In Your Shoes - Pat Davidson

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Pat Davidson works within NHS Tayside Directorate of Public Health and is the Workplace Programme Manager. Pat and her team encourage and support workplaces throughout Tayside to provide a working environment that is conducive to staff health, safety and wellbeing. The Healthy Working Lives Programme is a national award scheme which is managed by NHS Health Scotland Health & Work Directorate. This award programme assists workplaces to identify issues and improve health, safety and wellbeing in a structured and productive way. Free and confidential health and safety support and advice is also available to workplaces employing less than 250 people. A range of free training is also provided by the team which includes: Mentally Healthy Workplace, Resilience and Wellbeing, Managing Alcohol and Drugs in the Workplace, Impact of Poverty, Supporting Attendance and training to assist workplaces to comply with the legislation under Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations. All support and services are free of charge.

Busy weekend over in a flash

Busy weekend over in a flash and back into work on a Monday morning. Day in the office today and final checking to make sure everything in place for our Healthy Working Lives (HWL) Award Ceremony on Wednesday. This award ceremony is in recognition of workplaces throughout Tayside who have achieved awards by demonstrating their commitment to staff health, safety and wellbeing. We have a number of workplaces who will receive Healthy Working Lives Bronze, Silver and Gold awards and one very new workplace will receive a recognition of good practice award.

Plenty of emails to wade through and respond to and agenda for our team meeting (following on from award ceremony on Wednesday) to be finalised. 

Feel a lunch time walk coming on for bit of breathing space!!!.

Had that lunchtime walk (sometimes manage a wee jog but did a 10mile run on Sunday so body needing a rest) and now fresh to get on with the afternoon chores.

Telephone chat with client who will have their HWL Silver Annual Review in May and they want to ensure that they have everything in place to meet this.  They will email me their information to date which I will check over later this week. Remainder of day spend on updating one of our training programmes before heading home for an evening of ironing (lovely!!!!).

Morning meeting with NHS

Morning meeting with NHS, Local Authority and Job Centre Plus colleague updating on various work strands which feed into the employability agenda. Lots of good work going on locally within various work streams. On returning to office typed up the update on the Healthy Working Lives Programme which I should have submitted prior to attending the meeting (oops!!).

Afternoon spent on final arrangements for our Healthy Working Lives Award Ceremony tomorrow making sure everything in place. All seems good to go.

My husband and I are members of the Apex gym and Tuesdays is one of our nights. Did my usual work out before heading home for tea and quiet night.

Big day has arrived

The big day has arrived. Myself and team head up to Michelin Social Club and Conference Centre first thing to set up display stands and prepare for the arrival of our guests. We have a whole range of workplaces coming along to receive awards and we have also invited our long term Gold Award holders. We also invited people to come along with information stands and provide workplaces with health and wellbeing information which they can take back into their workplaces. The stand holders were: Home Energy Scotland, Maggie’s Centre, Prostate Cancer UK, Health & Work Support and Coeliac Uk.

NHS Tayside Director of Public Health, Dr Drew Walker welcomed everyone to the event and awards were presented by our new Chief Executive Grant Archibald. Bronze, Silver and Gold awards, as well as a “Recognition of Good Practice” award, were presented to a whole range of workplaces. This was followed by a relaxed buffet lunch with time to visit our stand holders and chance to network. A very successful event.

Our team meeting followed on from this with the team basically collapsing into comfy sofas provided in a wee break out room within Michelin Social Club and Conference Centre. We took time to mull over how the day went then proceeded onto meeting agenda.

Day in office

Day in office catching up after being out all day yesterday. I have a lovely view of the Sidlaw hills from my office window which helps me through the day. Several telephone calls to make and thank you emails to people who had contributed to making yesterday such a success.

Managed to get round to the Silver Annual review (from Monday) which is due in May and highlighted some areas requiring additional information in order to maintain the award (not much and the workplaces has time to put the small actions required into place prior to the May review date). Out for lunch time jog and all refreshed for the afternoons chores.

Finished off presentation for meeting in early March and bit of admin catch up as I’m off on Friday and Monday. Looking forward to day to myself tomorrow.

Met a friend early evening for a walk. We managed to get out in countryside for wee while before darkness began to creep in. Enjoyed chat (putting world to rights) as much as the walk.

looking forward to annual leave day

Long awaited and looked forward to annual leave day. Spent morning having tidy up (yuk!!) before doing some shrub trimming in garden. Was a bit over enthusiastic as filled garden bin. Most enjoyable though. Decided to walk into Forfar and treat myself to lunch whilst browsing the “Courier” (I could get used to this life!!!). Afternoon spend browsing the local shops then heading to supermarket to get something for tea. Decided to make an effort and make something nice for tea (that’ll take husband by surprise). Did too much supermarket shopping having forgot that I had to walk home (good exercise for the arms).

Looking back all in all a good week.