Public Health Planning & Local Government: a new frontier in youth development?

Penny Worland, Senior Policy Planner

District Council of Mount BarkerFeb 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

Capacity building

Social inclusion Social justice

Civic Participation

Citizenship Rights

Recognition

Leadership

YDO turn-over Council commitment/support for role

goals and approachpolicy and Strategy

evaluationfunding/resourcing

community development principles

Challenges

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 equity

Vulnerable groups

Health citizenship

Health literacy

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 policyIt 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 engagementPHP and young people’s wellbeingLG engagement with PHP and PH concepts

Public Health Plans and youth participation

Plans:Described engagement with YAC = 1Identified youth involvement in decisions as a strategy = 2Included 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 = 6YP have a visible presence (at least 1 image) = 4Clear reference to a Council Youth Strategy =3 Quoted a young person = 1Priority 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