Western Isles employers were named as some of Scotland’s safest, healthiest organisations at an Awards ceremony held in Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway on Friday 24th January.
A total of 11 Western Isles organisations were presented with Healthy Working Lives Awards in recognition of their efforts to create healthier workplaces.
NHS Western Isles received the Gold award, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Stornoway office) and Sgoil a Bhac received the Silver award, and SEPA, Langabhat Medical Practice, Nicolson Institute, Police Scotland, Dun Eisdean, Volunteering Western Isles, Department of Work and Pensions, and Action for Children received the Bronze award.
The Healthy Working Lives Awards, administered by the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives, encourage employers to promote a healthier workforce and cover a wide range of topics including health promotion, mental health and wellbeing and occupational health and safety.
NHS Western Isles Healthy Working Lives Advisor, Norma Macleod, said: “Encouraging workplace health should never be a chore or a second thought – a healthy workforce is the key to success for organisations in all sectors. The Healthy Working Lives Award programme provides a clear framework to creating better workplaces and healthier and happier employees.”
NHS Western Isles Chief Executive, Gordon Jamieson, opened the award ceremony by congratulating all the workplaces for achieving awards, demonstrating the importance of a commitment to staff wellbeing.
He said: “It is fantastic that 11 local organisations have successfully passed the assessment to achieve an award. Organisations have achieved bronze, silver and gold awards and I look forward to everyone supporting each other to all eventually achieve the gold standard.
“For NHS Western Isles, as a healthcare organisation, it is vitally important that our organisation is healthy, and that we promote opportunities to improve the health and wellbeing of our staff. Research strongly suggests that levels of satisfaction and wellbeing among NHS staff has a direct impact on patients’ experiences of healthcare. Investing in staff wellbeing is therefore not only important for the workforce but also for quality of care that we provide to our patients.”
For more information on the support available from the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives, call the national Adviceline on 0800 019 2211 or visit www.healthyworkinglives.com.