Capacity building for NGOs to support people to make healthy choices and take an active role in maintaining good health and wellbeing

Background/context Community engagement process – Taking the Pulse – to better understand factors that affect health and wellbeing Gold Coast Health and Wellbeing Plan – a shared vision for improved health and wellbeing across the Gold Coast Establishment of Health Promotion steering group Scoping paper on evidence base for overweight/obesity prevention and local resources developed

Health Promotion steering group Health Promotion steering group consists of local key stakeholders who have a strong focus on improving health and wellbeing of those most disadvantaged in our community Scoping paper and initial concepts of key priorities presented to Health Promotion steering group for development and wider discussion Several partner organisations on steering group identified as relevant for pilot initiatives

Scoping paper identified Many scientifically supported activities are being provided at local, state or national level Utilising existing opportunities and partnerships A range of approaches are required:- - Community-based interventions - Settings-based approaches - Practitioner level Three key priorities identified and endorsed in the scoping paper were translated into project plans

Key Priorities Capacity building – of social/community service staff (who have direct and frequent contact with socially disadvantaged people) to successfully make referrals to appropriate programs and services by: »increase staff confidence through skill development in motivational interviewing to discuss physical activity and healthy eating; »Create supportive social environments that promote discussion of health and wellbeing »increase staff (particularly community service providers) knowledge of chronic disease behavioural risk factors

Key Priorities Capacity building – at the organisational level to support staff in making healthy choices and ‘walking the talk’ by: »Working with management to identify opportunities in the workplace for healthy options/alternatives »Linking the workplace in with national, state and local initiatives »Offering GCML supported initiatives (such as Eat It training and Walking Groups) as a starting place

Key Priorities A coordinated walking strategy to increase accessibility to walking programs, prioritising areas or localities of need by:- »using existing mechanisms and relationships to effectively engage socially disadvantaged people, establishing walking groups through local health or community service providers »providing information and support to maximise opportunity for behaviour change, including building capacity of organisations to host walking groups; identifying and promoting walking routes; marketing strategies; data collection (qualitative and quantitative) to understand factors influencing sustainability of walking groups

Implementation of initiative Working with Griffith and Bond Universities to develop an evaluation framework and implement evaluation for individual priority areas Brief motivational interviewing training for 80 participants throughout May Model for walking groups being developed in partnership with key stakeholders Organisational capacity building in development and to commence from July

Partnerships involved in pilot Kalwun Blair Athol Uniting Care Communities Act for Kids Wesley Mission Gold Coast Job Centre Australia

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