Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail any measures his Department has in place to support the mental health of isolated workers in rural communities.
Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs: My Department’s Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation (TRPSI) Framework provides a mechanism to fund initiatives which address poverty, isolation and loneliness and improve the physical and mental health and well-being of isolated workers in rural communities.
The Farm Families Health Check Programme (FFHCP) in conjunction with the Public Health Agency and the Northern Health and Social Care Trust provides a comprehensive physical and mental health screening and advice service to rural people who attend a range of community events, and farmers who visit livestock markets, that the screening vehicle attends across Northern Ireland. Where necessary referrals are then made to General Practitioners or appropriate support services.
Also, the Rural Support charity, provide a range of programmes and services for farmers and farm family members in support of their personal wellbeing. Their objective is to reduce emotional distress and help alleviate poor mental health triggers.
My Department also has a long-standing funding relationship with the Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster (YFCU), through which they promote good health and wellbeing for young people in rural areas of Northern Ireland. A key element is to facilitate good health and wellbeing among the young people, and this is brought about through the YFCU’s engagement with the Agri-Rural Health Forum and also the training of Young Farmers Ambassadors to raise awareness of mental and emotional heath.
ENDS
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