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HEALTH AND WELLBEING Health and well - being is largely determined by the social, economic, physical and cultural environment. Health policy has historically tended to concentrate on the treatment of ill health rather than on its prevention. Lisburn City Council Environmental Health Officers are actively addressing this strategy through its core functions, activities, programmes and initiatives. This includes partnership working amongst departments, public bodies, local communities, voluntary bodies and neighbouring Councils. PARTNERSHIPS Partnership working is vital in developing and delivering health promotion initiatives as the health of the public is influenced by so many factors that it can prove difficult for one agency to tackle all of the issues on its own. As a service we often work closely with other departments within the council and with external organisations and agencies sharing information and skills by the creation of invaluable partnerships. Such organisations/agencies include South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), Food Standards Agency (FSA),Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland, local businesses, Environment and Heritage Service, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Health Promotion Agency, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Eastern Health and Social Services Board. Where possible we provide information through newspapers, produce leaflets, participate in exhibitions, talk to groups and respond to individual requests. Currently we are actively involved in Lisburn Home Accident Prevention Group with a number of statutory and voluntary organisations promoting various ways to reduce accidental deaths and injuries in the home. Working as part of Lisburn Adults At Risk Forum we have developed partnership approaches to promote and protect the physical and mental health of vulnerable and disadvantaged adults in Lisburn City Council area. INITIATIVES  Workplace Health Initiative The Workplace Health Initiative is an innovative project that aims to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) develop policies and programs that will promote the health and wellbeing of their employees. Lisburn City Council’s Workplace Health Coordinator (Alison Collins, Environmental Health Officer) is actively involved in delivering the initiative to all interested businesses within the Council area. A healthy Workplace guide is provided to participating businesses along with support and guidance to enable them to assess their organisational and employee needs and to develop and implement a health action plan. The successful businesses will receive a certificate of excellence in the promotion of health and wellbeing issues within their organisation. This proactive initiative will be addressing health and wellbeing issues which will include healthy eating, physical activity, smoking, alcohol & substance abuse, cancers, musculoskeletal disorder, stress, mental health, childcare and health & safety issues. Further details can be found on the Work Well Initiative page of the website. Smoking We actively participate in the annual No Smoking Day campaigns. To mark 2008’s theme “The Great No Smoking Day Challenge”, the Environmental Health Unit held a campaign to reduce smoking rates amongst teenagers. This campaign was run in partnership with Action Cancer, the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, Alliance Pharmacy and Lisburn YMCA. The sixty young people who attended the event at Lisburn YMCA received expert advice and information on the health implications from smoking to motivate smokers to quit and to discourage others from smoking. In addition all local secondary schools were provided with an information pack. The packs was used as a means of supporting and encouraging underage smokers in Year 13 and 14 to kick the habit, as well as educating them on the dangers of smoking. 
Underage Tobacco Sales Our education programme has been supported by active enforcement of underage tobacco sales legislation, communicating and educating all the retailers in the City Council area as to their responsibilities. This will be reinforced again in 2009 following the change in legislation making it illegal to sell cigarettes to children under 18. Further details are available by clicking here. 
Noise Action Week Annually we take part in Noise Action Week encouraging people to be mindful of noise. At this year’s promotional display in Bow Street Mall, Lisburn Environmental Health Unit launched its new ‘Stop the Noise’ leaflet, packed full of useful advice and tips on reducing noise, as well as information on how to manage a noise nuisance. 
Child Accident Prevention Week We actively support Child Safety Week to reduce the risks to children so that children and young people can enjoy safer, healthier, and more active lives. To promote Child Safety Week (23 -29 June 2008) the Council’s Environmental Health Unit provided information packs to childcare facilities in the local area. This included safety tips for parents and carers of babies and young children to help them learn more about safety and prevent an accident happening to a child or a young person. 
Food Safety Week As part of the annual National Food Safety Week, the Environmental Health Unit in partnership with the Food Standards Agency Northern Ireland, and Safe Food Ireland organise campaigns highlighting the importance of food safety and the basic principles of food hygiene. As part of this year’s National Food Safety Week a survey carried out by the Council’s Environmental Health Unit in conjunction with the above agencies revealed that almost one in four (23%) people in the Lisburn area risk food poisoning when doing their grocery shopping. The Environmental Health Unit, FSANI and Safe food communicated two simple messages to shoppers, firstly, pack raw foods separately and, secondly, try to get home as soon as possible after food shopping to get chilled and frozen foods back into the fridge or freezer. 
Providing Safe Food in Places of Worship and Community Groups The Environmental Health Unit is working in partnership with local Churches and Community Group leaders to ensure that food is prepared safely by these organisations. Food hygiene instruction training is provided for the Volunteers within these organisations, raising their awareness of food hygiene and safety. Cook It Programme ‘Cook it’’ is a community based nutrition education programme targeted at lower income groups facilitated regionally by the Health Promotion Agency. It aims to provide practical experience of food preparation, with an opportunity to sample the completed dishes, thereby removing the financial risk involved in experimenting with new dishes within restricted resources. The Environmental Health Unit regularly attend ‘Cook it!’ interventions providing information and advice to community workers in the form of leaflets ranging from food safety to nutrition and home safety. 
BEESAFE Bee safe is a proactive, multi-agency community safety initiative specifically aimed at primary seven pupils. Bee Safe events promote safety and develop community awareness, preparing pupils for their transition to secondary education Attendance at Bee Safe events also allows pupils to: - Become more aware of personal and home safety
- Learn how to react to dangerous situations
- Make a contribution to crime prevention
- Avoid becoming victims of crime
- Understand the role of emergency services
- Foster good citizenship and relations with various authorities
This event has been delivered annually in Northern Ireland since 1990 providing experiential learning for the children involved. Lisburn City Council’s Environmental Health Unit are key players in Bee Safe by delivering the message of safety in the kitchen by providing interactive learning through the identification of hazards and advice on how to remove or control them. HOME SAFETY EVENT FOR OVER 50’S WITH ELECTRIC BLANKET TESTING Following research into accidents in the home in Northern Ireland, The Council’s Environmental Health Unit facilitated a home safety day held at Lagan Valley LeisurePlex. The event, attended by hundreds of local over 50s, delivered practical safety tips and advice on doorstep crime, accidents at home, fire safety and home security. An electrical company, D M Electrics tested seven electric blankets and surprisingly six of which failed and were subsequently disposed off. 
Colin Neighbourhood Environmental WeekThe Environmental Health Unit and Waste Management attended an Environmental Information Day organised by Colin Neighbourhood. A display stand was erected with Information provided on how to look after the environment and people’s own physical wellbeing. NIHE, Energy Efficiency, and the Colin Youth Forum also attended the event. 
Useful links: Investing for health www.investingforhealthni.gov.uk Health Promotion Agency www.healthpromotionagency.org.uk Public Health Matters www.publichealthmatters.org Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety www.dhsspsni.gov.uk The following link provides more detailed information: |
