Healthy Working Lives: the contribution of the voluntary sector

 

Improved employment experience and employability are key to combating health inequalities. Healthy Working Lives (HWL) is Scotland’s programme for maintaining and improving workplace health and supporting people to improve their employability and employment chances.

Central to HWL is the Award Programme which supports employers and employees to take forward health improvement and safety measures in the workplace and gain recognition of achievements at Bronze, Silver and Gold levels.

Voluntary Health Scotland is a member of the National Advisory and Advocacy Group (NAAG) for HWL and with SCVO has undertaken to inform its members about the value of the Award Scheme, through which SCVO has itself gained the Bronze Award.

The third sector makes a difference to HWL in three key ways:

• By engaging in the HWL Award scheme directly – VHS and SCVO are keen to encourage more organisations to do so
• By promoting the value of HWL throughout the wider third sector
• By encouraging employers (whether in the private, public or voluntary sector) to make use of the many specialist services provided by the third sector, focusing especially on supports that contribute to workplace health / wellbeing and employability

VHS is currently seeking information about this third area. We are particularly seeking examples of work in:

• Mental health, counselling, stress management, complementary therapies, exercise / fitness
• Substance use reduction – smoking cessation, alcohol counselling, drugs rehabilitation work
• Support for people at work who are affected by long-term conditions and disabilities e.g. MS, arthritis
• Employability services

It would help greatly if you answer the brief questions below and submit your answers to Voluntary Health Scotland. We intend to produce a report of the vital contribution that the third sector makes to Healthy Working Lives in Scotland.

Please be assured that any information you provide will be used in strict confidence.

Helen Tyrrell
Voluntary Health Scotland