Lancashire Healthy Schools Programme – Review
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Agenda item: 14 LANCASHIRE HEALTHY SCHOOLS PROGRAMME – REVIEW Report of the External Review Committee. FOREWORD By the Chairman of the External Review Committee, Councillor Charles Gains The External Review Committee at West Lancashire District Council carried out a review of the Lancashire Healthy Schools Programme with promotes healthy eating and activity among schoolchildren. We started the scrutiny project in October 2004 and the Committee visited some local schools to share with pupils the school dinner experience. St Helen’s Borough Council welcomed us to seminar that they had organised for the schools in their area to show us initiatives they had put in place. As part of the visit we were also able to meet with Council Members and Officers including a representative from St Helens and Knowsley Primary Care Trust. A special thank you goes to Davina Parr, Public Health Development Manager and Amanda Gordon, Healthy Schools Specialist from West Lancashire Primary Care Trust, for their expert advice and assistance and the time they gave in attending meetings and site visits.. I would also like to thank all those Members and Officers who gave their time to attend meetings and site visits and the following, for the time they gave to the Committee, without their input the review would not have proceeded so successfully: • The School Travel Plan Advisor – Lancashire County Council • Senior Operations Manager – Menus and Nutrition, Catering Division – Lancashire County Council • Commercial Services – Lancashire County Council • Ormskirk School • Ormskirk C E School • Delphside Primary School, Skelmersdale Glenburn Sports College, Skelmersdale • Glenburn Sports College, Skelmersdale • Principal Officer for Healthy Schools- St Helens Council By the Primary Care Trust "The involvement of the External Review Committee in reviewing the National Healthy Schools Standard in local schools has helped us enormously in terms of raising awareness of the issues around the health of children and young people. This has been very timely with issues such as childhood obesity, increased levels of tooth decay, and a decline in physical activity taking centre stage on public health agenda's. The key to improving the health of our local population is through effective partnership working. The External Review Committee has acted very much as the catalyst for our organisations, to work closely together to form joint action plans on promoting healthy eating and the uptake of physical activity in schools. This has proven to be an excellent example of partnership working which I'm sure will continue well into the future and have a long lasting positive impact on the health of our local communities." THE REVIEW Terms of Reference Members of the Committee agreed to conduct the review in order to: (1) To establish any links to the Sports Development Service Action Plan – links to local activities. (2) To examine if the Council should play a proactive role in the Physical Activity Quality Standard and Healthy Eating Quality Standard which would support the Lancashire Healthy Schools Programme. (3) To obtain feedback from children and young people on what they would like. (4) To assist in raising the profile of the Lancashire Healthy Schools Programme. To investigate the feasibility of creating a Health Improvement Local Implementation Team (HILITE) to take forward the act (1) Examine the Lancashire Healthy Schools Programme and investigate how West Lancashire District Council might contribute to it, in particular the Physical Activity Quality Standard and the Healthy Eating Quality Standard. (2) To make recommendations to Cabinet/Council on the Committee’s findings. Objectives (5) To establish if the Council are involved in the programme at present. (6) To find out what type of Physical Activity provision is presently available and identify any gaps. (7) ions in school settings. (8) To investigate how incentives for schools can be introduced to take part in the Lancashire Healthy Schools Programme. (9) To investigate how more school travel plans can be introduced as set out in the Community Strategy. (10) To make comparison with other Local Authorities to find out what they are doing to support the local programme in their area. (11) Compare individual schools in the area, those that have reached the Physical Activity Quality Standard and Healthy Eating Quality Standard and those that haven’t and the reasons why. RECOMMENDATIONS (1) That in relation to Primary Schools it be noted that there seems to be a co- ordinated approach to healthy schools, particularly in respect of school meals, which was demonstrated in Ormskirk C E and Delphside Primary when the Committee visited and that progress was generally excellent and commitment strong. (2) That in relation to Secondary Schools it be noted: a. that there appeared to be a lack of a co-ordinated approach in respect of School meals, which was demonstrated when visiting Ormskirk School and Glenburn Sports College. b. that it was pleasing that Ormskirk School had put in place some positive measures in relation to healthy eating following the visit by the Committee. c. that progress on healthy schools was generally good and commitment strong. (3) That Schools and Lancashire County Council be asked to note the best practice highlighted from the visits made by the Committee, particularly the following: a. water being made freely available throughout the school, particularly in the dining area. b. unhealthy options being priced at a higher rate than healthy options, in secondary schools, to encourage higher uptake of the healthier foods. c. the introduction of a card system when purchasing school meals, allocating points to the healthy option foods, and awarding prizes for those pupils reaching a certain number of points. d. the introduction of school travel plans. e. incorporating the Healthy Schools programme into the school curriculum. f. the incentives offered to schools in St Helens for achieving accreditation for reaching the Healthy School Standards. g. the importance of providing a pleasant environment and adequate time for pupils to eat. (4) That the Action Plan in respect of Physical Activity be noted. (Appendix 2) (5) That the Action Plan in respect of Healthy Eating be noted. (Appendix 3) (6) That the Healthy Schools initiative be considered by relevant Divisional Managers during the monitoring and review processes for all relevant policies and strategies, and resulting action plans. (7) That the proposals for future years identified in the Action Plans which require additional resources be supported subject to successful growth bids in the 2006/2007 revenue budget. (8) That the Executive Manager Regeneration and Property assist in exploring and developing all relevant internal and external funding opportunities that are available to manage and deliver agreed Action Plans where required (including those potential funding streams set out in the report of the Executive Manager Regeneration and Property (Appendix 13). (9) That the Executive Manager Community Services, under the auspices of the Local Strategic Partnership, and in consultation with the Primary Care Trust and other relevant bodies (eg. Lancashire Healthy Schools Steering Group, Health Improvement Local Implementation Team etc.) explore the feasibility of utilising the identified funding opportunities, where appropriate, to deliver key components of the respect Action Plans, particularly in future financial years. (10) That it be noted that in the coming months a new group, West Lancashire Sport & Physical Activity Network (SPAN), will be established. This group will consist of a number of partners involved in planning and delivering sport and physical activity in West Lancashire and will be led by West Lancashire District Council and West Lancashire Primary Care Trust. Funding Investment from Sport England has been provisionally allocated in the sum of £200,000 (partly as a result of the activity of this committee) to support actions identified by the new Network over the coming three years. (11) That Council Officers continue to participate in the HILITE (Health Improvement Local Implementation Team) to oversee and monitor the process and adapt interventions accordingly. (12) That Edge Hill College and other local colleges be approached with a view to encouraging the involvement of local students as volunteers in appropriate community sports initiatives as a curriculum requirement. (13) That Councillors and officers who are School Governors encourage the implementation of the Healthy Schools Programme in their schools, in particular the National Healthy Schools Status, introduced in September 2005. (14) That the County Council/Primary Care Trust be asked to look at ways of offering financial incentives to schools to encourage achievement of the standards. (15) That Councillors and officers who are School Governors be asked to look at their School’s Travel Plan and encourage its development. (16) That schools be asked to consider staggering school opening and closing times for different year groups to reduce the numbers of pupils leaving and entering to increase their safety. (17) That the provision of additional safety barriers, particularly at Ormskirk School, given the numbers of pupils and narrowness of pavements, be considered by the County Council. (18) That if Cabinet/Council were to want to enhance the sports development service at the Council they could consider having 3 full time Sports Development officers that would have the