A Case Study – demonstrating the Public Health Good Practice Scheme application and assessment process A Case Study – demonstrating the Public Health Wales Good Practice Scheme application and assessment process 15 October 2010 Presenter: Adam Jones

Introduction For the purposes of this presentation, I have created a fictional example of a project that could in theory be submitted to the Public Health Wales Good Practice Scheme. The project is called ‘Condoms R Cool’, and it is a project aimed at distributing condoms at youth venues/schools. Any connection to a real project/real person is purely coincidental

Background to the project Sheila Morimoto is the Condoms R Cool Coordinator, and has been working in sexual health for a number of years. She is part of a team of three people who work full time on the project. She has filled out a Public Health Wales Good Practice Scheme Questionnaire, which has provided the following information to the Network Coordinator: The project has been in existence for 3 years, the first year of which was a pilot year, and has been funded by a grant from the Welsh Assembly, with 2 years funding remaining.

The project is aimed at young people between ages and is based in an area with high rates of STIs and Teenage Pregnancy. This is a local project, in one local authority area, with the basic aim of encouraging safe sex amongst the youth, and thus contributing to a reduction in STIs and unwanted teenage pregnancy. The project logo and name was created in consultation with the target audience.

A proposal was created for the local authority Health & Social Care Director when planning for the service. This was linked to the sexual health strategy that was in existence at the time and referred to the high rates of STIs and teenage pregnancy. Buying and distributing condoms was considered cost effective in comparison to the cost of treatment/an unwanted pregnancy.

Sheila has created a feedback form, which is left in all centres, and is at the discretion of service users to complete. Condoms R Cool has worked in partnership with the youth centres in the local authority area and schools, as well as a local university. Sheila has also been able to have a stand at a local shopping centre, promoting the service. She has also had an information stand at the local Gay Pride festival.

The project has been referred to in the local authority’s ‘Sexual Health and Wellbeing’ strategy, but has not been externally evaluated, or formally evaluated internally. Sheila has not yet considered what will happen in two years time when the current funding expires, and fears that the service could be disbanded or ‘lumped in’ with other sexual health services in the local area.

What happens now? Sheila has provided us with answers to all of the Good Practice Questionnaire questions, and has elaborated on some of the answers after a telephone conversation with the All Wales Sexual Health Network Coordinator. She has also provided copies of relevant documentation, via , including –a monitoring report built from answers given on the feedback forms –the initial project proposal and funding application –Written statement from a group of the young people consulted with over the branding of the project.

The Network Coordinator assesses the findings of the questionnaire and the documentary evidence against the assessment criteria, which has been developed by Public Health Wales Networks. In this case the findings were as follows:

This project fulfils the criteria for ‘Promising Practice’. In this example however, the ‘Planning’ element was considered to be ‘Good Practice’, and as such the project will receive a certificate with the ‘Planning’ jigsaw piece, and will be listed on the Good Practice database with this.

Sheila will also be offered guidance on training opportunities to help her project reach the ‘Good Practice’. In this example, the evaluation and monitoring of the project need enhancing, so Sheila could be signposted to an event on ‘producing evaluations’, for example. Condoms R Cool would be added to the Good Practice Database on the All Wales Sexual Health Network website.

A Case Study – demonstrating the Public Health Good Practice Scheme application and assessment process The Good Practice Database

A Case Study – demonstrating the Public Health Good Practice Scheme application and assessment process

But…what if…

Condoms R Cool is Good Practice? If Sheila’s project had met all the criteria for Good Practice, what would happen then? The application process would be exactly the same as before, with Sheila completing the Good Practice Questionnaire, and submitting all the appropriate documents.

The Network Coordinator would assess the findings of the questionnaire and the documentation against the assessment criteria. The Network Coordinator finds that Condoms R Cool could potentially fall under the ‘Good Practice’ criteria. Therefore, the project will be referred to the next available Good Practice Assessment Panel meeting

Good Practice Assessment Panel Meeting Prior to the meeting, the Network Coordinator creates a portfolio for the assessment panel members, including: a copy of the completed questionnaire a brief overview of the Network Coordinators findings a ‘document reference’, linking the criteria requirements to the evidence within the documentation. This will save the Panel going over all the documents’ contents.

The Assessment Panel meeting is attended by the core panel, and one of the ‘Topic Specialists’ A ‘Topic Specialist’ is a member of the relevant network’s advisory board, and is there to give some context and perspective from their area of expertise.

The Panel will assess the initiative as whole, directed by the Network Coordinators findings. If the consensus is that the project meets the Good Practice standards, then the project will be awarded ‘Good Practice’ status and be listed upon the database as such. The project will receive their award at a public event (e.g the next All Wales Sexual Health Network Conference)

Options available to the assessment panel are; –Agree submissions fulfil the necessary criteria to be considered as ‘Good Practice’ –Decide submissions do not fulfil the necessary criteria to be considered ‘Good Practice’ –Defer a decision to until additional evidence or clarification is provided Whatever the decision, the Network Coordinator will provide the level of support required to progress the initiative further.

After the Assessment A ‘Good Practice’ project will be featured in the Network’s publications – InterSEXion, Bitesize – and on the Network’s websites/e-bulletins. Good Practice projects will be invited to present on their work at conferences and seminars run by the Network.

In Summary A simple, straightforward, quality-assured application process Majority of the work will be done by Public Health Wales (Network Coordinators, Assessment Panel) Benefits for all parties – projects can learn, be rewarded & share experiences; other network members can learn from other practices; builds on existing Public Health Wales Networks remit of promoting good practice

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