Healthy Ireland
Working in Partnership to
improve Health and Wellbeing
HSE LCDC Network Event May 2015
Kate O’Flaherty Director, Health and Wellbeing Programme
Department of Health
Healthy Ireland Implementation
• New opportunity to:
Shape the national discourse on health and wellbeing
Re-focus efforts on prevention and ‘keeping people well’
Empower people to look after own health and make the
‘healthier choice the easier choice’
Connect and mobilise existing and new initiatives and
partnerships around a shared agenda and aims
Address priority issues in a collaborative approach
Build a new culture and philosophy around health and
wellbeing
3 3
Healthy Ireland Governance Structures
Health and Wellbeing
Programme, Department of
Health
Cabinet Committee on Social Policy
‘Whole of Government’
Cross-Sectoral Group
(DECLG & CCMA reps)
Health System,
HSE (Health
and Wellbeing Division)
‘Whole of Society’
Healthy Ireland Council
many members with local network or community
connections
Cabinet Committee
on Social Policy &
Public Sector Reform
Senior Officials
Group
Implementation Progress
• Much progress in building relationships and links cross-
sectorally to develop enabling environment for
collaborative implementation and progress on key cross-
sectoral issues
• 2015 focus on key deliverables such as Physical Activity
Plan, Healthy Ireland Survey, Obesity Policy as well as
progressing public health legislative agenda
• Progressing public and ‘whole of society’ communication
and engagement with support of Healthy Ireland Council
Minister and Department priorities 2015
• January 2015: Ministers Varadkar & Lynch announce Departmental priorities for 2015 - 2017
• Five Priority Areas/Themes: #1 Driving the Healthy Ireland Agenda
Priority deliverables for 2015
o Introduce major Public Health Bills (Alcohol, Standardised Packaging of Tobacco, Licensing of Sale of Tobacco)
o Publish the findings from the first Healthy Ireland survey, giving an overview of the health of the nation for the first time since 2007
Minister and Department priorities 2015 Profile Table of Priority Areas, Actions and Deliverables for the Period 2015- 2017
Priority area: Drive the Healthy Ireland agenda
Deliverables
• Introduce Public Health legislation (Alcohol, Standardised Packaging of Tobacco, Licensing of Sale of Tobacco)
• Commence development of a national ‘Healthy Workplace’ framework across both public and private sector
• Publish Oral Health Strategy
• Publish and implement the National Physical Activity Plan under Healthy Ireland
• Publish first Healthy Ireland survey
• Publish Obesity Policy • Publish Sexual Health
Policy.
• Implement National Positive Ageing Strategy
• Commence work on new National Drugs Strategy
• Drive cross-sectoral implementation of Healthy Ireland
• Lead implementation of health commitments in Better Outcomes Brighter Futures – The National Policy Framework for Children and Young People
Cross-Departmental Work
• DCYA on alignment with implementation of Better Outcomes,
Brighter Futures (BOBF) policy framework
• DES on embedding and integrating health and wellbeing into the
educational sector across primary, post-primary, higher and further
education
Ongoing work on strengthening DH (+HSE) – DES collaboration on
supporting health and wellbeing in education sector
Discussions with DES, HEA and some HEIs to progress Healthy
Campus initiative.
Cross-Departmental Work
• DECLG on embedding health and wellbeing into new
structures and arrangements in local government
Working with HSE to develop network to support health
input to LCDCs
Linking with CCMA and individual CEOs
• DTTS on National Physical Activity Plan as well as
exploring alignment with transport and tourism policy
developments
Cross-Departmental Work
• DJEI on alignment with the national Corporate Social
Responsibility Plan Good for Business, Good for the
Community, specifically on ‘healthy workplaces’ agenda
• DSP (&DECLG) on the development of social impact
assessment (pilot on an integrated health and social
assessment on introduction of housing assistance payment)
• DJE on integrating health and wellbeing into relevant policy
developments, eg Immigrant Integration Strategy, Traveller
and Roma Integration Strategy
Priority Projects
• National Physical Activity Plan
Discussion at Cabinet Committee recently with a view to
circulating a Memo for Govt and launch in near future
Wide range of stakeholders (including LSPs) committed
to partnership on implementation, including public
awareness and communication
Exemplar/flagship project for Healthy Ireland ‘approach’
Will dovetail with other strategic policy areas e.g. mental
health, healthy workplaces, sports policy, children and
young people, environment, use of public spaces
Priority Projects
• Obesity Policy and Action Plan
Consultation underway
5 Key Themes – prevention, food supply, physical
activity, clinical care, information/research
4 levels of action – governance, action across sectors,
supporting families and communities, data and research
Cross-sectoral approach and actions, e.g. Local
Government – local planning measures (food premises,
cycling, walking, traffic calming), Healthy Cities
Priority Projects • Outcomes Framework
Work ongoing to agree
cross-sectoral ‘dashboard’ of indicators to ensure appropriate
focus on wellbeing and determinants of health
develop accessible presentation/communication format
ensure alignment with work in related policy areas such as
ageing, children
• Healthy Ireland Survey
Ipsos MRBI conducting fieldwork
Will give robust population health data across a range of issues for
first time since 2007
Priority Projects
• Healthy Workplace Framework
Steering sub-group established under Cross-Sectoral
Group
Discussion with DJEI how to align with relevant policy
agenda and utilise existing stakeholder networks
Liaising with World Health Organisation on how can
utilise their model to inform this work
Priority Projects
• Communications
Working to develop updated strategy and action plan with
key outputs:
Healthy Ireland ‘microsite’, stakeholder newsletter and
social media network to improve infrastructure and
capacity to provide information and link with cross-
sectoral communication activities in a more coordinated
way
Develop Communications Plan for HI Council
Develop communications planning for key
events/launches in 2015, eg Physical Activity Plan
In Conclusion
• Progress made (and ongoing) in relation to cross-sectoral ‘joining the dots’ at national/interdepartmental level and agreeing collaborative approach to implementation
• This needs to be translated and supported in a coherent way at local level that facilitates sharing of best practice
• How can Healthy Ireland team support work and strategic aims of LAs & CCMA to achieve outcomes at local level for citizens?
• One new aspect in 2014 was HI support for ‘health and wellbeing’ at Chambers Ireland Excellence Awards
Thank You!
• Health and Wellbeing Programme in Dept. of Health
• www.health.gov.ie
• Follow us on Twitter @hi_HealthyIre