Lincoln College

You Matter (recognition and reward)

Facing sustained wellbeing, retention and engagement risks, intensified by workforce shortages, funding constraints, rising demand and increasing levels of stress and mental ill health, Lincoln College knew it needed to implement a health and wellbeing initiative that would work for a multigenerational workforce. 

Stress and mental ill health consistently featured as a leading cause of sickness absence, mirroring national further education trends, and turnover and early attrition rates, particularly within the first year of employment and in skills shortage roles in key curriculum areas, posed a clear risk to the quality of learning and teaching (LAT), colleague wellbeing and financial sustainability.  

“For a public sector employer with limited scope to compete on pay alone, investing in holistic wellbeing was both a moral responsibility and a strategic necessity,” the college said. In response, it launched its You Matter initiative in September 2024 as part of its People Plan and Vision 2030, an initiative praised by the judges for bringing together wellbeing, engagement and reward and recognition, “powerful interrelated elements that have obviously helped to embed the programme across the workforce and gain buy-in and sustainability”.

The initiative, described as “very inspiring” by the judges, was delivered through You Matter, an organisation-wide wellbeing, reward and recognition offer structured across six themed pillars (mind, body, soul, money, family and recognition). You Matter was designed to support a multigenerational workforce and varied working patterns, “critical in a public sector context”, and unified existing provision with targeted new initiatives into a single, insight-led offer available to all staff, who could personalise support to their needs. 

To create the initiative, workforce data on sickness absence, turnover, engagement and wellbeing were combined with staff feedback gathered through surveys, forums and pulse checks, and a cross-functional approach brought together people services, senior leaders, communications teams, trade unions, mental health first aiders and wellbeing champions to ensure shared ownership. Meanwhile, leadership capability was strengthened in parallel, recognising the pivotal role of managers in creating psychologically safe and supportive workplace cultures.  

As a result, overall turnover has reduced to 14 per cent, down from 25 per cent in 2022-23, while early attrition fell to 17 per cent, down from 25 per cent the previous year and 38 per cent in 2022-23. This represents an overall 21 percentage point reduction since 2022-23. And critically, stress and mental health-related absence fell by 13 per cent.