Skills and Learning: Improving Public Health

We know that lack of education and skills is a strong indicator in poor public health, yet there is all too little evidence of the learning and skills practitioners and health practitioners working together to develop holistic approaches. This Learning Theme will provide an opportunity for practitioners and policy makers from different fields to network together and gain a better understanding of the positive links between learning and health. It also represents an opportunity to influence a key public policy issue for the region.

The Social Exclusion Unit’s 1998 report on deprived neighbourhoods painted a stark picture of decline in the most deprived areas. The problems affecting these areas - high levels of crime, low levels of educational attainment and poor health - are acute, but they are also related. The National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal recognises that no single organisation holds the key to addressing these problems. The need for a more collaborative approach was further recognised in the NHS White Paper 'Saving Lives' (1999), aimed to improve public health through collaborative action. It recognised that poor health is the result of social, economic and environmental factors and that there is a link between poor initial education and poor health. The NHS White Paper stated that: "Education is vital for health. People with low levels of educational achievement are more likely to have poor health as adults...By improving education for all we will tackle one of the main causes of inequality in health. (4.16)"

In this Learning Theme we will explore a range of questions including:

• What strategies have been effective in linking learning and skills with positive health outcomes?
• What support and incentives do practitioners need to improve collaboration across the learning and health fields?
• Where is the effective practice and what lessons can be learned?
• What role can strategic bodies in the fields of learning and health play in ensuring that there is better "joining up" at the local level?

The purpose of the Learning Theme is to bring practitioners, researchers and policy makers together face to face and on-line to explore questions such as these. Together we will exchange ideas, practice and details of what works, where and why when it comes to improving the links between learning and skills and health improvement.

Who should participate?

• Anyone whose work includes tackling inequalities in health
• Directors of public health
• School nurses and health visitors
• Health promotion experts
• Healthy Schools Co-ordinators
• Education policymakers
• Practitioners
• Voluntary sector providers of education
• Researchers