Building better: how the Danny Sullivan Group is redefining operative wellbeing

Danny Sullivan Group is a Business Reporter client

High performance. High welfare. High compliance. The three principles shaping safer, healthier infrastructure through a modernised, people-first culture.

These three principles define the Danny Sullivan Group’s proposition in 2026. In reality, however, they have underpinned the business for four decades.

Since 1986, DSG has built its reputation as the UK’s leading labour supplier to the infrastructure industry, by investing in what matters most: people. As a family-owned business, the company has always believed that exceptional projects begin with exceptional people, and that looking after its workforce isn’t simply good practice, it’s good business.

Providing operatives with meaningful work, continuous training, opportunities to develop their careers, rewarding performance and ensuring every individual returns home safely has always been integral into the company’s DNA.

Today, that philosophy is evolving. Rather than changing who it is, DSG is modernising how it supports its workforce, placing wellbeing at the centre of a high-performance culture designed for the demands of modern infrastructure delivery.

“Culture is a word that’s often overused in business,” says Kacey O’Driscoll, Managing Director of the Danny Sullivan Group.

“For us, this is about strengthening one that’s existed, authentically, for 40 years. We’re simply modernising the way we support our people so they can perform at their very best, professionally and personally.”

As a key supplier to the infrastructure industry, DSG believes it has a responsibility to help raise standards across the sector.

“We have a unique opportunity, and a duty, to redefine what wellbeing looks like on infrastructure projects,” continues O’Driscoll.

“Duty of care extends far beyond compliance. High-performance cultures are built when people feel safe, supported and valued. Being family-owned allows us to embed those values throughout every part of our business, giving our people the best opportunity to succeed while enjoying a good quality of life.”

Award-winning commitment

That commitment is already receiving industry recognition.

In the first half of 2026, DSG was recognised with Galliford Try’s Supply Chain Mental Health Champion Award, celebrating its proactive approach to workforce wellbeing. The business has also recently been shortlisted for the Construction News and New Civil Engineer Inspiring Women in Construction Awards in the Excellence in Mental Health and Wellbeing category, further demonstrating that wellbeing has become a defining part of its business strategy rather than a standalone initiative.

Further reinforcing its people-first culture, DSG has recently achieved Disability Confident Level 2 (Employer) status. The accreditation reflects the company’s commitment to creating an inclusive workplace where talent is recognised on ability, barriers to employment are actively removed and every individual has the opportunity to contribute and succeed.

Wellbeing beyond compliance

While safety remains fundamental, DSG believes wellbeing extends far beyond preventing accidents.

Its approach encompasses physical health, mental wellbeing, nutrition, hydration, fatigue management, career development and creating an environment where people feel confident asking for support.

A key part of this strategy is DSG’s evolving programme of dynamic Toolbox Talks. Moving beyond traditional health and safety briefings, DSG uses these regular, interactive sessions to encourage open conversations about topics including mental health, financial wellbeing, healthy lifestyles, fatigue awareness and personal resilience.

Delivered in bite-sized, engaging formats, they provide practical guidance while helping normalise conversations that have historically been overlooked across construction and infrastructure.

Partnerships that make a difference

Recognising that specialist expertise creates greater impact, DSG has partnered with organisations that share its ambition to improve workforce wellbeing.

Its partnership with Ladsminds provides operatives with access to mental health resources, campaigns and support designed specifically for the construction industry, encouraging open conversations and tackling stigma.

Physical wellbeing is equally important. Through its partnership with Whole Supp, DSG employees receive an exclusive 50 per cent discount on nutritional products that support energy, recovery and overall health. For operatives working in physically demanding environments, maintaining good nutrition plays a vital role in sustaining both wellbeing and performance.

Innovation also forms part of the company’s wellbeing strategy. DSG is currently trialling wearable helmet tracking technology to improve site safety, better understand workforce movements and identify opportunities to reduce risk before incidents occur. The initiative reflects the company’s belief that technology should support people, not replace them.

Underpinning every aspect of DSG’s wellbeing strategy is its flagship SMILE360 programme, the overarching framework through which all wellbeing initiatives are designed, delivered and measured. Rather than operating as a series of standalone campaigns, SMILE360 brings together mental health, physical wellbeing, learning, financial wellbeing, inclusion, engagement and welfare into one joined-up approach. It provides the structure that connects the partnerships and future-focussed initiatives, ensuring wellbeing is embedded into everyday working life rather than treated as a one-off intervention.

Beyond the gate

Importantly, DSG believes creating healthier infrastructure extends beyond the site gate. While SMILE360 is transforming the wellbeing of operatives, the business is also investing in the resilience of the industry’s senior leaders through its new Sustainability Circuit programme. Delivered in partnership with Manor Gym, the invitation-only executive wellness series brings together senior infrastructure professionals for structured fitness sessions, meaningful conversation and peer networking, recognising that resilient leadership is fundamental to building resilient organisations. By encouraging physical activity, stronger relationships and open discussions about wellbeing, DSG is helping create a healthier, more connected infrastructure community, from the boardroom to the frontline.

Supporting youth football is another important off-site extension of the Danny Sullivan Group’s culture and its commitment to developing wellbeing from the earliest possible stages. Inspired by Kacey’s lifelong passion for the game, the company is this year sponsoring three youth teams: a newly established girls’ club in London, an under-9s boys’ team in Norwich and England’s Lionesses youth team, competing in the Gothia Cup in Sweden this summer. Youth sport doesn’t just build athletes. It builds character, discipline, teamwork and resilience, the same values that underpin everything Danny Sullivan Group tries to do in business and instil in the communities its operatives live and work in.

Building the future of infrastructure

As demand for infrastructure continues to grow, so too does the need to attract, retain and develop the people who deliver it.

The latest CITB Construction Workforce Outlook forecasts that the UK construction sector will require more than 206,000 additional workers over the next five years, while the government’s long-term infrastructure pipeline is expected to require between 629,000 and 706,000 construction and infrastructure workers annually.

In such a competitive labour market, organisations that prioritise wellbeing, career development and culture will be best placed to attract talent and retain the skilled workforce the industry urgently needs.

For DSG, investing in wellbeing is not simply about meeting industry expectations. It is about creating safer sites, stronger teams and better project outcomes for clients and citizens across the UK and beyond.

At the Danny Sullivan Group, that belief has shaped the business for 40 years. Today, it is leading the way in redefining what operative wellbeing looks like for the next 40.

To find out more about the group’s industry-leading wellbeing programme, or to register your interest in finding work as an operative or workers for your project, visit www.dannysullivan.co.uk or follow Danny Sullivan Group on LinkedIn.