Pictured at the announcement of the LGMA funding programme (l-r): Tom James, Head of Healthy Ireland; Hildegard Naughten, TD, Minister of State at the Department of Health; Paul Dunne, LGMA Chief Executive; and Amanda Kane, LGMA.
Funding of €300,000 is being made available to local authorities for strategic initiatives aimed at supporting and maintaining the wellbeing of council staff under a new workplace programme, co-ordinated by the Local Government Management Agency.
The new funding programme will help local authorities to promote and protect psychological and physical health in the workplace, and to empower employees to make informed choices about their own wellbeing.
Hildegarde Naughton, TD, Minister of State with responsibility for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, who announced the €300,000 funding initiative, welcomed the LGMA’s “proactive approach” to helping local authorities to implement effective strategies to benefit their staff. The announcement was made at LGMA Head Office, which was attended by local authority representatives who discussed the importance of supporting workplace wellness and employee wellbeing.
Local authorities can apply for funding for specific programmes and initiatives that form part of their wellbeing strategy or support strategic aims, in order to:
- Create safe and healthy work environments that foster a culture of positive wellbeing.
- Improve the general wellbeing of local authorities’ diverse workforce and ensure that wellbeing is seen as everyone’s responsibility.
- Embed wellbeing as a central part of strategic priorities for management across all local authority functions.
Paul Dunne, LGMA Chief Executive, said: “Embedding a positive health and wellbeing culture in a local authority has benefits for employees and the vital public services provided by local authorities, as workplace wellbeing can help to engage, motivate and retain employees and improve performance and productivity.”
