How can the Welfare Officers help?

The Welfare Officers can offer help and guidance to anyone affected by personal, domestic or work-related problems by gathering information about the issue. In particular, the Welfare Officer will ask you about the nature of the problem and what steps have already been taken to resolve it. He or she will then suggest or explore options to help you progress the issue or arrive at a resolution.

The Welfare Officer will also:

Visit staff who are on long-term sick leave;
Provide practical support following a bereavement;
In association with the Occupational Health Service organise exhibitions to promote healthy lifestyles and awareness/screening programmes;
Provide advice and support for addictions (gambling, alcoholism and drug dependence);
Provide advice on retirement – preparation for the transition.
Signpost other areas of specialist advice, information and support.

What the Welfare Officer does not do:

The Welfare Officer does not act as an advocate in areas such as grievance, discipline or harassment. Nor does the Welfare Officer offer ongoing counselling.

Employee Assistance Programme.

The Employee Assistance Programme, provided by Carecall (0808 800 0002), provides trained counsellors who focus on an individual’s inner experiences (feelings, meanings, thoughts) of an issue and seek to examine these in detail to enable the client to face problems and difficulties.

Whilst Welfare Support Service provides emotional support to its clients, Carecall complements the role of Welfare Support by providing a confidential counselling service. It is, therefore, an important additional resource for staff.

Further information on Carecall and the service it offers can be found on the Carecall page of this site or on Carecall’s website address:

How can the Welfare Officers help?