Influencing the wider determinants of health A pilot programme for public health leaders

The return of public health responsibilities to local government has created new opportunities for Directors of Public Health to act as local system leaders, influencing a range of factors that impact on people’s health. One of the Health Foundation’s broader aims is that local government will have a more effective approach to promoting health in all policies.

The Health Foundation wants to support Directors of Public Health in their role as champions of the health in all policies approach. This ambitious goal means Directors’ messages must resonate beyond the health policy community and mobilise action across sectors.

Before developing this pilot programme, a number of Directors of Public Health took part in interviews designed to understand the type of support that would be most useful. The programme will take the form of a series of facilitated workshops, drawing on the collective experience of the Directors of Public Health in the groups, as well as senior practitioners from other local government policy areas.

The aim is to create a safe learning space for participants to discuss current opportunities and challenges around influencing the wider determinants of health. It will give participants greater knowledge and insight into policy areas across their local system, tools and techniques for more effective influence and allow them to reflect on how best to frame arguments about the wider determinants of health.