Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly TD and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD jointly launched Healthy Ireland’s National Healthy Campus Framework today which will help higher education institutions across Ireland to embed health and wellbeing into campus life for staff and students. The Framework will be supported with seed funding for each of the institutions that commit to implementing the Healthy Campus Charter and funding of a national co-ordinator for 3 years.
This National Healthy Campus Framework offers guidelines to third level institutions to build on existing wellbeing actions, and will assist with the integration of health and wellbeing into decisions surrounding teaching and learning. It will also assist in identifying opportunities in the college environment, whether social or academic, that can help foster an ethos of care, compassion and inclusion on campuses. The Framework was developed in partnership with the higher education institutions, the HSE and Healthy Ireland.
Minister Donnelly said: “My Department is delighted to be working with our colleagues in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to progress the health and wellbeing agenda across all higher education institutions. One of the main aims of Healthy Ireland is to ensure that everyone can enjoy physical and mental health and wellbeing in the settings of their everyday life.
“This move by the higher education institutions is to be commended as they will potentially meet the needs of some 235,000 students each year and set them on a healthy trajectory in their formative years. The framework will help the institutions to deliver a roadmap for the environment they want to create on campus and will impact not only on the students but on the wellbeing of their families, the faculty staff and the local community.”
He went on to say that: “Under the Sláintecare reform programme promoting health and wellbeing is a priority and we are committed to supporting and resourcing this work and I am pleased to announce that we have allocated seed funding of €300,000 for the higher education institutions in 2021 with further funding for three years to support the appointment of a National Coordinator in the Higher Education Authority”.
This framework was developed in line with international best practice and is based on the Okanagan International Charter for Health Promoting Universities. It sets out the key steps for campuses to develop local implementation plans that reflect national and local priorities to improve health and wellbeing.
Minister Harris said: “This is a huge opportunity for our institutions to embrace the Healthy Campus Framework, taking a positive and proactive approach to supporting the health and wellbeing of all staff and students and building resilience in our campus and local communities.
“Your health and wellbeing are vital to your development as a student and indeed as a lecturer or researcher. The environment you are in matters enormously when it comes to your wellbeing, and that’s why we are launching this Framework today. We can and will make good health and wellbeing accessible and achievable for a person, whether it’s through keeping our campuses tobacco-free, providing access to sexual health services or through a range of opportunities to keep active.
“I want to acknowledge the contribution of our higher education institutions to the development of this Framework and their deep commitment to the health and wellbeing of their students and staff. I’ll be writing to the Presidents of institutions in the coming days to invite them to sign up and access the funding we have available.”
Laura Magahy, Director of Sláintecare, welcomed the Healthy Campus Framework and acknowledged the work that is already happening in colleges across the country.
She said: “Improving health and wellbeing in the places and spaces that we live and work is a critical component of the new Sláintecare Plan and higher institutions are a significant setting in this plan. I look forward to ongoing engagement with the institutions to progress this agenda, and I would like to acknowledge the contribution of the partners to date and in particular the leadership demonstrated by the HSE in the development of the framework and charter.”
ENDS
Notes to editor:
The Framework is available here.