DEVON was highlighted in a report that cites international good practise in public health promotion.

The Public Health England report includes examples of policies and programmes put in place by local authorities in the UK and from around the world. Devon features twice in the global list of 19 examples.

Those examples are for Devon County Council’s public health team’s work in supporting emotional health and wellbeing for school-aged children and for its health promotion through championing Devon’s natural environment.

The council co-designed a programme of support with schools and young people, to promote emotional wellbeing and prevention of mental illness among school-age children. It focuses on early identification of problems and difficulties and targeted intervention to prevent those issues from escalating.

It uses a range of approaches, including face-to-face counselling, online support and self help advice and guidance. The programme also offers comprehensive help to schools, offering training, advice and clinical supervision and raising awareness of emotional health and wellbeing among the school workforce.

Capitalising on Devon’s natural environment, the Devon Local Nature Partnership’s Naturally Healthy priority is also listed among the Public Health England examples.

The partnership is recognised for its work in promoting the health benefits for people in their enjoyment of the natural environment. It specifically targets initiatives for children, young people and families living in areas of deprivation, or who have long-term health conditions.

Partners, including Devon County Council’s public health team, the public and representatives from the voluntary and environmental sectors, formed a working group to oversee delivery of the Naturally Healthy priority. Among its many successes is its promotion of the health and wellbeing benefits, to the public and to health professionals, of visiting Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks.

Other examples making the public health list come from South Australia, California, Seattle, Finland and a number of local authorities in the UK.

Councillor Andrea Davis, Devon County Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for public health, said: ‘We already know that a lot of really great work is being done in Devon to promote healthy lifestyles and wellbeing, but it’s really good to have that work recognised twice in this relatively short list of good examples from across the world.

‘These two initiatives are good examples that show the spread of our work, from helping people through targeted one-to-one support and intervention, to the much broader promotion of healthy living through our natural environment.’

To read the full report, visit the Public Health England website http://devon.cc/88m-d