Health Promotion and Community Well Being Awards Winners 2009
The Royal Society for Public Health, in partnership with three other organisations from the Shaping the Future collaboration, has undertaken and developed the Health Promotion and Community Well Being Organisation and Partnership Awards for the second year in a row.
Over the past 6 months, organisations and partnerships have worked to develop their portfolios for the Award Scheme, and these were reviewed by RSPH assessors. We are delighted to announce this year’s winners are:
- North East Lincolnshire PCT.
- NHS Suffolk.
- NHS East Lancashire.
The RSPH would like to congratulate the winners, whose enthusiasm, commitment and hard work is appreciated and admired. The contributions and views of the three winners on the Award process will be invaluable to the development and success of the awards next year.
The Health Promotion and Community Well Being Organisation and Partnership Awards recognise achievement in the development and implementation of health promotion and community well being strategies and initiatives, which are in support for the workforce.
Awards will be made at the Royal Society for Public Health Awards Ceremony on 15 September 2009.
Please click here for more information about the Health Promotion Awards and how to apply for next year’s scheme.
Jenny Griffiths stands down as Project Director of the Shaping the Future Collaboration
Jenny Griffiths has supported the Shaping the Future Collaboration since she co-authored the original project report, published by the Department of Health and Welsh Assembly Government in 2005. She is standing down as Project Director in order to create more time for her other work and non-work interests, but she will continue to be involved in specific aspects of the work programme and hopes to maintain some contact with you all.
“I would like to take this opportunity to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to all the health promotion practitioners, academic colleagues and colleagues in Government departments across the UK for their unstinting help and support over the last five years. Health promotion, with its emphasis on values, on a holistic model of health, on the importance of the determinants of health, communities and organisations, has a colossal contribution to make to public health. I believe that health promotion in the UK will have a strong future, although much work still remains to be done to strengthen its national leadership and workforce support and development.
I would like to pay particular tribute to colleagues in the four organisations who have contributed so much to this unique Collaboration since 2006 – the Faculty of Public Health, the Institute of Health Promotion and Education, the UK Public Health Register. The Collaboration is hosted and led by the fourth partner, the Royal Society for Public Health. None of our work over the last few years would have been possible without the leadership of its Chief Executive, Richard Parish, and the support of RSPH colleagues who have made me so welcome. John Griffiths, with his strong background in health promotion, will fly the flag more effectively than I have been able to, and I know that you will value his contribution.”
Jenny, from the STF project team - and on behalf of the Specialised Health Promotion Workforce - we would like to thank you for the invaluable contribution that you have made in initiating and developing this work programme over the past 3 years.
None of the success that the STF collaboration has made would have been possible without the professionalism and knowledge that you have injected to the project. We will miss you greatly but wish you all the very best in your new endeavours.
Commissioning Toolkit for Health Promotion gets the thumbs up – and a change of name!
Since the last update the Commissioning Toolkit has been critically reviewed by a range of commissioners, health promotion specialists and managers.
The result from all reviewers has been very positive. There is agreement that the content concerning the complementary roles of Health Promotion Specialists and Commissioners is clear and constructive. Moreover the process of joint working is clearly described.
Support has been given to Health Promotion Specialists can advise on strategic goals, theoretical approaches and assist in constructing and drafting contracts using a clear planning process.
Modifications and Amendments
From the review process a number of editorial issues emerged. There was considerable discussion around the title. The suggested new title is “Best Practice Guide for World Class Commissioning”.
We are also including much stronger links With Social Marketing theory and practice, so that the best of both approaches can be brought to bear on the commissioning process.
A review of the Section Headings was suggested to assist clarity and accessibility. Lastly more interactive elements to assist self-assessment were proposed.
The Future
The Guide is on target to be published in the Autumn 2009. The editorial board is identifying conferences and seminars where the Guide can be introduced to Commissioners and Health Promotion Specialists. We welcome invitations to showcase the Guide.
Training and Development
From early 2010 onwards the RSPH expects to host training events on how to use the Guide. A one day programme will be made available and a more advanced two day programme is being considered. Anyone with an interest in training development should contact Nicolette Smith, at
nsmith@rsph.org.uk
Website
There are plans for a website where the document will be available to be downloaded and additional material will also be provided.
For further information please contact Richard Shircore, Shircore@healthpromotion.uk.com or Nicolette Smith, nsmith@rsph.org.uk
Health promotion and social marketing working together
Some of you commented on the debate paper, “Social marketing for health and specialised health promotion: Stronger together – weaker apart” that we produced in collaboration with the National Social Marketing Centre (NSMC) in September 2008, and which we have jointly presented at several conferences.
The consultation yielded a rich diversity of strongly-held views. Although many responses suggested that there was common ground between health promotion and social marketing, and agreed with the debate paper that outcomes would be optimal if the two approaches were combined when planning and delivering programmes and interventions, responses from the health promotion community also expressed great concern that national policy-makers see health promotion and social marketing as identical, and wanted to see emphasis on what health promotion brings to national policy as well as social marketing. It was evident that in some places resources were being diverted from health promotion to social marketing.
Following discussion with colleagues at the Department of Health, the NSMC have generously funded a Delphi Consultation with the aim of ensuring “the most effective and appropriate use of health promotion and social marketing skills and resources to promote health and well-being and reduce health inequalities”. The Delphi is being undertaken by the Public Health Resource Unit. We are very grateful to all those who have joined the expert panel, which includes health promotion specialists, health promotion/public health/social marketing strategic leads, operational social marketers, academic specialists, and representatives from local government, the Department of Health and the devolved administrations, and national organisations.
The first two rounds of the Delphi and the workshop were completed at the end of July. Further work will lead to a report being published in October, which will include proposed practical solutions to ensuring the most effective use of the two skill sets. From the first two rounds of the Delphi, it is clear that there is a wide variation in understanding and interpretation of the two skill sets, differing opinions on definitions and on the added value that both health promotion and social marketing bring to health improvement. So we have much to do! This work has strategic significance and the high level of engagement with it is much appreciated. We will keep you updated on its progress.
