Transcript Document

Penny Worland, Senior Policy Planner
District Council of Mount Barker
Feb 2015
Questions
 what is public health planning all about?
 what is its relevance to youth development?
 are young people and YDOs contributing to public
health planning?
 what do public health plans say about youth health
and wellbeing?
 what does good practice look like?
 what could a Public Health framework offer to youth
development?
Changing role of Local Government in
Youth affairs and Youth Development
• Legitimisation of LG role in social policy, community services and
community development: 1970’s – 1990’s
• Trend away from case management & targeted service delivery
• Trend to ‘service delivery’ = group programs, activities, larger events
• Universal programs rather than targeted (but some focus on cohorts)
• Social inclusion rather than social justice?
Dual focus of Youth Officer role in LG
Civic participation and engagement of young people:
• Leadership, skill development
• YP contributing to Council’s decision-making
• Recognition of rights and value of YP as citizens:
– within Council and
– their local communities
Coordination and planning of youth services and development
opportunities:
• Policy and strategy development
• Capacity building, communication and networking (community
development)
• Program delivery (including events): development, implementation
and evaluation
Key concepts in youth development
Community
development
Citizenship
Rights
Capacity
building
Civic
Participation
Recognition
Social
inclusion
Social justice
Leadership
Challenges
YDO turn-over
Council commitment/support for role
goals and approach
policy and Strategy
evaluation
funding/resourcing
community development principles
Public Health Planning
• South Australian Public Health Act 2011
• Defines LG as ‘Public Health Authority’
• Requires ‘public health plans’


State public health plan
Regional Public Health Plans (by Local Gov)
Why do Public Health Planning?
 Health is a ‘shared goal’ of all levels of government
 Requires coordinated systems and approaches
 Health in All Policies:
‘health and wellbeing are largely influenced by
measures that are often managed by government
sectors other than health’
Key Concepts in Public Health
Determinants
of health
Health
literacy
Health
citizenship
Health
equity
Vulnerable
groups
Determinants of Health
Determinants of health
in neighbourhoods
What factors determine health?
Health citizenship
• Political determinants of health:
‘the power constellations and ideologies that impact
on health and wellbeing’
• Health citizenship: participation in the
governance of health care and health policy
It includes rights and responsibilities, being able to take
action and participate, as well as being able to question
things
Health citizenship
“We must ensure that our democratic
institutions value health.
We must invest in the health literacy of
decision-makers and of the citizens who
elect them.”
Ilona Kickbusch, WHO
(Past Thinker in Residence)
Health inequity
Health inequity
• differences in health across individuals/
population groups = inequalities in health
• Inequities in health= avoidable differences
‘Where systematic differences in health are judged to be
avoidable by reasonable action they are, quite simply, unfair.
It is this that we label health inequity’ WHO, 2008
Research Methodology
Search Public Health Plans:
4 metro, 3 rural/regional: 20 LGAs
– evidence of key youth development and public
health terms and concepts
– strategies and actions with explicit youth content
– images of youth, reference to youth plans
Interview YDOs at the Council’s about PHP
Findings
PHP and youth participation and engagement
PHP and young people’s wellbeing
LG engagement with PHP and PH concepts
Public Health Plans and youth
participation
Plans:
Described engagement with YAC = 1
Identified youth involvement in decisions as a strategy = 2
Included Youth Forum in strategies not youth specific = 1
YDOS:
• not always aware of Council PHP and may not have an
understanding of PHP
• meaningful involvement in plan development = 2
• All YDOs believe that PHP is relevant and important to
their role and to YP
PHP and young people’s wellbeing
Plans:
Demographic analysis = 7
Strategy or action relevant to youth wellbeing = 6
YP have a visible presence (at least 1 image) = 4
Clear reference to a Council Youth Strategy =3
Quoted a young person = 1
Priority area for Children and YP with multiple strategies =1
‘Regional Strategy’ for Youth development + strategies for youth
in Council ‘Action Plans’ = 1
YDOs:
2 YDO expressed confidence that the PHP
–
–
is meaningful in their context
will have on how local youth issues will be addressed by Council
PHP and young people’s wellbeing
• Civic participation and engagement of young people
not well recognised as a valuable contribution to YP
wellbeing in itself.
• Coordination, planning and provision of youth
programs and development opportunities is more
clearly articulated.
What the Plans say
“Encourage and support initiatives that contribute to the
positive development of children and young people,
including a focus on low income households and children
and youth at risk”
“Improved local education, training and employment
opportunities for the community including….youth”
“Provision of ongoing, funded and coordinated mental
health services including youth counselling services…”
“Support the needs of people of different ages and
abilities: Younger people”
What the Plans say
“Provide youth programs and investigate social
enterprise initiatives and implement where feasible”
“Establish Council Policies and Action Plans to recognise
youth achievements and support local student
research and work experience”
“Plan for meeting areas and spaces for young people
in parks, public spaces and community facilities that
support youth to connect to the community”
LG engagement with Public Health
• LG is still feelings its way...
• ‘Determinants of Health’ concepts are strong:
providing the environmental, economic and social resources for
healthy communities
• Most plans include some reference to:
social justice, community development, youth development, social
inclusion and recognise vulnerable groups
• Less evidence of engagement with idea of
health citizenship, health equity, political determinants of health
Conclusion
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
emerging practice and frameworks
relevant to YP and YDO
PH and YD: some shared goals and language
meaningful process and content!!
tell the story: YD and community wellbeing
function as a youth strategy?
funding, partnerships
And the winner is…
References
How Societies Create Health and Wellbeing. Presentation by
Ilona Kickbusch, Adelaide 2014
Our Future is Now: Directions for youth development in local
government. Local Government Association of South Australia