National Youth Health Programme
Kevin O’ Hagan
Siobhan Brennan
www.youthhealth.ie
Tel:01 478 4122
Partnership between the NYCI, the Health Service Executive
and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs
What we do?
 Broad range of Youth Health Promotion
Training courses
 Specialist Certificate in Youth Health
Promotion (accredited by NUI Galway)
 Health Quality Mark:
Health promoting Youth Organisation
 Resource Development
 Support, advice and information service
Health Quality Mark
Aim of the Health Quality Mark
To recognise and acknowledge
quality health promotion in Youth
Organisations.
Context for the Health Quality Mark
 Questions regarding the Impact and
Sustainability of training
 International good practice regarding quality
frameworks in Health Promotion
 Developed from the World Health Organisation -
Health Promotion School concept
 Identified need for professional development on
Health promotion within youth sector.
 Based on evidence informed Settings based
approach to Health Promotion
Rational for Health Quality Mark
The Settings based approach to Health
Promotion:
“ The place or social context in which
people engage in daily activities in
which environmental organisational
and personal factors interact to affect
health and wellbeing.”
World Health Organisation (1998)
•A
Health Promoting Environment:
•People feel valued
• Self-esteem is fostered
• Effort recognised and
rewarded
• Uniqueness and
• Respect, tolerance and
difference are valued.
fairness are evident
• Conflict is handled
• High expectations and
constructively
standards are promoted
• Initiative and creativity
• Support for those in
are encouraged
difficulties
• Social, Moral and civic
values are promoted.
 The Health Quality Mark encourages and facilitates youth
organisations to develop and deliver a ‘whole organisational
approach’ to promoting health. This can happen at four distinct
levels as follows:
Creating
Supportive
Environments
Personal Skills
Health
Education
HEALTH
PROMOTION
Partnerships
With Others
Policy
Development
Health Quality Mark
Objectives of HQM
 To develop and sustain quality health
promotion in youth organisations.
 To ensure good practice in health
promotion through needs assessment,
planning, implementing and evaluation of
all health promotion activities throughout
the organisation
 To promote a whole organisational
approach to Health Promotion
Objectives of HQM
 To ensure that health related policies,
programmes and practice are integrated
effectively.
 To promote the health of all those involved
in the youth organisation
 To ensure that work is consistently
documented.
 To stimulate and encourage a culture of
assessing quality.
3 Year Process
 Phase 1: Expression of interest and meeting
with Health Team
 Phase 2: Completion of Specialist Cert
 Phase 3: Agree procedures for ongoing
support
 Phase 4: Portfolio of evidence
 Phase 5: Assessment of portfolio and site visit
(NYHP & HSE staff)
 Phase 6: Ongoing support to sustain HQM
(CIP) – HQM Support Network
HQM Structure
 Gold HQ-Mark All 12 criteria to be
successfully implemented
 Silver HQ-Mark Any 8 criteria to be
successfully implemented
 Bronze HQ-Mark 4 Criteria : Any 2 criteria
plus : 1. Health Promotion
2. Health Promoters Role Description
& Terms of Reference for the Health
Promotion Team
Health Quality Mark Criteria
1. Health promotion policy
2. Health promoter & health promotion
team
3. Health promotion strategy to include
Youth Health & Workplace.
4. Youth participation structures
5. Peer Health Promotion Initiative
6. Resource Bank for Health promotion
Health Quality Mark Criteria
Training plan for staff, volunteers and
management
8. Inter-sectoral working and partnerships
9. Model of Good Practice for Health Promotion
Activities: Needs Assessment, Planning,
Implementation and Evaluation
10. Health and Safety Policy and Procedures
11. Ensuring and Promoting Equality and
Inclusiveness
12. Child Protection Policy and Procedures
7.
Evaluation of the Health Quality Mark
 The HQM has positive impacts at the level of
individual young people, staff, volunteers and
the organisation
 Process is very important
 Having a target of an award to work toward is
described as motivating
 The assessment dimension indicates a respect
for the process and results in satisfaction
 Criteria highlight areas that require attention
NUI Galway 2007
Evaluation of the Health Quality Mark
Impact on Young People:
 It was seen to instill a sense of pride and
achievement
 It provided greater opportunities to work on health
related topics
 It enhanced their experience of youth participation
through greater involvement in all aspects of health
promotion in the organisation
 It increased their self confidence
 It impacted positively on their overall health status,
e.g. through the provision of needs-based
programmes on cooking and nutrition, the provision
of healthy food and snacks.
Evaluation of the Health Quality Mark
Impact on Staff and Volunteers:
 Providing staff with training opportunities
 Fostering a greater awareness of youth health issues
 Improving teamwork and a sense of ownership of the HQM
process.
Impact on the Youth Organisation:
 Familiarise staff with the process of information gathering
 Enhance the image of the organisation within the community
 Provide tangible evidence of their quality of work in relation
to health
 Improve overall teamwork between staff and management
 Embed the issue of health within the overall work of the
organisation.
Challenges
 Switching focus from Award to Process
 Staff turnover
 Moving from individual to team
approach
 Moving from issue based health
promotion to ‘a whole organisational
approach’
 Perception of the ‘assessment process’
HQM Organisations:
 40 Youth Organisations involved in the
process.
 Target of 50 by end of 2012
 Support Manual available to assist
organisation in the reflection process and
preparation of the portfolio.
Specialist Certificate in Youth
Health Promotion (accredited by NUIG)
Summary of course content:
•Theory and Practice of Health Education, Health Promotion
•Group work – Presentation and Facilitation Skills
•Quality Assurance in Youth Health Promotion
•Needs Assessment, Planning, Implementation and Evaluation
•Mission, Vision, Ethos, Policy Development, Strategy Development
•Partnership, Advocacy, Lobbying, Youth Participation
•Practical assignments linked to the work of the organisation and
HQM
Auditing your Organisation
1. Health promotion policy
7. Training
plan for staff,
volunteers and
2. Health promoter & health
management
promotion team
3. Health promotion strategy 8. Inter-sectoral working
and partnerships
to include Youth Health &
Workplace.
9. Model of Good Practice
for Health Promotion
4. Youth participation
Activities
structures
11. Ensuring and
5. Peer Health Promotion
Promoting Equality
Initiative
and Inclusiveness
6. Resource Bank for Health
12. Child Protection Policy
promotion
and Procedures
National Youth Health Programme
Kevin O’ Hagan
Siobhan Brennan
www.youthhealth.ie
Tel:01 478 4122
Partnership between the NYCI, the Health Service Executive and the
Department of Children and Youth Affairs