More than nine in 10 (94%) people working at Priory recognise the positive difference they are making to the lives of those they support, according to the organisation’s latest annual colleague engagement survey results.
Now in its fourth year, the survey provides data from thousands of colleagues, measuring colleague satisfaction and motivation levels, engagement with core priorities and career development opportunities.
Priory is the UK’s largest independent provider of mental health and adult social care services, supporting 26,000 people each year across 280 sites with a workforce of more than 14,000.
More colleagues than ever before, 55%, completed the 2025 survey, with Priory donating £1 from every survey completed to charity partner Chasing the Stigma. The results revealed a record 78% engagement score – a three percentage point increase from 2024 and a 20 percentage point increase from 2021.
Every survey category improved year on year for a second year running, with 83% of colleagues reporting they are comfortable being their true self at work and 84% experiencing positive opportunities to learn and develop new skills, as well as 76% providing positive feedback on their career progression opportunities.
80% of colleagues said they were proud to work for Priory and 72% would recommend Priory as a great place to work with 75% saying they would recommend Priory services to friends and family – all increased on the prior year.
Jayne Stutt, chief people officer at Priory, said: “We are really pleased with this survey’s results. Our colleagues carry out outstanding work every single day to make a difference to the lives of the people we support and it is fantastic to see such positivity about Priory as an employer and the people around them.
“We have invested significantly in recent years to address staffing challenges amid national shortages across the UK mental health and social care sector, and our innovations in developing nurse degree apprenticeship programmes and promoting ‘care as a career’ at all levels have been critical in maintaining progress.
“We have also worked hard to embed a culture of openness, inclusion and trust where people feel they belong and colleagues are telling us that this is really visible to them and is creating an environment that enables them to flourish, which is amazing to hear.”
Rebekah Cresswell, Priory’s chief executive officer, said: “These survey results show colleagues across the UK can see and feel the impact they are making, and I am incredibly proud of everyone for their commitment and dedication.
“It is also so important to me to see that colleagues feel they belong at Priory and can be themselves, that our ongoing work to develop colleagues’ professional skills at every level is having an impact, and that people are seeing improved levels of wellbeing at work – all absolutely critical to our workplace.
“We will now build on these results with further colleague engagements events and activities throughout the year to ensure we keep improving Priory for our patients, residents and colleagues.”
ENDS
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About Priory and MEDIAN Group
Priory is the UK’s largest independent provider of mental health and adult social care services. Priory treats more than 70 conditions, including depression, anxiety, addictions and eating disorders, as well as children’s mental health, across its nationwide network of sites. Priory also supports autistic adults and adults with a learning disability, Prader-Willi Syndrome and brain injuries, as well as older people, within specialist residential care and supported living facilities – helping as many people as possible to live their lives.
Priory is part of the MEDIAN Group, the leading European provider of high-quality mental health and rehabilitation services. The MEDIAN Group comprises: Priory in the UK with 280 facilities and 5,000 beds caring for 26,000 people, MEDIAN in Germany with 120 facilities and 18,000 beds caring for 273,000 patients, and Hestia in Spain with 10 facilities and 2,000 beds caring for 10,000 people in Spain, with more than 30,000 employees across the group.