1916-layout 1/flat design.qxd 26/3/03 11:09 AM Page 3 Stoke on Trent healthy city ANNUAL REPORT 2002-03 & FIVE YEAR REVIEW 1916-layout 1/flat design.qxd 26/3/03 11:09 AM Page 4 A REMARKABLE FIVE YEARS “Having been there at the birth of Stoke-on-Trent’s Healthy City Partnership, I feel honoured to have seen it through its important formative years. Dr Richard Priestley, I was appointed as its first Chairman while From April 2003, the driving force behind former Chairman of the in post as Chief Executive of North the Healthy City will be the Local Strategic Healthy City Partnership. Staffordshire Health Authority. Partnership (LSP) and I am confident that it is fit and well for this next stage in its life. In its first five years the Partnership has faced and succeeded in tackling a number I am delighted that Paula Hawley-Evans of key challenges: will remain as Healthy City Manager within the LSP. She was instrumental in -turning the ‘Sick City’ headlines, Stoke-on-Trent becoming one of the WHO which followed publication of the Healthy Cities in the UK and I wish her well City’s Health Profile in 1989, into in steering through the Partnership’s next more positive Healthy City thinking big challenge: achieving WHO Phase IV -encouraging successful accreditation which will be the major theme partnership working and activity for 2003/04.” -targeting health inequalities Dr Richard Priestley, Consultant in Healthcare Management, Shropshire and - securing ongoing funding for the Staffordshire Strategic Health Authority. Healthy City approach Dr Priestley was Chairman of the Healthy - ensuring World Health Organisation City Partnership from April 1997 to (WHO) accreditation as one of eight March 2003. Healthy City programmes in the UK. DIARY OF ACHIEVEMENT Stoke-on-Trent Healthy City Partnership: the story so far... 1997 Healthy City Partnership established 2001 Won funding from North Staffordshire 2003 Merged with the LSP’s Health and Well with two aims: Health Action Zone (HAZ) to appoint Being Strategy Group which will take i) improve health and well being a Locality Partnership Officer to on the Healthy City Partnership’s of local people by tackling the take forward the City Health functions and apply for Phase IV causes of ill health Development Plan. membership of WHO HCP. ii) become a designated World Focused on developing ‘healthy Secured mainstream funding from local Health Organisation Healthy public policy’. health community and City Council for Cities Project (HCP). 2002 This year saw massive change, posts of Healthy City Manager and Administration Assistant. Secured funding through Joint both organisational and political. Service Development Fund for The health authority was replaced Summary three years. by two primary care trusts (PCTs). In the last five years we have The local authority was re-structured established Healthy City principles 1998 Designated as a Healthy Cities and the City elected its first Mayor. within partner organisations and Project in WHO Phase III (1998-2002). The introduction of the Local ensured that tackling inequalities 1999 Produced a City Health Development Strategic Partnership saw the Healthy has become an important element Plan, outlining local peoples’ priorities City initiative develop as part of the of work locally. for health and identifying the way in Health and Well Being Pillar, one of which organisations would tackle Five Pillars making up the LSP. them. Document acclaimed as a model of good practice, used in Took a lead role in developing the European Healthy Cities Network health element of the Neighbourhood and translated into Russian. Renewal Strategy and the City’s Community Strategy. The Plan ensured that health was a key element of the work of all Began development of an Inequalities organisations in the City. Strategy for the City. 2000 Established Healthy City Grants Supported production, alongside Scheme and funded 10 community HAZ, of a Partnership Toolkit to and voluntary sector groups. improve standards of partnership working in the City. This is now being implemented by the LSP. Paula Hawley-Evans, Healthy City Manager. 1916-layout 1/flat design.qxd 26/3/03 11:09 AM Page 5 ACTION ON INEQUALITIES WORKING Addressing health inequalities is probably the most challenging goal for any healthy city. It is an issue TOGETHER affected by numerous factors. People should be able to participate actively Health inequalities can be defined as Local progress in planning and taking differences in the health status of one group of people compared with another, We are currently preparing an Inequalities decisions which affect differences which are not only unnecessary Strategy, using these priorities as a their health needs and and avoidable but also unfair and unjust. framework. those of their community. These include poverty and income, social There is a growing body of people in Stoke-on-Trent with a common understanding We believe we have made significant exclusion, unemployment, quality of progress in involving the people of housing and the physical environment, of the issues surrounding health inequalities and we will be able to work together with a Stoke-on-Trent in the Healthy City quality and access to services, educational movement. attainment, crime and community safety, shared set of priorities through the LSP. discrimination and lifestyle issues. Several Government initiatives are already Consultation Co-ordinated action is required in order in place locally: The City Council is currently developing to reduce health inequalities significantly • North Staffordshire Health Action Zone a system of engaging with local people and permanently. via a Community Facilitation Service and • three Education Action Zones, aiming a network of Neighbourhood Forums that National context to increase ambitions and educational will link into the Local Strategic Partnership. In 2001 the Government set two national attainment These will provide an excellent opportunity inequality targets: • a Regeneration Zone, developing to ensure greater community involvement in the future. • starting with children under one year, economic regeneration throughout by 2010 we will reduce by at least 10% the city To date we have used a number of methods the gap in infant mortality between • Neighbourhood Renewal Programmes of consultation including, during the manual groups and the population in our most deprived wards preparation of the City Health Development as a whole Plan, a questionnaire to every household • four Single Regeneration Programmes and business in the area and workshops • by 2010 reduce by at least 10% the around the city. gap between the 20% of areas with • five Sure Start Programmes, for families the lowest life expectancy at birth with children under five. In addition, we have strong links with and the population as a whole. Other programmes include: community development workers and, during 2001/02, we managed two In the same year it published a paper • Health Promoting Schools community health development workers. ‘Tackling Health Inequalities: Consultation on a Plan for Delivery’ which outlines • Smoking Cessation Service In July 2002 the restructuring of our Board six priorities: • National Fruit Scheme in Schools. enabled the inclusion of community representatives. • providing a sure foundation through a Future direction healthy pregnancy and early childhood Spreading the word There is still a great deal to be done towards • improving opportunities for children and reducing health inequalities and in the future Our website was launched in April 2001, young people we shall be: providing information about the Healthy City Partnership and our small grants scheme. • improving NHS primary care services • strengthening the public health Its address is www.healthycity.stoke.gov.uk • tackling the major killers; coronary heart agenda within partner organisations and communities Health messages have been conveyed disease and cancer regularly in articles in the City Council’s • strengthening disadvantaged • developing local targets for future newspaper ‘City News’. We also promote communities health gain our message through: • tackling the wider issues behind health • assessing the impact on health of • ‘Our Healthy City’ page in Voluntary inequalities through Government policy. policies and projects Action’s monthly magazine • monitoring and evaluating action on • press articles on our Small Grants agreed targets for health improvement scheme • participating in further research, • radio campaigns planning and action. • local events. 1916-layout 1/flat design.qxd 26/3/03 11:09 AM Page 6 MAKING A DIFFERENCE Our Healthy City Grants scheme assists groups whose work involves local communities in health promoting initiatives. During the last five years we have given Packmoor School PTA/COMPAS: ‘Healthy almost £30,000 to local voluntary and Eating at School’, providing child-friendly community groups. advice about food. £560. During 2001-02 our grants scheme attracted Sutton Trust Community Group: more than 60 applications, from which our ‘Access To Food’, delivering affordable fruit grants panel made the following awards. and vegetables in Abbey Hulton. £530. Small Grant Awards Focus Young People’s Forum, Trentham: Media Action Group For Mental Health: ‘Jigsaw’, start-up grant for a forum ‘A Right Royal Sanity Fair’, see case study promoting health and well being for below. £1000. 11–16 year-olds. £500. Parins: ‘Racial Harassment Video’, featuring Body Theatre: ‘Society’, a play by young people’s