The context
Following the Eastern Region Network Meeting February 2010 the group agreed the bid written by Debbie Dear of ACER to arrange a conference for Eastern Region members focusing on impact and measurement of the programme. The group also felt they would like to include the following:
- a speaker from Ofsted
- links with outside agencies
- the integration of student health with whole college health – staff and students working together
Activity and audience
The main agenda for the conference was:
- to support the development of effective practice within the Healthy College initiative
- to enable conference delegates to understand the determinants of health and wellbeing and the links to sustainability
- to brief delegates on the Ofsted inspection focus within health and wellbeing
- to enable conference delegates to share practice through workshop options
- to enable delegates to network and make new professional contacts to develop their work in health, well being and sustainability.
All members of the Eastern Region Network were invited to attend and were able to choose two workshops from the following:
- Staff wellbeing: a college case study
- Engaging students: a discussion on the aims and achievements in health and wellbeing in colleges
- You’re Welcome quality criteria.
In addition to this the following presentations also took place:
- An overview of the determinants of health and wellbeing – Stefi Baran (EETPHN)
- Healthy finance – Ruth Kerry (pfeg)
- OfSTED inspection focus – Roger Woods (Ofsted inspector).
Delegates were given the opportunity to ask questions after the presentations. There was also the opportunity to network during lunch and again at the end of the day.
Regional involvement
The event was hosted by Cambridge Regional college with the following attendees: | |
|
ACER ACER Consultant Bedford College
Cambridge Regional College
Chelmsford College
City College Norwich
Colchester Institute Easton College EETPHN Essex County Council GO-East Great Yarmouth College Harlow College Hertford Regional College Hertfordshire County Council Huntingdonshire Regional College
Lowestoft College Luton Sixth Form College
Oaklands College Palmer’s College
Peterborough Regional College
PFEG South Essex College of Further and Higher Education South West Essex Community Services The College of West Anglia West Suffolk College |
Reg Smith Roger Woods Neil Keech Jane Dudeney Susan Smith Penny Buckingham Elizabeth Tugwell Alison Moles Rachel Jessen David Brown Vicki Sherratt Bill Bates Caroline Fussey Stefi Barna Karen Hammett Lynda Niles David Lawrence Pauline Leggett Corrine Prickett Rob Bacon Ross McLaren Laura Kerry Jenny Carter Claire Lane Michele Read Fiona Wootten Suzanne Challans Nickie Hillebrandt Kathy Hayes Joanne Hather-Dennis Eleanor Allenby Ruth Kerry Sandy Connors Wendi Lee Hayley Strickle Margaret Webb |
Impact/outcomes
The conference was attended by 36 delegates from 25 organisations. Feedback was collected by ACER. Below are a few of the comments made on the day:
In response to ‘What specific action are you planning to take as a result of this session?’
- ‘Starting to put health file together.’
- ‘To further drive our health college agenda by using the ideas learnt and by developing further networks with PCT and PFEG.’
- ‘Better relate my practice to ECM.’
- ‘Talk to senior managers about setting up a group to focus on health issues.’
- ‘Health specialist not employed by a college; however, have made contacts with local college personnel today and will follow up.’
- ‘Will feed into the development of a new wellbeing zone at the college.’
- ‘Money management tutorials – use PFEG.’
- ‘Coordinate health provision at the college.’
In response to ‘Please detail any further training needs or information that you would like in the future’:
- ‘Local contacts/facilities/resources that are available to help us achieve health goals.’
- ‘How different ethnic groups react to stress and low self esteem.’
- ‘More workshops and information on engaging students as this can be very difficult to do.’
- ‘Linking to services out of college to achieve healthy college status.’
- ‘Impact measurement.’
- ‘Meaningful assessment.’
A Regional Network meeting was held on 8 November 2010 at which Bill Bates from the Colchester Institute said:
‘Following the East of England Regional Conference, we set up health trainers for 40–50 peer mentors – four days’ training to Level 2 was paid for by the PCT. Students will interview other students (from November 2010 to Easter 2011). We found that most students tend to be health and social care students who come forward, but we do have some who come forward from other subject areas.’
In general the conference was felt to be useful and successful. Roger Woods from Ofsted provided a workshop on the inspection focus within health and wellbeing, covering areas such as inspection judgements, stressing that learners need to have the knowledge and understanding to make informed choices about their health and wellbeing as well as how inspectors seek evidence of this.
Representatives from GO-East, PFEG and Teaching Public Health Network offered workshops and were available to meet with delegates during the networking sessions. Delegates were given the opportunity during the networking sessions to share experiences and best practice with regards to Healthy FE in their colleges with a whole college approach.
When asked to assess if the aims and objectives of the session were achieved, 52% responded very good, 45% good and 3% satisfactory and when asked the assess the appropriateness of the session’s contact, 52% rated this as very good, 39% as good and 9% as satisfactory.
37% of delegates rated the overall assessment of the session as very good, 57% as good and 6% as satisfactory.
All materials from the conference are available on the East of England page of the Healthy FE website.