HELPING STAFF GET HEALTHY!

NEW SHG PROGRAMME TO SUPPORT WORKFORCE WELLBEING

A St Helena Government (SHG) -wide programme – ‘Workforce Wellbeing’ – will start in each of SHG’s Directorates from Wednesday, 1 August 2018.

The programme, which started first within the Health Directorate from 1 June 2018, is designed so that it is easy to be ‘owned’ and co-ordinated by each Directorate. It aims to support and encourage staff members to enhance their health and wellbeing.

The programme will be tailored by each Directorate’s staff members, to suit their staff working patterns, locations and the kind of opportunities their staff want to include. A major focus of the programme is to help staff get started with their own actions particularly on diet, weight, and physical activity as the major factors to prevent and reduce risk of type-two diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancers. In future there will be scope to also include wider health issues such as good mental health.

The Workforce Wellbeing Programme started out with three main opportunities that were suggested by staff members to appeal to different parts of the workforce:

  • ‘Personal MOT’ sessions which are offered to staff, giving them a chance to have their own ‘engine and bodywork’ checked out. These are short bookable sessions with a series of health checks and advice and support on simple measures they can personally take to address any underlying issues
  • A weekly opportunity for staff to take part with their colleagues in an organised activity to get them moving, such as a group walk. The emphasis is on fun activities to encourage a broad range of people to take part at their own pace, at a level comfortable for them and also activities that are easier to fit into lunch or official break time
  • Each Directorate will set their own team challenges focused on a lifestyle health they have chosen that they want to tackle in a fun and competitive way

Chairman of the Public Health Committee, Councillor Derek Thomas, said:

“Our Government workforce includes a large proportion of our community members and so this programme has potential to encourage and support a sizeable number of people to improve their health. I am pleased that the programme has been designed with input from community members and each part of the workforce will have opportunities relevant to themselves. I encourage our community members and SHG staff to make the most of the opportunities available.”

Chief Secretary, Susan O’Bey, added:

“The health and wellbeing of all our employees is extremely important, we want to ensure that staff members are supported to make lifestyle choices which will enable them to lead healthy lives. The Workforce Wellbeing Programme offers an opportunity for employees to look after their health and the activity opportunity can both motivate and support individuals to participate at their own level.”

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 SHG

24 July 2018

St Helena Government Communications Hub

Telephone: 22470
Email: kimberley.peters@sainthelena.gov.sh