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Active Blackpool is supporting a ground-breaking new initiative set to improve the health and wellbeing of employees across Lancashire following a multi-million-pound funding boost.
UK Research and Innovation's (UKRI) healthy ageing challenge fund has given £3 million to an Active Lancashire led project which will upskill gym and leisure centre employees to conduct physical and mental health screenings in workplaces across the county.
Workplace Health Champions
Supported by ESF funding, the Workplace Health Champions Training project aims to support people aged 18+ who are in work, to develop skills to maintain or advance their employment.
The project will deliver free basic skills training, level 2 and level 3 Workplace Health Champion qualifications to employees in SMEs across Lancashire, empowering them with tools, resources and guidance to drive positive change in their organisation. As a result, a community of upskilled and passionate Workplace Health Champions will work collaboratively with our delivery partners and each other to continue to inspire and motivate their colleagues to live happier healthier lives.
'Screenings'
Delivering more than 15,000 health screenings over a three-year period, the Workplace Health Screening Project will target businesses with employees aged 50+ and SMEs that experience lower productivity levels due to poor employee health.
The screening tool and associated training programme have been developed by specialists from the University of Central Lancashire's (UCLan) School of Medicine and are consistent with the approach used in NHS medical practices to identify conditions that can lead to poor health in later life.
Businesses will then be offered a range of supportive interventions for employees based on the outcomes of the screenings, encompassing both physical and mental health support. The interventions will be delivered by a range of Lancashire-based providers and will empower employees with the tools to improve their overall health, whilst employers will benefit from increased productivity and resilience within their workforces.
The project brings together a range of local and national partners and forms part of the wider 'Business Health Matters' programme, which helps SMEs understand how they can support their staff; an issue that has been identified in a survey of more than 400 local businesses over the last 12 months.