1. Healthy Families, Health Literacy Project London South Bank University
LLU+
London South Bank University

2. Promotion of health literacy [HL] through a family learning approach
A partnership between Lambeth Community Health, Morley College and Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences, London South Bank University
Funded by Guys and St Thomas’ Trust

3. Aims of Project
To pilot and evaluate the effectiveness of an innovative and integrated LLN/health literacy intervention using a distinctive family learning approach and model of support to improve HL & help parents persist in any changed behaviour
To explore ways in which the findings of the project could influence work practices and ways NHS organisations and partners could embed and sustain this model of HL development. 
Explain dthat istinctive model will be explained a little later

4. So what do we do?
Always use parents’ existing knowledge and experiences as the starting point – strengths-based model
Offer learners the opportunity to explore concepts and make up their own minds
Ensure every view point is valued and explored non-judgementally
Provide a wide range of attractive and accessible resources for adults
The group leaders facilitate the sessions and are also very much part of the group as learners themselves
Differentiated activities
Part of the group as learners ourselves
Framework is structured but delivery is semi-formal
Show food labels

5. Research Question
Does a model of family learning provide the kind of holistic support for individuals and their families to improve their ability to access, understand and obtain appropriate healthcare?
What we’re looking at is whether this family learning approach enables parents to develop their skills so that they are better able to access health information and engage with health professionals and health services so that they get the services they require.

6. Healthy Families Project
Hook – interest in children’s health
4 cohorts in different settings
12 sessions [60hrs] + 2 follow–up sessions after 1 & 2 months
Input from health professionals
Peer support and parent mentors to facilitate behaviour change
Links with external groups
successful FL model run over the last twenty years. It is particularly successful at engaging people who lack confidence or believe that they are unable to learn.
Communal lunch prepared by course participants
Topics – healthy eating; understanding food labels; common childhood illnesses and diseases, immunisation etc
Health professionals we have invited have included: emotional wellbeing team; London Ambulance; Oral Health team and laughter workshop
Ramblers Association – get walking; Horniman Museum; children’s services in the area and free opportunities for families in Lambeth such as ball pond at the recreation centre

7. Reflective comments
Something I learnt today: that my diet is crap – hidden nasties in food
Something I can do now: read food labels correctly against GDA
Something I can do now: read what I buy
Something I’d like to know more about: children’s RDA
Something I’m not sure about: alternative names for food ingredients

8. Awareness Training for Health Professionals
1 day Skills for Life and HL awareness training for community health workers/trainers and allied health professionals (12 – 15) on the impact of LLN difficulties and effective approaches for working with parents, especially those with low levels of LLN
1 day briefing/training for mentoring parents.
Another strand

9. Criteria for success Improvement in general LLN
Improvement in HL skills acc to Nutbeam Levels of HL:
Functional: sufficient basic skills to function in everyday life
Interactive: more advanced skills in interpreting information
Critical: application of skills and analysis of information to be able to make informed choices for themselves and their families
Changed behaviour – healthier life style
After going through these talk about completed pilot in the light of above.
Add Marianna comment that the nurse who she regularly meets for treatment of her long-term condition said that she had noticed a difference in Marianna’s approach and attitude to her condition.

10. Evaluative comments
The course was brilliant I got my confidence back and I changed my attitude towards eating etc
It has changed the way I think about food
Most importantly I am so much more aware now what I give my kids to eat and put in my mouth; the course helped me with weekly shopping for the family as at the back of my mind there is this question all the time ,is it healthy and how healthy?

11. Contact details LLU+, London South Bank University
Foufou Savitzky:
Shan Rees: