The Beckmead Trust: Reducing Staff Absence and Empowering Managers
How a Special Educational Needs Trust went from overwhelmed to in control - transforming absence management with real-time insights and a consistent approach.
Absence Management in a Complex Educational Setting
Before partnering with Honeydew, Beckmead Trust faced very high levels of staff absence, overwhelmed HR teams, and a system that simply wasn’t fit for purpose.
With Honeydew’s Day-1 Absence Reporting and ongoing support, the Trust gained accurate data, empowered its managers, and turned absence management into a proactive, people-first process.
HR Representative, The Beckmead Trust
“Before Honeydew, our absence levels were very high and our employees felt
bombarded and pressured to return to work, they will be called 6 or 7 times regardless of the situation”
HR Representative, The Beckmead Trust
"Honeydew understood our needs and requirements from the start and the implementation was a smooth process, Honeydew supported us all the way through from the beginning, the process, the onboarding, everything, it was really smooth"
HR Representative, The Beckmead Trust
“We are impressed with the quality of service. The Honeydew Team was able to support us when needed, meeting with the school’s Head Teachers and going through training, making sure they were fully aware of how the system works. The service is like a one-stop shop”
The Challenge
Key Absence Management Challenges
As a multi-academy trust supporting over 800 children and young people with special educational needs, Beckmead Trust needed an absence management solution that could match the complexity of their organisation.
Before Honeydew:
- Absence levels were extremely high
- Staff felt overwhelmed and unsupported
- Existing systems lacked accurate data and meaningful reporting
- Head Teachers lacked the tools and visibility to act consistently
- HR had limited oversight to support strategic decisions
The Solution
The Solution: Day-1 Absence Reporting & Real-Time Insights
In 2022, The Beckmead Trust implemented Honeydew’s Day-1 Absence Reporting Service - a smooth rollout supported by full training and onboarding for both HR and Head Teachers.
Key features included:
- 24/7 Absence Reporting Line handled by trained professionals
- SMS option for employees to close absence records
- Immediate access to accurate absence data
- A single, consistent absence management approach across the Trust
- Proactive triggers for OH referrals and review meetings
The Results
Results: More Visibility, Less Absence
The impact was felt across the organisation - from school leaders to HR and employees.
The situation now:
- Clearer absence trends and cost insights with accurate, real-time data
- Consistent, policy-compliant absence reporting across the Trust
- Improved case management and manager accountability
- Prompt OH referrals triggered at the right time
- Better decisions powered by visibility and structured workflows
Could this be your story too?
If you're facing high absence rates, disconnected systems, or lack of actionable data - Honeydew can help.
Let’s build a solution that works for your organisation and your people.