West Lothian Health Improvement Team
West Lothian Health Improvement Team is located in Strathbrock Partnership Centre in Broxburn. Click here to download the latest Health Improvement Newsletter 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 aim of the Health Improvement 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.
The team produces annual performance targets which can be found under documents (please click on menu above, or scroll to bottom of page). We will let you know about any complaints that we receive and any improvements that have been made as a result. Two complaints were made in 2008-09 and both were resolved satisfactorily.
Team members fulfil both strategic and operational roles, supporting the development of policies on health, health improvement and other cross service policies, and delivering programmes to support healthy eating, physical activity, community health development and mental health and wellbeing.
The team is involved in the development of the Life Stage Outcome Planning Programme which integrates health improvement into a Community Planning Partnership approach to tackling health and social inequalities. (This process replaces the previous Joint Health Improvement Plan.)
West Lothian on the Move 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' (PYWFF) 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.
West Lothian 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:
- '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.
- Early Years Nutrition courses for staff working with families with young children
- 'Nutritional Guidance for Early Years' training for Childcare providers
- 'Getting the Message Across' training for staff and volunteers who wish to promote food and health messages in their work.
- Partnership working with Education Services to implement the Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrtion) (Scotland) Act 2007
- A breakfast club programme in 30 schools across West Lothian
- A small grant scheme to support the set up of new local food co-ops. Food co-ops in West Lothian are now supported by Welfehd (www.welfehd.co.uk (new window)). 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'.
- Piloting of a Health Promoting Establishment Award in Armadale
For further information on healthy eating:
Back to top Community 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 top Mental 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.
Training available:
- Scottish Mental Health First Aid (SMHFA) - A training course that improves mental health literacy and helps people to recognise the signs and symptoms of someone with mental health problems; to respond to various mental health crises, engage with, support and signpost people to appropriate professional help. The course runs over two consecutive days. Please click here for further information (PDF).
For further details please contact: hit@westlothian.gov.uk
Back to top Breastfeeding 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 top Suicide 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 750 people in West Lothian have been trained in the use of the ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training), safeTALK (Suicide Alertness for Everyone) and SMHFA (Scotland?s Mental Health First Aid (? as above).
Suicide Prevention Training is offered through:
- SafeTALK: "Suicide Alertness For Everyone" - a half-day course that is offered free of charge to anyone living or working in West Lothian. This course will help you to gain the skills to recognise that someone may be suicidal and to connect the person with suicide intervention skills. - ASIST: "Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training" - ASIST is a two-day workshop for anyone who wants to feel more confident in helping to prevent the immediate risk of suicide. Attendance is required for both full days and it is offered free of charge to anyone living or working in West Lothian.
For details of training and dates available please contact: hit@westlothian.gov.uk
Useful websites: Back to top Contact the West Lothian Health Improvement Team: HEALTH IMPROVEMENT TEAM
Strathbrock Partnership Centre
189a West Main Street
Broxburn
West Lothian
EH52 5LH
Fax: 01506 775667
Email: hit@westlothian.gov.uk - Jane Kellock, Heath Manager 01506 775552
- Shiona Jenkins, Community Health Development Officer - 'get cooking', 01506 771793
- 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, 01506 771728
- Helen Yewdall, Public health practitioner, 01506 771849
- Jen Johnston, West Lothian on the move co-ordinator, 01506 771792
- Rili Craig, Health walk development officer PYWFF, 01506 775207
- Laura Dunkel, Community Health Development Officer - Health Issues in the Community, 01506 771896
- Ann Morris, Admin Assistant - Food initiatives and 'get cooking', 01506 775631
- Alison Cockroft, Admin Assistant - Choose Life, 01506 771728
- Susan Scott, Admin Assistant, 01506 775626
- Gillian Amos, Senior Health Promotion Specialist, 01506 771850
Back to top
Documents
 HIT Standards Review May 2009 (81KB)
HIT Targets 2009-10 (81KB)
|
Home
