So the second bit I'd like to talk about is the strategic context for the work
we're doing and we have now developed a new program for government which is
focused around outcomes. What are the outcomes we want for the population and
for children and young people? Our government have identified 14 outcomes.
Now this is really very important for us because what are the saying is,
irrespective of which government department and which policy you happen
to be championing, you are all working toward 14 outcomes. They've consulted on
these 14 outcomes, we now have a stall in our political process but
everybody is agreed that this is the only game in town. This is the game changer
in terms of forcing organizations, agencies, policies and departments to
actually pull together around a common agenda, including in particular, health
and wellbeing, prosperity, security and equality, and particularly education and
health for the first time are working to support and promote positive emotional
health and wellbeing of children and young people. So it's a very profound
shift for us because it is saying, it doesn't matter which department you're
coming from, this is the goal. So very briefly then in terms of understanding
why we need that coordinated approach, just to touch on the background to this,
you'll be familiar with this, in terms of health, 40% of the factors that affect
health and wellbeing lie outside of the health and social care and community
system. So that points you toward doing a much more integrated, ecological approach.
I mentioned the work of Professor Sir Michael Marmot and the WHO
determinants on social health. In Northern Ireland, we distilled that
down to a public health framework called Making Life Better and Making
Life Better is very much about improving the universal services that Marmot has
highlighted as being so fundamental but within universalism, targeting then
those that are a greater need and you need to do both. The vision and aims
are translated into six themes and we've been working across all six of these
themes that we'll then as I say, be reinforced through the program for
government. One of the things that is really important about this is that it
is about addressing the conditions and determinants of health because if we
only tamper round the edges with programs, we may see changes but they
won't be sustainable over time and so it is very important for us to work not
only with health and education but with those in government responsible for
social development, physical activity and so forth. Yesterday, Michael talked about
the challenge of the environment to support children to build resilience. So
one of the things that has been fundamental in our work program is to
engage with communities, community development and in particular, to build
on the strengths and skills of local communities rather than, as you know,
jettison in or insert programs. It has to be an engagement, a
real process. So working along those themes and in particular, working with
communities has been very important, and one of our programs is about promoting
mental health and wellbeing and the New Economics Foundation, Take Five and
you'll recognize the links there to the development of empathy
and to social engagement. So the evidence is strong for this and we've used Take Five
simply because in our part of the world Take Five applies to take five
pieces of fresh fruit and vegetables for your physical wellbeing. This is take
five for your mental wellbeing and we're finding that it's gaining traction.
It also requires to be backed up at local community in terms of promoting
good mental health and wellbeing in schools and settings, and of course a
critical part of that is the Roots of Empathy program.