1. Early Help Conference Health Matters June 19 th 2014 Muriel Scott Director of Public Health Milton Keynes Council

2. Child health in Milton Keynes- Child Health Profile 2014 Overview: The health and well being of children in Milton Keynes is generally better than the England average and on the whole Milton Keynes is a safe and healthy place for children to live and grow up Children and young people under the age of 20 years make up 27.1% of the population of Milton Keynes 35.3% of school children are from an ethnic minority group For nearly half of the 32 child health indicators in the profile MK is significantly better than the English average and 4 indicators demonstrate an improvement this year compared to the national average Three indicators are significantly worse than the England average: and in MK we would expect all outcomes to be better than the national average

3. Headlines -Child Health Profile 2014 (published March 19 th ) Significantly worse than England average: Breastfeeding initiation Children achieving a good level of development at the end of reception Family homelessness

4. Breastfeeding Initiation: The facts The percentage of new mothers in Milton Keynes initiating breastfeeding has decreased from 2013 to 2014 Milton Keynes -at 72% of new mothers initiating breastfeeding is now slightly below the national average of 74%. Breastfeeding rates in the UK are around the lowest in Europe

5. Breastfeeding- Why it matters Babies who are breastfed are less likely to suffer from a wide range of illnesses compared to those fed on infant formula: Gastro – intestinal, respiratory, urinary tract and ear infections are less common in breast fed babies Breast fed babies are less likely to become obese in later childhood Breastfeeding is also beneficial to the mother’s health. Women who do not breastfeed are significantly more likely to develop some cancers than women who breastfeed. Available studies have clearly demonstrated the increased costs of formula feeding in terms of the costs of excess ill health on health services

6. Children Achieving a good level of development at the end of reception:The facts 80% of brain cell development happens before the age of 2 years

7. Children Achieving a good level of development at the end of reception: The facts(2) A number of key risk factors strongly hinder successful child development: Parental depression Parental illness or disability Smoking in pregnancy Parent at risk of alcoholism Domestic violence Financial stress Parental worklessness Teenage mother Parental lack of basic skills Household overcrowding The higher the number of risk factors for a child the more subsequent problems that child encounters

8. Children Achieving a good level of development at the end of reception- why the risks matter Children of mothers with mental health disorders are twice as likely to experience a childhood psychiatric disorder Low birth weight is associated with poorer long term health and educational outcomes 25% of children witnessing domestic violence develop serious social and behavioural problems The impact on a child at five years of age of parental depression, smoking in pregnancy and financial stress is associated with worse outcomes for all of six cognitive and behavioural outcomes May lead to poorer educational attainment and employment opportunities in later life

9. Children Achieving a good level of development at the end of reception- why the risks matter

10. Family Homelessness- The facts Definition: Statutory homeless households with dependent children or pregnant women per 1,000 households, 2012/13 In Milton Keynes: The number of statutory homeless households with children or pregnant women has remained significantly worse than the England average in the latest data (2012/13) (2.9 per 1,000 households compared to 1.7) This equates to approximately 300 homeless families in Milton Keynes.

11. Family Homelessness- Why it matters For many families, this means living in poor quality temporary accommodation that is detrimental to their health and well-being About half the families taking part in one study conducted by Shelter said their children were frightened, insecure or worried about the future as a result of their homelessness A study undertaken in Birmingham found that 40 per cent of the homeless children studied were still suffering mental and development problems one year after being rehoused A Shelter survey found that homeless children missed an average of 55 school days a year due to the disruption of moving into or between temporary accommodation. A third of parents responded that their children had problems at school, and almost half described their children as ‘often unhappy or depressed’.

12. The Marmot Review- Give Every Child the Best Start in Life The Marmot Review indicated that effective multi agency practice to address a range of social determinants of poor health was key to improving outcomes and giving children the best start. Children in families which suffer a number of disadvantages or risk factors are disproportionately likely to suffer long term poor outcomes The patterns of their problems or disadvantages vary a great deal. Services need to be flexible enough to support families without passing them to lots of different agencies

13. The Marmot Review- Give Every Child the best Start in Life Priority Objectives: –Reduce inequalities in the early development of physical and emotional health and cognitive, linguistic and social skills –Ensure high quality maternity services, parenting programmes, childcare and early years education to meet needs across the social gradient –Build resilience and well being of young children across the social gradient

14. Making a difference- working together Health and Well Being Strategy Implementation Plan : Objective 6- Give Every Child the Best Start in Life Strengthen our early help offer tackling the toxic trio of domestic and sexual abuse, alcohol and substance misuse and mental ill health Work within schools and other settings to build self esteem in young people Improve employment opportunities by raising skill levels and focussing on employability for young people Accessible, affordable high quality childcare to help parents to work (especially single parents) Reduce the numbers of families living in temporary accommodation Focus on reducing the number of children living in poverty Give every disabled child the best start in life Ensure children have a healthy start in life Reduce the number of U18 concep tions

15. 2020 Vision: Every child in Milton Keynes gets the best start in life! Starting Well Developing Well Protecting the health of children- lifestyle factors