Health Services We Fund

Intersectoral Initiatives

AIMHI

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Healthy Community Schools

Evidence Based Outcomes

Implementation Plan

2002 Actions

Healthy Community Schools

In conjunction with the Youth Interagency Project, AIMHI School Principals and the Ministry of Education, we are developing and implementing the Health School initiative.
This initiative has given us an opportunity to work in partnership with the schools. It will also demonstrate that the high needs of students can be addressed by a wide range of agencies working co-operatively and in a co-ordinated manner, increasing synergy and improving health, educational and wellbeing outcomes for both the students and the community.
We agreed as an interagency group to focus on the AIMHI Health Community School's initiative as phase one of the Youth Interagency Project.
The rationale for this is as follows:

creates the opportunity to work alongside a new initiative - (AIMHI and interagency initiative which is creating the opportunity to work collaboratively with other sectors - and enabling us to create a successful synergy between the two projects).

the AIMHI schools are located in the areas of greatest deprivation - (Decile 1 schools in Deprivation 10 health areas).

a large population of the students are Maori and Pacific peoples.

a review of the health status report supports working in the areas of Mangere, Otara, Otahuhu and Papatoetoe (high Priority health areas).

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Evidence Based Outcomes

With effective co-ordination of health, education and social services, we may be able to improve the level of care received by individual students and ensure that they access a range of school developed initiatives which will result in improved health and educational achievement. With the adoption of a Health Community Schools model, it is anticipated that there will be increased parental participation and engagement with the school.

We anticipate the following outcomes could be achieved from the combined projects:

Increased achievement gains

Improved attendance

Decreased dropout rates

Decreased suspension rates

Reductions in high risk behaviours

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Implementation Plan

The implementation of the project includes the following (please note that many of the processes outlined below have been completed in conjunction with the Youth Interagency Project):

Consultation: Consultation has occurred with the Principals, 1902 Students and over 300 Parents, Teachers and Board Members. Feedback from the consultation clearly identified specific needs that can be addressed by working co-operatively (undertaken in conjunction with the Youth Interaction Project (YIP).

Prioritisation: The Prioritisation process for the AIMHI schools identified the top ten needs for Students, Parents and Staff as detailed in out implementation/action plan. This process involved Parents, Pacific groups, Maori groups and young people.

Service Delivery Model: Developed a model of service delivery that addresses the needs of the community, schools, students, Maori and Pacific peoples and is effective within the school environment.

Stocktake of Services: A complete stocktake and assessment of all health, welfare and social services operating within the community will be undertaken - in order to identify gaps (undertaken in conjunction with YIP).

Gap Analysis: Complete a gap analysis for the AIMHI schools in order to identify health, welfare and social services as well in order to identify what is currently working well for the communities (strengths based approach). The gap analysis identified several priority areas as well as services that were working well.

Needs Assessment: A comprehensive needs assessment is underway which is providing information on the issues identified from the consultation (this included the compilation of statistical information - which has supported the implementation) (undertaken in conjunction with YIP).

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2002 Actions:

The following actions will be undertaken throughout 2002 (awaiting final off from AIMHI Principals)

Social worker or community worker: Each school will acquire an onsite social worker/community worker - based on their identification of needs. AIMHI will support this further by co-ordinated supervision, training, professional development and collaborative support.

Assessment tool: To identify and address the health, welfare and social needs of AIMHI schools student's population through the completion of a needs based assessment within a strength-based framework/context. This will require the completion of a comprehensive needs based assessment in order to identify the needs of the students, the community and will be undertaken in partnership with the AIMHI schools. A rotating Registered Nurse will be established to enable the School Nurses to complete school assessments on all new entrants and AE students every year. This will identify issues concerning smoking, personal fitness, mental health, suicide issues, oral health, interpersonal relationships and violence and the interface with primary care and other health services.

The development of the Assessment Tool is being undertaken in collaboration with a range of other sectors and initiatives.

A co-operative response from the AIMHI schools regarding nutrition, hunger and weight. The AIMHI schools plan to work co-operatively to develop a strategic school response to issues of hunger, weight and nutrition, under the guidelines of the Healthy Schools framework (Ottawa Charter). They will work with exerts such as Public Health Dietitians, Nutritionists, Maori Heartbeat, Pacific Heartbeat, WINZ as well a work with students on policies regarding tuckshops, breakfast clubs, in order to develop a strategic response. The main focus will be on developing and utilising public health and personal health messages and resources in order to address the needs of the students, in order to change patterns.

Successful models for keeping schools safe. To facilitate a review of what schools are doing successfully and effectively regarding violence and abuse (in all forms of abuse - violence, racism and sexism). With the potential of establishing a forum/seminar day in order to explore critical success factors of effective and successful models.
Development of an Interagency 'think tank' of Best Practice and ways of working effectively.
Identifying ways of working with families in order to promote alternatives to violent discipline.
This issue and response focuses on the New Zealand Health Strategy's objective of reducing violence.

Consultation with communities and students. Involvement from students and their families and communities.

Integration. Integration of student support services across schools and ensuring that students can access health and social services. This involves the development of a Memorandum of Understanding with CYFs, police and mental health services to ensure access.
We aim to ensure that health, welfare and social services operating both within AIMHI schools and the community are delivering services based upon:

a commitment to meeting the needs of the students

the development of services where deprivation is at its greatest

a balance between preventative and population based services

Through the development of partnerships with other sectors/agencies we aim to improve the health of both the students and their community. Through interagency collaboration it is envisaged that sectors will co-ordinate and collaborate in terms of service provision to the AIMHI school and develop a process for service shifts to support AIMHI schools.

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Published: 30-Nov-2006 | Website enquiries: Web Content Manager