Leeds Trinity University has been shortlisted in the Universities Human Resources (UHR) 2019 Awards for Exceptional HR Team? of the Year, in recognition of the University's holistic approach to engagement, health and wellbeing.

In January 2017, Leeds Trinity was one of the first universities to launchJuice, an online portal created to support the health and wellbeing of its 450 academic and professional staff. ?

Employees can benefit from regular health checks, weekly fruit deliveries, mindfulness workshops, Tai Chi and Learning Lunches which cover topics such as mental health, nutrition and financial wellbeing. These sessions are free, and staff can attend during their working hours.

Since the launch of Juice, there has been a 13% increase in the number of staff (56% to 69%) who believe that the University is effective in supporting wellbeing, with this figure likely to rise by 2020.

More recently, the University also launched a more positive approach to Absence Management, which ensures that anyone experiencing illness due to mental health is fully supported by HR and line managers, through a "Day 1" reporting mechanism. This was supplemented by Mental Health Awareness training delivered byLeeds Mind.

This proactive approach has meant that mental health absences at Leeds Trinity are now 3.4% lower than the sector target, with the HR team supporting employees returning to work after suffering from complex and serious mental health illness.

Darren Worsnop, Head of HR Systems and Projects at Leeds Trinity University, said: "We are delighted that Leeds Trinity has been shortlisted at the UHR Awards. It is great to see that our commitment to staff wellbeing through Juice has been recognised for the second year running and the impact this has had alongside our Absence Management policy.

"The Exceptional HR category identifies innovative and effective practices, and we want to ensure that our employees are happy and feel supported both in and outside of work."

Juice, which features a wealth of online information resources including an activities calendar to promote positive lifestyle changes, was co-founded by Leeds Trinity alumnus Gary Butterfield. The University is one of the first in the country to implement the Juice platform.

The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony on Thursday 23 May at theUHR Conference Awards Gala Dinner in Manchester.?