CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND
1.1 BACKGROUND
Children throughout society today will shape the future of tomorrow; they are the foundation of the society in which we live. As such, much of the work of the Scottish Executive and Scottish Parliament has focussed on areas in which children and young people play a predominant role, and the Executive is committed to helping every young person achieve their full potential by removing social and economic barriers that might hamper development.
The development of a child into adult life directly impacts on the future health of our nation and the prosperity and stability of the economy. Today there are many challenges that face children and young people in all aspects of their everyday life. The area of health is, in particular, one where there is currently an array of requirements to be met. Addressing and taking care of their health needs is a vital part of the process in investing in the future of Scotland.
There has already been a great deal of work undertaken across Scotland in relation to child health and the Executive has acknowledged the importance of the activities of a range of government departments and services in developing and maintaining the health of the next generation. Work already undertaken among some local authorities has included steps to integrate the various services offered to children, and to strengthen links with other agencies to provide a more integrated approach to the provision of children's services. These all serve to emphasise the importance of partnership working between different agencies to provide children and young people with the support and care that they need in the most effective way.
The need for an Action Framework for Children and Young People's Health in Scotland
In October 2005, Andy Kerr, Minister for Health and Community Care reaffirmed the Scottish Executive's commitment to the development of an Action Framework for Children and Young Peoples Health in Scotland in Delivering for Health. The Children and Young Peoples Health Support Group (the expert Ministerial Advisory Group on Child Health) was asked to lead the process which resulted in a document that put forward key actions and milestones to meet the challenges for children and young people's health in 21 st Century Scotland.
Previous work undertaken has fed into development of this Action Framework and two documents published by the Scottish Executive have been of key importance - Building a Health Service Fit for the Future and Delivering for Health. The information and recommendations from these reports have played a significant part in shaping the draft framework: Delivering a Healthy Future: An Action Framework for Children and Young People's Health in Scotland.
Malcolm Wright, the Chair for Children and Young People's Health Support Group ( CYPHSG), in his foreword in the draft framework noted,
"In publishing this draft, we have been very aware of the breadth of the child health agenda and the extent to which the health of the next generation is crucially dependent on the activities of a wide range of Government Departments, Local Authority agencies and other services working in areas such as Education, Social Care, Health Improvement and Justice."1
Progressive improvement in the health of our population requires a sustained and co-ordinated commitment for services to work together in ensuring that the next generation are in the best possible health. This concept of integration across a wide range of services is crucial in developing an overall child health agenda as well as delivering improved outcomes for children more generally. This is because health and well-being are shaped by a wide range of influences, many of which are outwith the health care sector.
The draft framework, Delivering a Healthy Future: An Action Framework for Children and Young People's Health in Scotland sets out plans to be implemented over the next 3-10 years in relation to children and young people's health in Scotland. In addition to this, it sets out actions and progress measures for individual elements of the programme acting as markers for change and improvement. By having an Action Framework in place it will be possible for progress to be managed and monitored over time.
In delivering a healthy future, many complex issues need to be addressed and brought together. Further to this, it is an area which encompasses almost all policy areas and it is therefore essential that the Action Framework be developed not only within the context of policy areas under the remit of the Scottish Executive but also encompasses issues which are the responsibility of the UK Government. Strategic planning in areas such as health, social inclusion, social justice and the workforce is essential in order to identify and overcome any obstacles which stand in the way of delivering an Action Framework. As noted, "the ultimate outcome must be a pattern of support, intervention and service delivery that meets the needs of current and future generations of children and young people in ways that are:
- Targeted to the health challenges of the 21 st century;
- Based on the best available evidence;
- Designed to protect and promote health as well as treating disease;
- Capable of meeting the needs of children who may be vulnerable or at risk;
- Centred on children, young people and their families;
- Delivered consistently and equitably throughout the country;
and are fully integrated with the more wide-ranging actions necessary to create health in body, mind and behaviour, whichever agency is responsible for delivering these actions."
The draft Action Framework sets out clearly the proposals required to achieving its goal and encompasses a number of key areas.
The challenges
There have been many improvements in areas concerning child health over the years. These improvements have been as a direct result of past investment in health initiatives dedicated to protecting and promoting the health and well being of children. However there are many challenges that remain unresolved along with other health issues that have emerged over recent years.
The Action Framework is designed to provide a way forward in meeting these challenges in a consistent, effective and equal manner. It is hoped that the Action Framework will act as a major source of information for clinicians, the public and other stakeholders who are interested in the progressive improvement and developments of children and young people's health services throughout Scotland. For this to be successful, these groups of people were invited to respond to a consultation exercise. The consultation was intended to inform formal Scottish Executive guidance to assist NHS Scotland and its partners to deliver measurable improvements in the health outcomes and health services for children and young people in Scotland.