Introduction
Introduction
Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) have been recognised in recent years as an integral part of the wider public health workforce, with responsibility for designing and delivering improvements to health and wellbeing for children, young people and their families and reducing health inequalities.
In Children’s services, Ready to Act saw a shift in the culture of practice in AHP children and young people’s (CYP) services in Scotland to embrace early intervention and preventative approaches as fundamental aspects of service delivery. At the heart of this is an enabling approach that promotes self-resilience with a focus on children’s wellbeing and an ambition to make Scotland the best place to grow up.
Universal approaches delivered by AHP services are for all children and young people in the population. This recognises that a preventative approach and promoting well-being for children and young people, their parents, carers and families is an essential role for AHPs. This aligns with a public health approach which is defined as “the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organised efforts of society.”(Faculty of Public Health)
Public Health approaches seek to support and empower people to improve their health and focuses on the wider determinants of health, prevention and early intervention to help achieve this aim. Many AHP interventions whilst not traditionally recognised as public health are contributing to prevention and health improvement.
Scotland has an ambition ‘to be the best place in the world to grow up’ so that children are ‘loved, safe, and respected and realise their full potential’. Making Scotland the best place for children to live and grow up is an ambition shared across the whole nation. All sectors play a vital part in supporting children and young people’s health and wellbeing.
The breadth of services you provide as an AHP and your range of expertise makes you ideally placed to continue to build on good practice in public health, with a focus on early intervention, prevention and wellbeing of children and young people. Whatever your role, we can work together in tackling inequalities and improving outcomes for children and young people.
With thanks to all the AHPs and the AHP CYP Community of Practice who contributed to the examples and Joanna Teece, NHS Lothian for supporting the development of the case studies.
Join the Virtual Community of Practice for Allied Health Professions working with Children and Young People to learn more.
Introduction