Swansea University Strategy for ‘Being a Healthy University’
Background: The Swansea University ‘Healthy University Group’ (HUG) was set up in January 2011 following Swansea successfully becoming the second Welsh designated World Health Organisation (WHO) Healthy City. The aim of the WHO Healthy City programme is: “to Join an elite band of cities that are working together to improve the health of local communities. This opportunity will bring a new focus that will include highlevel political leadership to promote health and reduce unfair health differences across communities”. The group has membership from across the University including:
Chair from the Deputy Head of College, Human & Health Science
Representation from College of Medicine, departments of Sport & Physical Recreation, Student Services, Human Resources, Marketing, Occupational Health, Students’ Union, Discovery, Estates and Facilites Management, Planning & Strategic Projects.
“A Healthy University aspires to create a learning environment and organisational culture that enhances the health, wellbeing and sustainability of its community and enables people to achieve their full potential.” Healthy Universities (2010). Aim: This strategy sets out how the University intends to actively promote and embed the positive physical, mental and social health and well being of its community through positive action. Positive health and wellbeing is not just the absence of illness; it combines many aspects including the physicial, social, emotional, spiritual, mental and societal. Factors such as environment, income, relationships, behaviour and choices will impact on positive health and wellbeing for the staff and student community.
Benefits: Positive health can reduce absenteeism, improve physical fitness and mental alertness and, as a result, increase productivity. The university experience, as well as providing a place for students to receive a formal education during a significant time in their lives and when habits in relation to health are starting to form. It is also an environment where students are developing personally and socially, influencing individuals’ values, priorities and the choices they make in their work, homes and communities. Objectives: 1. Establish a joined up holistic healthy ethos across the University. 2. Embed health promoting practices within the University structure to create an environment which is conducive to health and wellbeing. 3. Engage with Healthy Cities partners including Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board and The City and County of Swansea. 4. Facilitate healthy choices. 5. Identify funding streams within and beyond the institution to support developments aligned to Healthy University status. 6. Encourage communication and collaboration across the Healthy University Network, students and staff members, in relation to health, well‐being and sustainability. The achievement of the strategy will be delivered through:
Integrating health promotion into the ‘everyday’ structures and values of the University Encouraging wider interest and developments in healthy living Bridging the gap between health service expertise and specific health care needs within the student and staff population Healthy Living events
The achievement of the strategy will be supported by:
Strong leadership Robust planning Collaborative working within the University and with external agencies (particularly Healthy Cities partners) Coordination and development of existing health and wellbeing activity in other areas of the University Connecting with other Universities and organisations in order to recognise good practice and benchmark our performance
The achievement of the strategy will be measured through:
Audit of Healthy Living Activities The student experience Student/ staff retention Sickeness and absence records Measuring wellbeing
Workpackages: The workpackages are based on five areas for health promotion actions listed in the Ottowa Charter for Health Promotion. Please see figure 1 below:
These are broken down into the following workpackages: Workpackage 1 Workpackage 2 Workpackage 3
Workpackage 4 Workpackage 5
Community Cohesion
Work & Study Environment
Knowledge & Skills Development
Health Policy
Service & Support Provision
1.1 Promote Positive relationship s and Social values
2.1 Ensure a safe and healthy physical environment that enhances the wellbeing of staff & students.
3.1 Educate for sustainable development & global citizenship
4.1 Create policies to support & enhance health & wellbeing of staff and students.
5.1 Develop & maintain appropriate, inclusive and accessible client‐ centred services to support the physical, mental and spiritual health and wellbeing of students and staff.
1.2 Build and enhance links with local community
2.2 Work to minimise the environmental impact of the University’s operations
1.3 Build links with local schools and colleges 2.3 Support staff & students to 1.4 Work in engage in partnership activities that with the create a more Student’s sustainable Union future. 1.5 Promote Equality & Diversity
3.2 Support academic & Professional skills development of students & staff 3.3 Enhance life skills and build resilience. 3.4 Promote & model research collaboration and interdisciplinary/ multi‐agency working.
The following diagram (figure 2) shows the links from the workspackages to current University activity, more information is available below:
Current University activities linked to the 5 workpackages. I.
II.
III.
IV.
Community Cohesion A. Promote positive relationships and social values 1. Student Charter 2. Dignity at Work and Study B. Build and enhance links with the local community 1. Discovery 2. Prevent Board 3. Healthy City Partnership C. Build links with local Healthy schools and HEI, FE colleges . 1. Reaching Wider Partnership 2. Compact scheme D. Work in partnership with the Students' Union 1. Joint services 2. Committee Representation 3. Policy development E. Promote Equality and Diversity 1. Strategic Equality Plan 2. Equal Opportunities Policies Work and Study Environment A. Ensure a safe and healthy physical environment that enhances the wellbeing of staff and students 1. Health and Safety Strategy 2. Estates Strategy B. Work to minimise the environmental impact of the University's operations 1. Sustainability Strategy Knowledge & Skills Development A. Educate for sustainable development and global citizenship B. Support academic and professional skills development of students and staff 1. SEA 2. SAILS 3. APECS 4. SALT C. Enhance life skills and build resilience Service and Support Provision A. Develop and maintain appropriate, inclusive and accessible clientcentred services to support the physical, mental and spiritual health of students and staff 1. Disability Services 2. Wellbeing Services
V.
3. Wellness Hub 4. Health Centre 5. Occupational Health 6. Chaplaincy 7. Mosque 8. Catering Healthy Policy A. Student Drug and Alcohol Policies B. Student Mental Health policy C. Safeguarding Policy D. Student Disability policy E. HR Equal Opportunities Policies