The Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives is part of NHS Health Scotland and is funded by the Scottish Government to provide services and advice targeted mainly at SMEs. There is no direct equivalent service in England or Wales. The Centre’s purpose is to improve the health of the working age population of Scotland through a network of advisers based across the 14 territorial health boards of Scotland. There are 85 Healthy Working Lives Advisers working to improve health, safety, welfare and employment outcomes within Scottish business. About 20 specialise in occupational health and safety. Advisers are keen to engage with and promote HSE’s aims and are often seen by businesses as honest brokers as they have no enforcement powers. The Centre provides a free advice line for employers and people of working age inScotland, together with online advice. The Centre also offers support to organisations who wish to register and gain recognition under the Healthy Working Lives Awared Scheme which HSE helped to develop.
HSE works closely with the Centre to increase the reach of educational and promotional activity and the take up of free health and safety advice. We aim to maximise the value of both organisations' contributions to Scotland’s workplace health, safety and well-being. HSE and SCHWL have now set out how we will work together in letters to the staff of both organisations.
The Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives is a member of the Partnership on Health and Safety in Scotland (PHASS).
