Helping Herefordshire’s children become healthier in the New Year
http://www.dailyfix.co.uk/articles/81059/1/Helping-Herefordshireas-children-become-healthier-in-the-New-Year/Page1.html
By Chief Editor
Published on 21 Dec 2009
Herefordshire Council and NHS Herefordshire have launched a major initiative to start to make the county’s children healthier from this year.
The new phase within the Healthy Schools Programme - known as The Enhancement Model - will help the primary care trust, council and schools achieve long-term improvements to the health of children and families by focusing on specific needs in individual schools and areas.
The launch highlights the success of Herefordshire’s schools: the majority are involved with the Healthy Schools Programme and 82 per cent have National Healthy Schools Status. The new initiative will expand the work done so far by encouraging existing Healthy Schools to follow an eight stage model over a period of two or three years. The process will help them explore areas that need to be addressed within their school community and develop plans to bring about change. Priorities will vary from school to school but will focus around obesity, emotional health and wellbeing, substance and alcohol misuse or teenage pregnancy.
January 2010 will see the first local schools piloting this new initiative, which is being managed by the council’s healthy schools team.
“We want children to grow up making healthy life choices and helping their children do likewise,” said Councillor Jenny Hyde, cabinet member for children and young people. “The healthy schools programme has been a great success with over 17,000 children attending a healthy school in Herefordshire.
“The Enhancement Model will help schools build on their existing successes to bring about long lasting positive change to the health and well being of children and their families.”
Kim Goddard, of Herefordshire Council’s healthy schools team, said: “The new model has been designed to help schools to help young people change their behaviour and strive for lasting health and wellbeing. The model focuses on providing targeted support for those who are most at risk”.
The new phase within the Healthy Schools Programme - known as The Enhancement Model - will help the primary care trust, council and schools achieve long-term improvements to the health of children and families by focusing on specific needs in individual schools and areas.The launch highlights the success of Herefordshire’s schools: the majority are involved with the Healthy Schools Programme and 82 per cent have National Healthy Schools Status. The new initiative will expand the work done so far by encouraging existing Healthy Schools to follow an eight stage model over a period of two or three years. The process will help them explore areas that need to be addressed within their school community and develop plans to bring about change. Priorities will vary from school to school but will focus around obesity, emotional health and wellbeing, substance and alcohol misuse or teenage pregnancy.
January 2010 will see the first local schools piloting this new initiative, which is being managed by the council’s healthy schools team.
“We want children to grow up making healthy life choices and helping their children do likewise,” said Councillor Jenny Hyde, cabinet member for children and young people. “The healthy schools programme has been a great success with over 17,000 children attending a healthy school in Herefordshire.
“The Enhancement Model will help schools build on their existing successes to bring about long lasting positive change to the health and well being of children and their families.”
Kim Goddard, of Herefordshire Council’s healthy schools team, said: “The new model has been designed to help schools to help young people change their behaviour and strive for lasting health and wellbeing. The model focuses on providing targeted support for those who are most at risk”.