbers (50%). Read the full report here.

Julia Barrett, Chief Sustainability Officer at Willmott Dixon, commented: “The School continues to drive massive change for the industry by providing free virtual learning across a huge range of subjects. This year once again, it’s proven that through collaboration the industry can thrive. To increase our sustainability impacts further, we would love more members to register and learn through School, and more Partners to work with us to identify key issues and share new ideas.”

The School is delivered by Action Sustainability and part-funded by CITB and industry Partners, with over 190 Partners leading the direction of the School. Working in collaboration, Partners share knowledge and free resources to inspire the UK built environment to drive positive change.

Last year, the School and our team were awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development in recognition of the significant environmental, social and economic benefits we have delivered.

If you are working or aspire to work within the built environment industry, sign up to the Supply Chain Sustainability School for FREE this spring. You will benefit from over 400 free training sessions, tailored assessments with action plans and a library of over 3,300 online resources.

If you are already a member or Partner, spread the word! https://www.supplychainschool.co.uk/about/membership/