3 Views about wellbeing

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A colour image of a balancing scale supporting two faces; one happy and one sad.

Listen to Audio 1 which covers a range of perspectives on wellbeing. Consider what this term means to them.

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Transcript: Audio 1 Perspectives on wellbeing

KEREN:

My name’s Keren Wiley, and my daughter, Runa, she has a rare genetic condition, which means she has profound developmental delay and both cognitive disabilities.

I describe wellbeing as very holistic. It’s from emotional wellbeing to physical wellbeing, to being included, to being safe, respected, to be recognised as an individual and as … as important as everyone else, even if you aren’t able to access things in the typical way. Having the world around you recognising that you deserve just as much as everyone else.

SARAH N:

My name is Sarah Noble, and I’m the Group Support Manager at Plus Forth Valley. I think wellbeing encompasses a whole range of things for both young people and staff. What different people need for their wellbeing is very individualised. So, for some of our young people, what promotes their wellbeing is getting covered from head to in paint and shaving foam and getting really messy. For some other young people, it’s bouncing lots on the trampoline or sitting on the sensory swing. It really is a very, very broad and very varied concept.

BAILEY:

So, my name is Bailey. I am the Play Plus and Plus Youth Coordinator at Plus. Wellbeing is actually how somebody is. So, it’s how they develop, how they feel physically, emotionally, all the kinds of things surrounding their overall health.

SARAH T:

Hi. I’m Sarah. I’m the Family Support Coordinator at Plus. I also have a child in the service called Leo, who’s attended Plus for 12 years and loves it. For me, wellbeing is a combination of lots of different factors. Feeling happy, content, fulfilled, in good health. Someone who is reaching their potential in life or feels that they are reaching their potential.

LOUISE:

I am Louise, and I’m 61 with a technically neurotypical, normal 24-year-old son and a severely disabled 22-year-old with very complex health needs. I would describe wellbeing as feeling at home in the world and one’s own skin and being pleased to be here.

MEG:

My name is Meg. I am the head teacher of a large primary school in London, and we run from nursery through to Year 6. In our school, we define wellbeing as children who are physically and emotionally ready to thrive in school.

End transcript: Audio 1 Perspectives on wellbeing

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Audio 1 Perspectives on wellbeing

The audio interviews illustrate the different ways in which wellbeing is understood by different people. You heard parents/ carers and practitioners talk about how wellbeing can be considered as both physical and emotional, and how it also connects to much broader ideas about safety, having fun and being creative as well as feeling included, being respected by others and that you belong. Furthermore, the audio introduces the idea of thriving and reaching ones potential, which is core foundation for a child and young persons wellbeing. A few of the practitioners also talk about how the concept of wellbeing aligns with ideas about happiness and contentment- reflecting how a person feels.

You can see that the concept of wellbeing is highly subjective and changeable and may be influenced by a variety of social, economic, psychological and physical factors.

In the next activity, you will generate your own ideas about these factors which influence a child or young person’s wellbeing