New initiative supports staff wellbeing at Doncaster Deaf Trust

Doncaster Deaf Trust has joined forces with an innovative wellbeing programme to help support staff with their own health and wellbeing.

The Trust, which employs more than 300 people and manages Doncaster School for the Deaf, Communication Specialist College Doncaster, Little Learner’s Day Nursery, Aspire to Be employability programme and Dickson House care home, has created a Wellbeing Forum, made up of staff from across departments as part of its comprehensive wellbeing strategy.

The Trust has also partnered with Mind Wellbeing, a pioneering 12-month self-leadership programme rooted in prevention and embedded self-development.

The programme equips individuals with lifelong skills in emotional regulation, self-leadership, and mindset awareness, using practical tools to help embed lasting change and improve overall wellbeing and work-life balance.

Hannah Dunn, founder of Mind Wellbeing, said: “At Doncaster Deaf Trust, we’ve been privileged to work alongside the Wellbeing Forum to create a preventative, not reactive, wellbeing culture within the Trust.

“Staff have already expressed deep appreciation for the programme's reflective nature, and the HR team recognises its long-term value in leadership and employee wellbeing.

“At its heart, Mind Wellbeing is about connection, to ourselves, to one another, and to our communities. We deeply believe that when people are struggling with their mind wellbeing, it often reflects a lack of meaningful connection to self and community.

“The workplace provides a powerful platform for this preventative approach. As a daily environment where people spend much of their time, it offers an ideal setting to build awareness and nurture a proactive mindset alongside self-care techniques. By embedding wellbeing training at the organisational level, we not only strengthen teams and enhance productivity but also create positive ripple effects that extend into families, schools, and the wider community. This is about reshaping how we live and work, from the inside out.”

Phil Carter, Human Resources Director at Doncaster Deaf Trust, said: “Working with Mind Wellbeing has been transformational as we explore new and innovative ways to support our staff with their mind wellbeing. People are increasingly recognising how important it is to care for both physical and mental health. As an employer, we must acknowledge the role we play in supporting our staff and equip them with the expertise and practical knowledge they need to help themselves and each other with our support.

“We couldn’t deliver what we do at here at Doncaster Deaf Trust without our committed and dedicated team and it is vital we do what we can to ensure they lead happy and healthy lives both at work and at home.  Working with Mind Wellbeing is just one of the ways we are doing this.”

For more information, please visit www.deaf-trust.co.uk