Attachment Five

PCP Integrated Health PromotionCase Study –

Smiles 4 Miles Policy Development

Details of PCP contact

Name of PCP /

Wellington Primary Care Partnership

Contact Person / Rachael Dooley
Position/Title / Health Promotion Coordinator
Phone No. / (03) 5143 8868

Email Address

/

Identified Partners

Partner Organisation / Roles and responsibilities with regard to the project / Contact person details
(name, position)
Central Gippsland Health Service / Lead agency / Ruth Churchill
Linde Coggan
Renee Heath
Dental Health Services Victoria / Funding Body / Seona Powell
Amanda Perry
Wellington Primary Care
Partnership / Steering Committee / Jo Cockwill
Rachael Dooley
East Gippsland Primary Care Partnership / Steering Committee / Sueanne Claringbould
UnitingCare Gippsland / Policy Development / Kylie Dingwall
Kindergartens across Wellington / Participants in program and Policy Development

Case Study Title

/

Smiles 4 Miles Policy Development

Summary/Abstract (200 words)

Smiles 4 Miles is an initiative of Dental Health Service Victoria which aims to improve the oral health of the youngest children in our community.Central Gippsland Health Service has been funded since 2007 to implement the program. Smiles 4 Miles is a program for early childhood settings and the program promotes 5 key messages; Eat well, Drink well, Clean well, Stay well Play well.

During the implementation of the Smiles 4 Miles program over two years the need for an overarching nutrition policy for all kindergartens in the Wellington Shire Council, in the interest of establishing good behaviours that impact on dental health became apparent.

Policy development is an integral component of the program and often the greatest challenge for settings. The Smiles 4 Miles program, together with the policy provide early childhood educators with the skills and knowledge needed to provide a supportive environment for the children. It also aims to increase knowledge of oral health for both the children and their parents.

Believing in the notion of equality, an overarching policy and the implementation of Smiles 4 Miles will ensure children are provided with the same quality of dental education and the opportunity to engage in positive behaviours wherever they attend kindergarten.

CGHS has worked with UnitingCare Gippsland, the WPCP and Wellington Kindergarten teachers and staff to develop a nutrition policy which will not only support the implementation of the program and progression towards the award, it will also ensure that the changes are sustained in to the future.

Background

Name of Project /

Smiles 4 Miles Policy Development

Priority goal /

To provide kindergartens across Wellington with a consistent, healthy, overarching nutrition policy

Priority issue(s) / Decreasing the incidence of dental decay in preschool aged children
Providing children and kindergarten staff with the knowledge to make well informed, healthy choices
Access to nutritous and affordable food
Target group / Preschool aged children, parents and kindergarten staff
DHS IHP expectations
2009-12 /
  • Ensure integrated health promotion practice engages with hard to reach population groups and vulnerable communities
  • Embed capacity building into integrated health promotion practice at all levels

Background /

Smiles 4 Miles is an initiative of Dental Health Services Victoria and has funded CGHS to implement the program since 2007.

Smiles 4 Miles is a dental health promotion project aimed at preschool aged children (Ages zero to five). The program promotes 5 key messages.

Eat well

Drink well

Clean well

Stay well

Play well

Oral disease is largely preventable. However, across Victoria there is a high instance of dental health issues in young children.

During the implementation stage of Smiles 4 Miles, it was identified that there is a gap in the Nutrition Policy for early childhood settings across Wellington. This led to the development of a Nutrition Policy that could be used across the catchment, and possibly in other regions to encourage healthy habits.

The Smiles 4 Miles principles were used in the development of this policy: Eat well, drink well, clean well, stay well and play well. It is belived that the policy together with the Smiles 4 Miles program, can lead to better dental health outcomes in preschool aged children.

Smiles 4 Miles also aims to provide public oral health services and prevention programs for Victorian preschool aged children.

Objectives /

To develop health promotion strategies to prevent or reduce risk of oral disease

Project participants

The nutrition policy was written with input from staff and members of the following areas:
  • Central Gippsland Health Service
  • Wellington Primary Care Partnership
  • East Gippsland Primary Care Partnership
  • Dental Health Services Victoria
  • UnitingCare Gippsland
  • Longford Preschool
  • Sale North Kindergarten
  • Hyland Kindergarten
  • Gwenfa Hampton Kindergarten
  • Queen Street Kindergarten
  • Glassford Kindergarten

Methodology and approach

The absence of a nutrition policy in kindergartens was identified through consultation with kindergarten staff. Previously awarded preschools developed individual policy documents with support from the Smiles 4 Miles Coordinator. The need for consistency across the local government areas was recognised which lead to the development of an overarching policy.

UnitingCare Gippsland was identified as a key stakeholder, as they are the governing body of the UnitingCare Kindergarten Network consisting of 15 out of the 19 preschool settings in Wellington. They were approached and agreed to work collaboratively together with CGHS and the Kindergarten Network to develop a new policy.

The existing policy covered long day care, family day care and safe food handling, howeverdid not cover preschool settings.

Various examples of nutrition policies were scoped prior to a draft policy being developed. Using a combination of the sourced policy documents, a preschool nutrition policy was developedand circulated to the network members for feedback until an agreement on a final policy was reached.

Communications with the network were through face to face meetings, phone calls and emails.

Results

Impacts and outcomes /

The policy is awating endorsement by UnitingCare Gippsland, however the Smiles 4 Miles awarded settings are operating under the policy.

It is expected that once it isendorsed that there will be a consistent nutrition policy throughout the Wellington Shire Council and it may lead to a higher number of Smiles 4 Miles awarded settings as the policy development criteria of the program is often the most challenging.

Having a policy in place makes it easier for kindergarten staff to encourage healthy behaviours. Policy also assists in sustaining the program further than the funding, as it becomes embedded in the kindergartens culture.

Status and sustainability /

Currently the policy is awaiting endorsement by UnitingCare Gippsland.

Once the policy is endorsed it will be circulated to the network. This will be a key policy document that will help to encourage and sustain positive behaviours after the funding has ceased.

UnitingCare Gippsland is regionally based so potentially the nutrition policy can be used in other catchment areas that are implementing the Smiles 4 Miles program.

Conclusions

Policy is a vital component of any health promotion project. It ensures that the behaviours are sustained further than the funding.

Key success factors:
  • Getting the policy on the agenda at UnitingCare Gippsland
  • Highlighting the importance of positive behaviours within kindergarten settings
Key challenges:
  • The time required in getting the policy endorsed
How activities and improvements will be sustained:
  • Once endorsed this will become a key policy document used by the UnitingCare Gippsland kindergarten network
Relevance of your findings to other areas of PCPs activity:
  • Utilising an existing network
  • Working within the structures that are already in place
Future directions:
  • Endorsement of the policy
  • Engaging other catchment areas

PCP Integrated Health Promotion Case Study TemplatePage 1 of 4