Youth Health Improvement

Briefing paper for C&YPHSG - April 2013

Local Health Board Strategic Leads Group for Youth Health Improvement (YHI SLG)

The YHI SLG was set up by the Scottish Government and NHS Health Scotland in September 2011 to help drive forward the youth health improvement agenda at strategic level. The group consists of strategic leads from each of the local NHS Boards (see Appendix 1 for further information).

To date the group has met seven times. During this time the group has been developing a shared understanding of the youth health improvement agenda in Scotland – what the issues are and what needs to be done to progress the agenda.

There have been a number of outputs from the group with several more areas of work still in development. These are detailed below.

Outputs to date Initial work was undertaken with each board representative to identify views on the status of youth health improvement in Scotland today, an overview of local implementation at strategic level and information on support needs. The views of each local board area were drawn together to identify key themes. Key themes identified included the following.

 Young people’s health is important.  Young people’s health has a limited profile in current health improvement efforts.  There is a need for more clarity about the agenda.  There is a need to think more holistically.  There is a need for more interagency ownership.  More needs to be done to engage those who experience the most barriers to engagement.  Health services need to be more youth friendly.  Mental wellbeing is a key underpinning issue.

(see http://www.healthscotland.com/documents/5945.aspx).

These themes have informed priority areas for the group. • Raise the profile of youth health. • Clarify the agenda. • Support a more holistic approach. • Promote youth engagement – esp. those facing greatest barriers .

Additional work and related outputs have subsequently included:  A youth health epidemiology briefing paper (see http://www.healthscotland.com/documents/5899.aspx).  A briefing paper on high level evidence of effectiveness for youth health improvement (see http://www.healthscotland.com/documents/5883.aspx).

1  An overview of Scottish Government policy related to youth health improvement “Supporting Young People’s Health & Wellbeing – A Summary of Scottish Government Policy” (see http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/04/2183).

Local Board representatives have been/are using these outputs as relevant with local colleagues and partners. Examples of use include the following.  The papers have been used to review the youth aspects of a local Children and Young People’s Health Strategy.  The epidemiology paper has been used to inform the youth aspects of a local developing child health profile covering pre-birth through to 25, aligned to the local child health strategy.  The evidence briefing paper has been used to support a local Substance Misuse Education Review  The cross board paper has been shared with a Strategic Children and Young People’s Planning Group to generate ideas for learning from other areas.  The papers have generated discussion in one area around the matrix of different health topics and a holistic approach to wellbeing and risk taking and how work can be shifted to look at a holistic non topic-based approach which might better prepare young people.

Work in progress Work still in progress includes the following.

 Work to identify policy and service delivery recommendations related to youth unemployment and health improvement  Developing a strategic outcome focused approach to youth health improvement  Reviewing the evidence and theory for health behaviour development and change applicable to young people  Developing a briefing paper on a life course approach to youth health improvement  Developing a briefing paper on the importance of young people’s health  Developing a consensus statement on youth health improvement

Additional work being taken forward by NHS Health Scotland

In addition to work related to supporting the youth health improvement strategic leads group NHS Health Scotland supports youth health in a number of other ways:

 Youth Friendly Health Services o NHS Health Scotland is building on existing ‘Walk the Talk’ materials (http://www.walk-the-talk.org.uk/index.aspx ) and identifying ways of further supporting the development of youth friendly health services

 Youth work and social care capacity building for health improvement o NHS Health Scotland is working with key sector partners to develop a bespoke training course on youth health improvement.

 Looked after children and young people

2 o NHS Health Scotland has provided support for healthy care placements – (e.g. briefing papers [ Health Improving Care Establishments (Looked After Children). ] and tailored local support). o NHS Health Scotland continues to provide resources on health improvement (e.g. A-Z health resource pack)

 SCOTPHO Children and Young People’s Health Profiles o NHS Health Scotland continues to encourage and support the use of the SCOTPHO Children and Young People’s Health Profiles http://scotpho.org.uk/web/FILES/Profiles/2010/CYPP/CYP%20Scotland %20Overview%20final.pdf

 Young Scot Health Information o NHS Health Scotland continues to provide funding for Young Scot’s health information work strand

 Health Behaviour of School Children o NHS Health Scotland continues to provide funding for the Health Behaviour of School Children Survey in Scotland.

 Topic specific work o Health Scotland supports work in a number of specific topic areas e.g. SHARE (Sexual Health and Relationships Education) refresh, development of Scotland’s Mental Health First Aid for young people, Healthier Scotland Cooking Bus Project Management, evidence briefing for ABIs (Alcohol Brief Interventions) with young people.

3 Appendix 1

Local Health Board Strategic Leads Group for Youth Health Improvement April 2013

Local Board Representatives

Ayrshire and Arran Borders Dumfries and Galloway Fife Jim Carle Kevan Sanderson Michele McCoy Lorna Watson Child Health Health Improvement Lead Consultant in Public Consultant in Public Commissioner for C&YP and PA Health Health Forth Valley Grampian Greater Glasgow & Highland Clyde Dr Oliver Harding Dr Linda Leighton-Beck Linda Morris Cathy Steer Consultant in Public Head of Social Inclusion Health Improvement Head of Health Health Medicine Lead - Child & Youth Improvement

Lanarkshire Lothian Orkney Shetland Dr Margaret Morris Dona Milne Hannah Casey Ms Elizabeth Robinson Consultant in Public Health Improvement Health Improvement Health Medicine Officer for Sexual Health Manager and YP Tayside Western Isles Kay Fowlie Tina Burgess Associate Director of Senior Health Health Strategy Improvement Officer

Scottish Government Representatives

Roddy Duncan (CHAIR) Elaine Bell

Directorate for Chief Medical Directorate for Chief Medical Officer and Public Health Officer and Public Health

NHS Health Scotland Representatives

Emma Hogg Monica Merson

Programme Manager – Youth Team Head – Health and Health Wellbeing