Centre for Translational Research in Public Health Tuesday 31 st March 2009 Alyson Learmonth Head of School of Public Health, Director of Public Health Gateshead

North East Public Health Board Policy Commissioning and delivery of public health functions StrategyEffector Advisory & scrutiny Regional Public Health Delivery (PCTs, LAAs etc) Research & Development Public Health Centre of Research Excellence PHINE, PHO Social Marketing Collaborative NE Lobbying functions FRESH, OSCA, etc Teaching & learning, Workforce planning, Specialist training RDPH & Exec Directors of Public Health RDPH team; PHNE Regional Advisory Groups 10 Themes Conference of public health practitioners Better Health, Fairer Health Structures

Every contact a health improvement contact Every contract a health improvement contract All public sector services include health and wellbeing in their delivery Every neighbourhood includes public health in their plans Local policies and programmes include health impact assessment in decision making What would success look like?

All voluntary and community groups are engaged in health and wellbeing Every school, college, hospital, GP practice, university and workplace is a healthy setting All courses include health and wellbeing links and the academic sector is fully engaged Everyone interested in Public Health knows how to learn more Everyone working in Public Health feels confident, capable working to their maximum potential and acknowledged

education sector School of Public Health – What we do Specialty Training Specialty Training Committee To oversee the training of specialists who aim to be registered with the GMC or the UKPHR. This encompasses those on the formal training scheme and those using a portfolio route. Public health workforce capacity building To coordinate and lead the development of capacity to improve health and well being and reduce inequalities in health for the population of the north east in line with ‘Better Health, Fairer Health’ 100% public health roles Teaching Public Health Network Bring together education providers with the public sector workforce and workforce planners to increase capacity to improve health in its wider sense. Level 9 Levels 1- 8 Building competencies LEADERSHIP PARTNERSHIPS POLICY & STRATEGY SURVEILLANCEASSESSMENT OF EVIDENCE HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PROTECTIONINTELLIGENCEQUALITYACADEMIC PUBLIC HEALTH Health trainers (Level 3) RSPH accredited training (Level 2) Public health practitioners (Level 5 and 7) Leading for health improvement and wellbeing (Level 7, 8, 9) Induction programme for NHS staff

Theoretical base is still under construction! Issues facing Practitioners developing new roles

Roles related to individual behaviour change ‘tiers’ from signposting to brief interventions (based on Prochaska and Diclemente’s cycle of change) to intermediate services but not used consistently Roles of 100% practitioner v part of role not clear Core and subject specific areas poorly defined: generic behaviour change skills plus subject specific areas Interface with social marketing poorly defined Interaction with self care models not clear

Roles related to communities Community development Social norms work Peer education Cultural change Wider determinants of health

Issues facing practitioners in embedding new roles (100%) Professional resistance to change Accreditation processes are following the changes, slowly Evaluation of impact often not robust Culture of anxiety about risk, rather than empowerment Career pathway not clear

Issues facing practitioners (part of their role) Poorly co-ordinated eg RSPH level 2 (health at work award, local schemes e.g. domiciliary care assistants) Lack of capacity to deliver training Mentorship arrangements ad hoc Evaluation of impact often not robust

Research questions How can we map current and required competencies effectively? How can we identify and evaluate new roles so that their value is known in order to justify adequate investment? How can we work with professionals to lead innovation?

Research questions How can we work better with the Local Authorities e.g. Children’s Workforce Plan? How can we engage the 3 rd sector in developing relevant roles?