1. A Healthy University: Getting Started

2. What is a Healthy University?
“aspires to create a learning environment and organisational culture that enhances the health, well-being and sustainability of its community and enables people to achieve their full potential.”

3. A Conceptual Model

4. Underpinning Principles
The Healthy University approach is underpinned by a range of core principles, which derive from the values that characterise higher education and public health. The integrity of the approach will be ensured by applying the following principles:
Equality and diversity
Participation and empowerment
Partnership
Sustainability
Holistic and whole system health
Evidence-informed and innovative practice
Evaluation, learning and knowledge exchange

5. Processes and Methods
A ‘whole university approach’ combines high visibility health-related projects with system-level organisation development and change, balances multi-stakeholder engagement with high-level commitment and leadership, and is driven by both higher education and public health agendas.
Adapted from Dooris, M. (2004) Joining up settings for health: a valuable investment for strategic partnerships? Critical Public Health 14 (1):

6. Typical Range of Activities
Policy/procedures
Needs assessments/audits
Training
Establishing Curriculum links
Health Campaigns
Project development
External partnerships
Service audits and developments

7. An Operational Process
Monitoring &
Evaluation
Recognition
& Celebration
Working
Groups
Action Plan
Delivery
SMT Commitment &
High Level
Steering Group
Named
Co-ordinator
Stakeholder asset mapping & needs assessment
Entry Points/Catalysts:
The approach also requires a proactive, systematic process that designates responsibilities and accountabilities, harnesses and connects health-related activities, and utilises an operational planning and implementation process.

8. Stage 1: SMT Commitment This stage of the process includes:
Formal SMT Commitment
Decision on branding (if any)
Formalisation of governance structures
Consideration of how HU work can be embedded into university structures/strategies/planning
Formulation of steering group with broad membership (eg faculties/schools, services, staff and students)
Initial engagement of external partners in the steering group

9. Stage 2: Named Coordinator
This stage of the process includes:
Consideration of where a Healthy University Coordinator would best be located within your organisation (see slides for examples of healthy university structures)
Decision about the level at which your coordinator will work, whether it is a full or part time role
Decision about whether a the coordinator post is a new role, or existing role(s) within the organisation could be changed to reflect Healthy University work

10. Stage 3: Assets & Needs Assessment
This stage of the process includes:
Decision about methods, resources and time available for an audit eg Focus groups, Team meetings, Questionnaires
Identification any current audit information that relates to health
Identification of internal and external stakeholders/partners
Identification of current activity
Identification of need – staff, students and wider community
Securing buy-in and systems for on-going involvement

11. Stage 4: Working Groups This stage of the process includes:
Responding to mapping and audit by developing working group(s) that are action-focused groups determined by need – not ‘for own sake’
Following normal protocol for working groups, eg terms of reference, membership, timing, agreeing action plan
Ensuring working groups are linked into governance structure(s)
Consideration of who should lead/be on groups- Often the HU co-ordinator will facilitate groups but key members of steering group could also have this role

12. Stage 5: Action Planning
This stage of the process includes:
Development of an action plan that fits into the institution's planning cycle. Each working group usually develops their own action plan feeding into a larger HU action plan
Clarification of objectives, outcomes and evaluation
Anticipation and connection to internal/external drivers and forging of links to relevant expertise
Ensuring links to local and national targets
Ensuring plans addresses local/national/ international standards and accreditation criteria

13. Stage 6: Delivery This stage of the process includes:
Ensuring your action plan is robust enough to support delivery and demonstrate ‘deliverables’ within a set timescale
Identifying named leads and support/resources
Regular reporting on progress through working groups and HU Steering Groups

14. Stage 7: Monitoring & Evaluation
This stage of the process includes:
Planning for monitoring and evaluation – not an after-thought. Evaluation can be linked to external standards, e.g. Fair Trade Status, Clean Air Award
Remembering the dual agendas – public health and ‘core business’ – and consideration of what counts as evidence in the setting
Consideration of types of evaluation – not only to demonstrate outcomes, but to understand what works in which situations and why

15. Stage 8: Recognition & Celebration
This stage of the process includes:
Internal and external dissemination of Healthy University achievements
Inclusion of information into key university documents, prospectus, web pages, annual reports
Write up of work into Case Study for HU website
Write up of research/practice based work as journal articles

16. Structure: UCLan www.healthyuniversities.ac.uk
UCLan Strategic Planning/Committees
Healthy University
Staff & Student
Well-being
Healthy & Sustainable Food
Alcohol & Drugs
Chlamydia
Bicycle User Group
Environment & Sustainability
UCLan Sport

17. Structure: University of Bristol
Planning & University Resource Committee
Registrar
Sport, Exercise & Health Advisory Group
Healthy University Working Group
Stress Action Group
Food Action Group
Drugs & Alcohol Action Group
Active Campus Action Group
Personal Staff Development Committee
Positive Working Environment Steering Group
Positive Working Environment Development Group

18. Structure: Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Student Health & Wellbeing Group
(ext. partnership group)
Leeds Metropolitan University
Services to Students, Health Centre
Health Faculty
Carnegie Faculty of Sport

19. Action Plan Example Nottingham Trent University: Sexual Health Theme
To establish baseline data relevant to NTU students
Strategic vision and partnership working
To improve access to information on sexual health for students
To improve access to sexual health services
To review and develop this theme
Dooris, M. and Doherty, S. (2009)
National Research and Development Project on Healthy Universities: Final Report. London: Higher Education Academy Health Sciences and Practice Subject Centre

20. Action Plan Example Leeds Metropolitan University: Smoking and Alcohol
To expand access to Leeds Stop Smoking Service
To develop peer led smoking cessation interventions in university and college settings in line with NICE guidance
To reduce alcohol/drug related harm in student population
To continue to develop and expand campaign
To work with SU bars to encourage adoption of 'sensible drinking programme' and train staff to serve responsibly
To develop drug use/harm reduction campaigns drawing on expertise of SU and agencies working in the field
Dooris, M. and Doherty, S. (2009)
National Research and Development Project on Healthy Universities: Final Report. London: Higher Education Academy Health Sciences and Practice Subject Centre

21. References www.healthyuniversities.ac.uk
Dooris, M. and Doherty, S. (2009) National Research and Development Project on Healthy Universities: Final Report. London: Higher Education Academy Health Sciences and Practice Subject Centre.
Dooris, M. (2004) Joining up settings for health: a valuable investment for strategic partnerships? Critical Public Health 14 (1)