Demonstrating the Impact: The Evidence Base Roz Davies, Programme Director, Altogether Better Dr. Jane South, Reader in Health Promotion, Leeds Met University

A team effort Judy White James Woodall Mark Robinson Karina Kinsella Louise Warwick-Booth

Evidence reviews & summaries Community health champions Empowerment Mental health & employment Thematic evaluations of Altogether Better & summaries CHCs & empowerment Workplace health

Why do we need evidence?

The community health champion family health workers Promoters Peer educators Lay health advisors Peer supporters Lay health workers Community health advocates Popular opinion leaders Linkworkers Volunteers Active citizens

What can research tell us? There is a strong evidence base that involving community members in promoting health can lead to positive health outcomes. It is an effective way of tackling health inequalities because champions can break down barriers to health in their communities. In the workplace, the most effective interventions include those that are consistent with an empowerment process.

“I think doing volunteer work gives people more confidence especially when you’ve been poorly and you’ve been right down there. It builds your self-esteem up and I enjoy it.” “I feel confident and competent to do a paid working role now as a support worker and it’s enabled me to do that.” “It was about families doing things together” “Family members do see a difference in their parents or mothers or aunties, you know, their mobility has improved and they’re more cheerful and they’ve changed..”

Virtuous circles ““(being a champion) has changed my life. Before doing it I suffered from major depression…..it gave me something else to focus on which helped me with my family and went on to help me to help other people ….” “It’s certainly enhanced my quality of life especially when I see how much others can give to us and we have to give to others as well in turn. We all need each other in this life really and we don’t gain anything by living in isolation.”

Building an evidence base - what more should be done? Commitment to disseminate and communicate key evidence to different audiences Explain not only what champions do but how they work and why this might lead to better health. Gather more evidence about the best ways to maximise the impact

Summary points There is an evidence-base for community health champions There are mutual benefits for champions and for their communities and workplaces People’s journeys will be individual ones but we are starting to build a convincing UK evidence base.

Thank you To Altogether Better and the Learning Network for supporting the evaluation To everyone who took part in the evaluation. The full reports can be found at: Please contact me on j.south@leedsmet.ac.uk