The challenge

Being healthy is one of the five outcomes outlined in Every Child Matters.

Every local authority should be working towards improving the health of young people. This requires multi-agency working between primary care trusts and other agencies such as youth services. Durham County Council was keen to encourage this when it set up its County Durham Healthy Youth Work Standard to extend best practice in health across all areas of youth work.

The solution

Five primary care trusts and Durham County Council's youth service came together to develop the standard, which encourages youth centres and projects to work together to promote health and wellbeing. The five trusts were this month replaced by one organisation, County Durham Primary Care Trust.

If a council-run youth centre or project wants to gain the standard, which was launched in 2004, it undergoes an audit by a health promotion worker. Four trust workers were initially involved in the initiative.

This has now fallen to three but a windfall of 24,000 from the Teenage Pregnancy Board may be used to fund a full-time worker.

Following the audit, the health promotion worker develops an action plan for the project to follow, in conjunction with the young people and youth workers. Issues addressed in the plan include leadership and management, policy development and project culture. This can include staff training in areas such as substance misuse, sex and relationships and healthy eating, says Paul Hebron, youth service manager at Durham. "This training is available anyway, but the audit and action plan can flag it up," he says. Following the audit, the health promotion worker will visit the project as often as is necessary to help it meet requirements.

The outcome

The initiative has had a considerable impact on youth workers, who have learned additional skills, says Hebron. In the past two years seven projects have received accreditation, but Hebron hopes the process will speed up if a fulltime worker is appointed. Durham County Council's education and social care services annual performance assessment for 2005 stated that outcomes in the "Being healthy" area are excellent: "Key agencies work well together to promote healthy lifestyles."

Glen Munro and Charlotte Goddard

What's your challenge?

Contact Emily Rogers on 020 8267 4721 or emily-jane.rogers@haynet.com

TOP TIPS

- Form a partnership with primary care trusts, to benefit from their expertise and independent judgment

- Keep criteria for judging health standards simple. Ten could be sufficient

- Involve young people in the process so they will not feel imposed upon

- A creative launch can attract interest during the start of the project

- Provide support and advice for staff undergoing training

- Thanks to Paul Hebron, youth service manager at Durham.