City of Kingston
Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2013 – 2017
1230 Nepean Highway, Cheltenham, VIC 3192
PO Box 1000, Mentone, VIC 3194
1300 653 356
03 9581 4500
kingston.vic.gov.au
The implementation of some of the actions in this Plan is supported by financial assistance from the Commonwealth and Victorian Governments.
It is with great pleasure that I present the City of KingstonPublic Health and Wellbeing Plan 2013-2017.
The Plan acknowledges Council’s responsibilities to residents in developing and promoting healthy, strong and connected communities. The Plan embraces a whole-of- government and whole-of-community approach toplan for a healthier community and address identified public health issues.
While Kingston is a relatively healthy and advantaged community, the plan acknowledges that there are areas of disadvantage and particular population groups which are more at risk of poorer health outcomes relating to physical activity, mental health, food security and healthy eating within Kingston.
This plan articulates Council’s commitment to ensuring that Kingston is a place where people can be healthy; physically, mentally, emotionally and socially. It outlines the principles which underpin the vision of a healthy and active community and the specific objectives which will guide Council towards the achievement of that commitment.
I look forward to the implementation of the plan over the next four years, and encourage everyone in the communityto work together, and with Council, to achieve positive health outcomes for the Kingston community.
Cr Ron Brownlees OAM
KINGSTON MAYOR
Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY / 41. INTRODUCTION / 6
2. PLANNING AND POLICY CONTEXT / 7
THE ENVIRONMENTS FOR HEALTH FRAMEWORK / 7
INTEGRATED PLANNING APPROACH / 8
POLICY CONTEXT / 8
3. EFFECTIVE PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION / 11
SOCIAL MODEL OF HEALTH / 11
APPROACHES TO PROMOTING HEALTH / 11
4. DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN / 12
RESEARCH AND COMMUNITY CONSULTATION / 12
PLAN IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION / 12
5. ACTION PLAN 2013-2014 / 13
APPENDIX 1: HEALTH AND WELLBEING DATA PROFILE / 20
HOW CAN YOU CONTRIBUTE TO COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELLBEING? / 26
Executive Summary
Kingston’s Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2013-2017 (PHWP) sets out the strategic direction of Council to work towards a healthier community.
The plan draws together information about the health and wellbeing concerns of the community and the actual evidence of health and wellbeing issues affecting Kingston. This information has been used to identify priority areas, goals and objectives to improve the health and wellbeing of Kingston residents.
From these priority areas, goals and objectives, an action plan has been developed and will be reviewed each year of the life of the PHWP.
PUBLIC HEALTH LEADERSHIP AND PARTNERSHIPS
To work in partnership with community organisations and build capacity to undertake health promotion initiatives.
PRIORITY: 1PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND A HEALTHY URBAN ENVIRONMENT
GOAL: To increase levels of physical activity in Kingston.
OBJECTIVES:
1.1 To promote opportunities for people to be active in Kingston.
1.2 To enhance the built environment and enable people to be physically active.
PRIORITY: 2SOCIALLY CONNECTED COMMUNITIES
GOAL: To increase the number of people in Kingston who feel mentally well and connected to the community.
OBJECTIVES:
2.1 To promote mental wellbeing and participation in community life.
2.2 To improve the health literacy of the community to support people to improve their health.
PRIORITY: 3ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND OTHER DRUG HARM
GOAL: To reduce the negative impacts of alcohol, tobacco and other drug harm on the community.
OBJECTIVES:
3.1 To contribute to the reduction in the prevalence of smoking in Kingston.
3.2 To contribute to the reduction of the harms caused by alcohol and drug misuse in the community.
PRIORITY: 4HEALTHY EATING AND FOOD SECURITY
GOAL: To increase consumption of healthy food in Kingston.
OBJECTIVES:
4.1 To promote the availability of affordable, accessible and healthy foods in Kingston.
4.2 To encourage people in Kingston to consume the recommended daily intake of two fruit and five vegetables.
4.3 To encourage a decrease in the consumption of sweet drinks and unhealthy food.
PRIORITY: 5SOCIAL INFLUENCES ON HEALTH
GOAL: To improve the conditions in which people live and work that impact on health.
OBJECTIVES:
5.1 To promote employment opportunities for people experiencing disadvantage, people with a disability and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
5.2 To advocate for affordable housing in Kingston.
5.3 To promote access to public transport and local amenities for people of all abilities.
5.4 To increase awareness of the impact a changing climate has on health and wellbeing.
5.5 To minimise the negative impacts of problem gambling on the Kingston community.
COMMITMENTS:
• To contribute to building strong and effective partnerships with service providers in the health sector to deliver positive health outcomes for the community.
• To increase the availability of public health information in the local community.
• To strengthen partnerships across Council and build the capacity of all departments to integrate health and wellbeing into work practices.
• To implement health promotion strategies in a variety of settings.
1. Introduction
Council identifies through thePublic Health and Wellbeing Plan2013-2017 how it can contribute to the health and wellbeing of those who live, work and participate in the life of the city.
The Public Health and Wellbeing Plan (PHWP) is a legislative requirement under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act (2008)that requires all Councils to develop a four year PHWP within one yearof Council elections.
‘Health’ is defined by the World Health Organisation as a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental human rights without distinction of race, religion, political belief or economic or social condition.
‘Wellbeing’ is the state of being well, contented and satisfied with life. Wellbeing has several components, including physical, mental, social and spiritual. Wellbeing can be used in a collective sense to describe how well a society satisfies people’s wants and needs.
The PHWP has been developed in partnership with the community and local organisations and is informed by the Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2011-2015. The plan provides Kingston with a set of strategic directions to guide public health action for the period 2013–2017.
2. Planning and Policy Context
Many organisations and individuals contribute to improving the health and wellbeing of the Kingston community.
As a local government, Kingston Council is well placed to contribute to a healthier community by:
• facilitating and coordinating responses to key health and wellbeing issues;
• leading by example and working within the organisation to ensure the Council as a whole is taking action to improve community health and wellbeing;
• developing partnerships with relevant organisations to address health and wellbeing, and community safety issues;
• educating the community to improve health and wellbeing outcomes;
• promoting health and wellbeing messages;
• analysing data related to health status and health determinants; and
• advocating to the community, key organisations or other levels of government for changes that will improve health andwellbeing in Kingston.
THE ENVIRONMENTS FOR HEALTH FRAMEWORK
The Environments for Health Framework is a conceptual framework that underpins a systems approach to public health planning. It is based on the understanding that health and wellbeing are affected by factors originating across any or all of four environmental dimensions of the built, natural, economic and social environments. Council implements a range of strategies and plans across these four environments for health that impact on community health and wellbeing.
INTEGRATED PLANNING APPROACH
Council is committed to an integrated planning approach to health and wellbeing, to maximize health resources and avoid duplication to get thebest outcomes for the community. Kingston Bayside Primary Care Partnership, Kingston Council, Bayside City Council, Central Bayside Community Health Services and Bentleigh Bayside Community Health have worked together to develop cohesive strategic priorities in their organisations’ health and wellbeing plans.
POLICY CONTEXT
International Initiatives
The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion
The first International Conference on Health Promotion meeting in Ottawa in November 1986 presented a charter for action to achieve Health for All by the year2000 and beyond.
The five action areas for health promotion identified in the Charter include:
• Building Healthy Public Policy;
• Create supportive environments;
• Strengthening community action;
• Developing personal skills; and
• Re-orientating health care services toward prevention of illness and promotion of health.
National Initiatives
The National Health Priority Areas (NHPAs)
The NHPA initiative is Australia’s response to the World Health Organisation’s global strategy Health for All by the year 2000 and its subsequent revision. The NHPAs listed below are those areas chosen forfocused attention because they contribute significantly to the burden of illness and injury in the Australian community.
• Cancer control (first set of conditions 1996);
• Cardiovascular health (1996);
• Injury Prevention and control (1996);
• Mental Health (1996);
• Diabetes Mellitus (1997);
• Asthma (1999);
• Arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions (2002);
• Obesity (2008); and
• Dementia (2012).
National Mental Health Policy 2008
The Australian Government released the National Mental Health Policy 2008 in March 2009. The aims of the policy are to:
• promote mental health and wellbeing;
• prevent the development of mental health problems;
• reduce the impact of mental health problems;
• promote recovery; and
• protect the rights of people with mental health problems.
State Initiatives
The Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2011-2015
The first Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Plan2011-2015 (the Plan) was developed to comply with the requirements of the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008. The Plan’s goal is to improve the health and wellbeing of all Victorians by engaging communitiesin prevention, and by strengthening systems for health protection, health promotion and preventative health care across all sectors and levels of government.
The plan priority issues for promoting the health ofVictorians are:
• Healthy eating;
• Physical activity;
• Tobacco control;
• Oral health;
• Alcohol and other drug use;
• Sexual and reproductive health promotion;
• Mental health promotion;
• Injury prevention; and
• Skin Cancer prevention.
The PHWP 2013-2017 is guided by the Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2011-2015 and willimplement initiatives that will contribute to addressing the state priority issues.
The Victorian Health Priorities Framework 2012–2022: Metropolitan Health Plan
The Victorian Health Priorities Framework 2012-2022 sets out seven priority areas for the development and operation of the Victorian health system for the future:
• Developing a system that is responsive to people’s needs;
• Improving every Victorian’s health status and health experiences;
• Expanding service, workforce and system capacity;
• Increasing the system’s financial sustainability and productivity;
• Implementing continuous improvements and innovation;
• Increasing accountability and transparency; and
• Utilising e-health and communications technology.
3. Effective Public Health Action
A range of built, social, economic and natural environmental factors impact on the health of individuals and communities.
SOCIAL MODEL OF HEALTH
To improve health and wellbeing, the social model of health framework proposes action on social, environmental andeconomic factors that impact on health alongside biological and medical factors.
These factors can be direct, such as the impacts of cigarette smoking, or indirect such as the chain of events that can lead topoor health as a result of unemployment. Maximising individual and community health and wellbeing involves sustaining the health of the local economy, the natural and built environments and addressing a broad range of social issues and inequities.
APPROACHES TO PROMOTING HEALTH
There are a range of different approaches to improve health outcomes. Health promotion can occur at any point along a continuum, from those that focus on individuals and communities through to interventions that improve the health or living conditions of whole populations. In many instances a combination of approaches for the same health issue is effective.
At the individual (downstream) level, people may undergo screening for early signs of disease, suchas breast screening, pap smears and blood pressure check-ups.
Strategies in the middle of the continuum focus on behaviours that are generally risk factors for disease for groups of people. Many public health campaigns aim to influence behaviours such as reducing smoking, increasing physical activity and healthy eating.
At the population (upstream) level, health promotion works to address the determinants (influences) of health which relate to the conditions under which we live. Within local government it means implementing actions that positively impact on the health of communities and populations generally; for example through the provision of walking and cycling paths, parks and playgrounds.
4. Development of the Plan
Information from a range of sources was collated to inform the development of the plan in three phases.
RESEARCH AND COMMUNITY CONSULTATION
A benchmarking exercise was undertaken to review other local government Public Health and Wellbeing Plans and related strategies. International, national, state and local policy was also reviewed to gain an understanding of the current policy and political context.
Then, data relating to health and wellbeing was analysed to determine the prominent health and wellbeing issues that are impacting on the Kingston community.
Refer to Appendix 1 for health and wellbeing data that relates to each priority area of the Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2013-2017. Health conditions and behaviour data is also provided in Appendix 1.
Community consultation was undertaken between November 2012 and January 2013. The consultation involved a telephone survey of 512 Kingston residents regarding health, wellbeing and community safety issues. A series of workshops with the communityand key Council stakeholders was also conducted to identify and explore priority issues. Consultation for the Kingston visioning project “Living Kingston 2035”was also being undertaken at this time and information relating to health and wellbeing was incorporatedinto the development of this plan. In March 2013 stakeholder consultation involving Bayside City Council, Central Bayside and Bentleigh Bayside Community Health Services, Kingston Bayside Primary Care Partnership and Bayside Medicare Local health service providers was held to identify and explore health, wellbeing and safety issues.
All of this information was utilised to develop the PHWP and Action Plan 2013-2014 in consultation with Council departments and Kingston Bayside stakeholders.
PLAN IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION
Council will ensure the effective management and implementation of the Public Health and Wellbeing Plan through the development and implementation of annual action plans. The PHWP includes five priority areas each with a goal and objectives; and a range of actions to achieve the objectives. The PHWP Action Plan will be reviewed annually to ensure actions remain relevant and that the PHWP is achieving its objectives. The PHWP is a whole of Council plan with each department within Council taking responsibilityfor delivering actions relevant to their area of expertise. A summary of what the PHWP has achieved each year will be published on the City of Kingston website. An evaluation of the PHWP will be conducted in the final year of implementation, and will be reported to Council and the community in 2017.
5. Action Plan 2013-2014
PUBLIC HEALTH LEADERSHIP AND PARTNERSHIPS
TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS AND BUILD CAPACITY TO UNDERTAKE HEALTH PROMOTION INITIATIVES
Kingston Council has a significant role to play in the leadership and coordination of public health initiatives. As public health is abroad concept, encompassing many aspects of community life, thedevelopment and maintenance of strong partnerships within Council and with external stakeholders is a key priority for maximising effort to address health and wellbeing initiatives within the municipality.
The Public Health Leadership and Partnership commitments will be achieved by the implementation of actions under the five priority areas of the plan.
COMMITMENTS
• To contribute to building strong and effective partnerships with service providers in the health sector to deliver positive health outcomes for the community.
• To increase the availability of public health information in the local community.
• To strengthen partnerships across Council and build the capacity of all departments to integrate health and wellbeing into work practices.
• To implement health promotion strategies in a variety of settings.
PRIORITY AREA 1
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND A HEALTHY URBAN ENVIRONMENT
GOAL 1
TO INCREASE LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN KINGSTON
Regular physical activity promotes quality of life and a sense of wellbeing. Keeping physically activity also helps protect against heart disease and stroke, certain cancers, the risk of type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, depression and anxiety, weight gain and improves sleep.
Good design of our urban environment and infrastructure can impact positively on our health. For example, the provision of paths to walk and cycle encourages physical activity. The urban environment can provide protection from extreme weather, opportunities to gather and socialise and access to fresh drinking water, soil, and air.
1.1To promote opportunities for people to be active in Kingston.
1.1.1 Provide and promote flexible public open spaces in a variety of settings through implementation of the Open Space Strategy 2012
1.1.2 Create and maintain a range of Council recreational facilities that are accessible and functional for all members of the community.
1.1.3 Deliver the Good Living Project physical activity programs to seniors and people who are at risk of a chronic disease.
1.1.4 Investigate the feasibility of implementing the Play Streets program in Kingston and other similar initiatives.
1.1.5 Continue to support and deliver Heart Foundation walking groups in Kingston.
1.1.6 Promote and deliver physical activity initiatives that reduce the risk of chronic disease including cancer and diabetes.