West Lothian Health Improvement Team
West Lothian Health Improvement Team is located in Strathbrock Partnership Centre in Broxburn. West Lothian on the Move
‘Eatright’ West Lothian
Community Health Development
Mental Health and well-being
Breastfeeding
Suicide Prevention
Contact the West Lothian Health Improvement Team
Documents For information on any part of the team’s work contact hit@westlothian.gov.uk The team produce annual performance standards, including monitoring of complaints. These standards can be found under documents (please click on menu above, or scroll to bottom of page). We will let you know about the complaints that we receive and any improvements that have been made as a result. No complaints were made about the Health Improvement Team's services during 2006 The aim of the team is to integrate health improvement and well-being, and address inequalities through the development and implementation of relevant policies and strategies across West Lothian. Team members fulfil both strategic and operational roles, and support the development of policies on health, health improvement and other cross service policies. This includes the development of the Joint Health Improvement Plan (JHIP), which ensures the impact on health is taken into account when planning services, developing appropriate policies, and promoting and supporting the strategic themes of Health and Caring in the Community Plan. West Lothian on the Move - ‘Put your West Foot Forward’ Inactivity is the second highest risk factor in developing heart disease after high cholesterol. West Lothian on the Move aims to:
- increase levels of physical activity across the life stages;
- increase moderate levels of physical activity among the sedentary population;
- increase the number of opportunities available for the least active to become moderately active (in West Lothian these groups equate to approx 110,000 people);
- establish sustainable partnerships;
- increase education and training opportunities for those involved in the promotion of health enhancing physical activity;
- ensure the inclusion of physical activity through the community planning process and associated service plans.
From this work the Paths to Health project- ‘Put your West Foot Forward’ has been developed, again reflecting national policies and practice. PYWFF aims to increase activity levels by promoting walking. This is done by:
- Recruiting and training volunteers to lead walks within the local community.
- Developing materials to promote walking in the local community including maps
- Providing information and practical tools to those working with people on a daily basis e.g. Practice Nurse, Physio and Social Worker to encourage walking as part of everyday life.
For further information on physical activity contact:
Back to top‘Eatright’ West Lothian ‘Eatright West Lothian' aims to promote good nutrition and healthy eating across West Lothian by: - raising awareness of the benefits of eating a healthy diet;
- tackling the barriers associated with eating a healthy diet, (e.g. access to and cost of healthy foods and the skills to prepare them);
- developing training programmes and resources to suit the needs of professionals and those working with local communities;
- contributing to the development and implementation of policies that underpin food and health promotion.
Food and Health Steering Group The West Lothian Food and Health Steering Group aims to work in partnership with a wide range of organisations, the voluntary sector and communities to implement the West Lothian Food and Health Action Plan. Examples of current activities include: - A ‘get cooking’ - a cooking skills course which includes budgeting skills aimed at vulnerable group and specific localities. The other arm of ‘get cooking’ is a Nutrition Skills course, which teaches others to deliver ‘get cooking” thus building capacity across West Lothian.
- The development of a network of food co-ops is also part of the programme. Volunteers sell affordable fresh fruit and vegetables in food co-ops in local communities. The co-ops can offer advice and information on healthy eating and provide volunteers with transferable skills and experience that can be used when seeking employment. Where possible food co-ops use local produce, contributing to the local economy, sustain employment and link to other food initiatives like ‘get cooking’.
- Partnership working with Education Services to implement the recommendations of ‘Hungry for Success’ and a breakfast club programme in 27 schools across West Lothian.
For further information on healthy eating contact:
Back to topCommunity Health Development Community Health Development work is carried out partly through the 'Health Issues in the Community' course. The course gets people to make connections between their health, that of other people within their community and issues such as how housing, employment, income, food and other things affect their health. Students discuss and examine these issues, relate them to their own experiences and then devise ways to address them in their own communities. It has been developed by Health Scotland and is accredited by the University of Edinburgh at SCQF level 7. This work is supported by staff training in community health development and a small grant scheme that enables community groups to identify and address their own health needs. The 'Health Issues in the Community' Initiative has been evaluated nationally. West Lothian was highlighted as a case study area. The case study reflects our performance over the last three years. The National Evaluation, along with the West Lothian case study is avaliable here (follow the 'Health Issues in the Community' link):
Back to topMental Health and well-being Feeling well within yourself makes it easier to choose healthy options and allows us to participate in lots of different activities. Mental Health and Well Being work is co-ordinated through the Mental Health Promotion Group and the Mental Health And Well Being Management Group (and Children’s services.) The work is driven by the National Programme for Mental Health and there are links with the National Choose Life Programme .
Back to topBreastfeeding Breastfeeding offers significant health protection factors for both mums and babies. These include reducing infections in children and lower blood pressure and reducing the risk of some cancers for mums. The National Breast Feeding Strategy is implemented through the local translation of NHS Lothian’s Breast Feeding Strategy. In West Lothian the local implementation group oversees the delivery of the strategy through deriving a local strategy and a local action plan. This involves: - challenging cultural attitudes;
- ensuring that breastfeeding is supported by policy and practice in NHS and other workplace settings;
- equipping staff with the knowledge and skills to facilitate and support breastfeeding;
- developing quality data collection and dissemination systems.
For further information on breastfeeding contact:
Back to topSuicide Prevention Choose Life West Lothian is a multi-agency steering group concerned with co-ordinating the effort by local agencies to develop and implement West Lothian’s suicide prevention action plan. Choose Life West Lothian aims to : - Improve co-ordination of efforts and achieving wider ownership to and awareness of suicide prevention
- Encourage and support local services to contribute to the prevention of suicide in local communities
- Develop and implement local training programmes
Inter-agency links are maintained with key services such as education, educational psychology, mental health, social care, police, procurator fiscal, drug and alcohol services, the independent sector and the media. Around 500 people in West Lothian have been trained in the use of the internationally recognised ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) programme with other levels of training being planned. Nine local suicide prevention initiatives have received small grants. For further information on the national suicide prevention strategy contact
www.chooselife.net
Back to top Contact the West Lothian Health Improvement Team Jane Kellock
(Heath Manager 01506 775552)
Angela Moohan
(Community Health Development Officer – Food initiatives 01506 771724)
Rhonda Archibald
(Food and Health Development Officer 01506 771848)
Linda Middlemist
(Service development officer health improvement 01506 771791)
Kate Marshall
(Service development officer community health 01506 771790)
June Gilfether
(Service development officer choose life )
Helen Yewdall
(Public health practitioner 01506 771849)
Jen White
(West Lothian On the Move Project Co-ordinator 01506 771792)
Rili Craig
(Health walk development officer PYWFF 01506 775207)
Rachel King
(Senior health promotion specialist 01506 771850)
Shiona Jenkins
(Community Health Development officer, ‘get cooking’) 01506 771793
Sarah Wittig
(Community Health Development Officer, Health Issues in the Community 01506 771896)
Clare Bell
(Admin Assistant Food Initiatives 01506 775631)
kerry Kempston
(Health promotion specialist Vocational trainee 01506 771793) Administrator 01506 775626 For information on any part of the team’s work contact hit@westlothian.gov.uk
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