Bringing a holistic approach to crew wellbeing firmly on board ship

Bringing a holistic approach to crew wellbeing firmly on board ship
Sue Terpilowski March 21, 2025 https://seanews.co.uk/environment/bringing-a-holistic-approach-to-crew-w...

With crews spending less time in port, it’s now vital for them to be able to access all the support they need while at sea – whenever and wherever they need it.

It is why global maritime charity Sailors’ Society has created a new, interactive training programme that will target support to a vessel and its crew.

The Sea Mate training, provided by the charity’s global team, is designed to create a new role of ‘Wellbeing Officer’ and equip these serving seafarers with the skills to provide psychological and emotional support to their fellow crewmates while at sea.

Wellbeing Officers will serve as a key support figure on their vessel. They’ll be responsible for rolling out wellbeing initiatives on board ship, offering basic counselling and guidance to fellow crew members facing personal or professional challenges and acting as a crisis responder to assist during emergencies.

This means vessels with a Wellness Officer will be able to provide their crew members with someone to talk to on board, who is trained in wellbeing expertise and directly connected to Sailors’ Society’s crisis response teams for immediate assistance when needed.

At its core, Sea Mate aims to empower seafarers to create a safe psychological and emotional space on board their ship, which will promote better wellbeing, productivity and safety at sea.

Participants who took part in the recent pilot for this programme wholeheartedly endorsed this ground-breaking training.

These seafarers, from shipping companies including Seaspan and Songa Shipping Management, said the Sea Mate training had built resilience and taught them techniques they could use in real-life, such as how to provide emotional support strategies or a framework to counsel a crewmate.

Some 82 per cent said the training had significantly improved their confidence in handling emotional support and crisis situations, and 100 per cent said the training content was very relevant to their new role as a Wellness Officer.

The training also teaches Wellness Officers how to handle crisis situations, be aware of the emotional wellness environment on board a ship and how to look out for seafarers in distress. It also gives them the tools to create a friendly and supportive environment on board and provides ongoing resources to help with this.

Sailors’ Society’s Head of Wellness, Johan Smith, said: “As part of our mission to offer 24/7 support to as many of the world’s 1.9 million seafarers as possible, the role of Wellness Officer will not just help maintain crew wellbeing on board, it will offer that first and vital triage support when seafarers are in distress.

“Sea Mate is more than just a training programme for Wellness Officers, it aims to extend the relationship between expert trainers and these men and women well beyond the classroom, offering continuous support even after the training is completed.

“Through expert-led guidance, ongoing mentorship, and a strong peer network, we want to make sure Sea Mate ensures long-term impact, fostering resilience, teamwork, and wellbeing at sea.”

Following on from the acclaimed pilot, the charity is now offering this unique training programme to the wider industry as part of Sailors’ Society’s gold standard Wellness at Sea programme for the maritime industry, providing a circle of care for seafarers and their families.

For more information and to see how your company can benefit from the Sea Mate training programme, talk to Johan Smith [email protected]