How we do it

Here are some of the approaches we commonly use in our work:

We are committed to using evidence to help the organisations we work with make the best possible decisions.

Learn more about our approach.

Solving problems requires tackling them in different ways and at different levels. We take an integrated, multi-level approach to provide holistic solutions that work. This means that we look at the wellbeing support you currently provide and assess how well they work together and whether they cover the different types of support that research shows is necessary.

See further how we map the support that is or could be provided using the intervention framework.

We take a holistic approach to assessing risk in the workplace and identifying barriers and facilitators to health and wellbeing. We are accustomed to using a range of available frameworks, including the HSE Management Standards, ISO 45003, SafeWork Australia and Mental Health at Work Commitment.

We also often use our own framework, the Affinity Working Well Framework to bring together these factors. Get a more detailed look and see a collection of our previous work with the framework.

Due to the ever-increasing number of wellbeing frameworks, awards and standards available in the market, we worked in collaboration with our Research Consortium to develop a consolidated framework that brings together the best of the existing framework, into an achievable, step-by-step model that allows organisations to plan out their journey to better workplace wellbeing.

Find out more how our maturity model allows organisations to assess where they are now in terms of providing various elements of good practice for workplace wellbeing, identify their next best steps and prioritise these into an achievable plan, rather than aiming for a gold standard which may feel unattainable.

Stress is the leading cause of absence in the workplace. One of the best ways to manage stress is to improve manager skills to deal with it. With 20 years of global research behind it, one of our strongest tools is the Management Competencies for Preventing and Reducing Stress. Based on an extensive research project conducted in collaboration with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD), this framework of behaviours has been shown to effectively reduce stress and improve wellbeing in organisations around the world.

Learn more about the framework.

A shared responsibility for health and wellbeing at work is essential for any programme of activities to succeed. Developed through our work conducted in collaboration with the University of Sheffield, the IGLOo model provides clarity on the roles and responsibilities at each of the IGLOo levels - Individual, Group, Leader, Organisation, Outside.

Dive deeper into the IGLOo model and our application of it with clients.

Absence management is increasingly a priority for organisations, yet putting in place strategies to support people to return to work, and stay in work can be challenging. Drawing on the latest research and NICE, WHO and CIPD recommendations, we have worked with academic partners at Loughborough University and the University of Nottingham to develop and test our Absence Management Framework. The framework helps to identify the specific drivers of absence in an organisation and provide evidence-based recommendations to support successful return to work journeys for more employees.

The framework has been tested through research in over 43 organisations.

Dive deeper into the evidence that informs the Absence Management Framework and how we use the approach to reduce absence and support people to thrive in work.