Health in All Policies – GLA Group

Background
A range of organisations have sought to have a systematic approach to how they impact on
the wider determinants of health by adopting a ‘health in all policies’ (HiAP) approach.
The Greater London Authority has had an active approach to tackling some of London’s
most pressing health problems through a range of high-profile measures including the
banning of advertising of unhealthy food and drink on the underground. The current Mayor
and senior staff, however, want to do even more to ensure that the health and wellbeing of
Londoners is central to their work by embedding HiAP across all their work.

What was the problem?
The Mayor discharges his responsibilities through a number of bodies, including Transport
for London, the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, Violence Reduction Unit, London Fire
Brigade and a range of internal teams. Ensuring that each have the knowledge and
technical skills to deliver HiAP is essential to the success of the Mayor’s ambitions.
The GLA Public Health Unit therefore commissioned PHAST to develop a tailored training
syllabus to address HiAP knowledge and skills gaps relevant to each member of the GLA
Group that also recognised differences in need amongst staff and organisations.

How did PHAST help?
Following interviews with senior leaders and focus groups with staff, a proposed approach to
future training was developed. The recommendation was to provide a baseline face-to-face
introductory session to HiAP, two themed packages of online material for staff to use when
they need it and then a further face-to-face session through which to create a learning
network amongst staff and allow for feedback, questioning and support. There was little
appetite for a more comprehensive HiAP curriculum that all staff follow.

Staff also wanted expert help with a range of topics that are not necessarily specific to HiAP
but more cross cutting in nature (e.g. behavioural insights; systems theory; logic modelling).
Training materials tailored to how the GLA carries out its work are not readily available
elsewhere so PHAST proposed that a HiAP online toolbox be created. This would contain
materials that would support training as well as local and global case studies. It would also
provide the evidence base for various health topics, libraries of best practice and change
processes as well as a platform for hosting podcasts and webinars. Such a toolbox should
not be a static resource but would need to be actively curated.

What was the impact/result?
Work highlighted the high degree of knowledge and sophistication within GLA staff applying
HiAP and therefore the need for highly bespoke training and support.
The GLA are working through the recommendations PHAST made and beginning to curate
the bite sized training and resources recommended, using existing materials and evidence
packs. They will then prioritise what needs to be commissioned to fill the remaining gaps.

What we could do for others?
PHAST could help other organisations systematically assess what training is needed in their
organisation to make HiAP a success. By working directly with staff, bespoke packages can
be developed dovetailed with how each organisation undertakes its work.