SURF Open Forum 31 May 07 Employability and health inequalities: links to health outcomes Paul Ballantyne Scottish Centre for Regeneration

SURF Open Forum 31 May 07 Overview History and context Health outcomes from employability Capturing health outcomes from regeneration

SURF Open Forum 31 May 07 History and context Classic cycle of deprivation – poor housing, low education attainment, poor health, unemployment all combine to create concentrations of multiple deprivation Current longitudinal research – to better understand the cause and effect relationships (Go-Well; SHARP; Fife study) Regeneration policy and practice – spatial targeting a major feature CToG targets, ROAs and “People and Place” reinforce this but stress better connections to wider opportunities Impact of regeneration on health inequalities – research evidence shows little evidence of impact; in some places worse or in most no better than national trends So getting health improvement out of regeneration investment still a major challenge And today, a new Executive with new priorities and minority government.

SURF Open Forum 31 May 07 Lessons from EQUAL Access About integration of services  Raising profile of employment as an outcome amongst health professionals  Pathways to work – more than a national govt initiative About case management  Making different services seamless  Organising services around the service user About service user involvement  Benefits for services as well as clients  Empowering staff equally important And about health outcomes?  Yes, but need to be captured more systematically

SURF Open Forum 31 May 07 Lessons from EQUAL Access Health outcomes from employability: About self worth  Confidence and self esteem; positive mental health; increased earnings About managing daily life  Family relations, being active, coping strategies,  Managing health conditions, dealing with stress About social connections  Getting involved, volunteering, training, personal development, to job information/networks About greater control  Over personal choices and decisions; over what happens generally in community

SURF Open Forum 31 May 07 Health improvement outcomes from regeneration? Some suggestions: Learn from current longitudinal research Engage with EQUAL Access to capture its learning Talk more in terms of health impacts? Define health impacts as the “glue” for clusters of regeneration outcomes and indicators Place more value in community learning & development outcomes Explore collective health impacts that can apply to communities

SURF Open Forum 31 May 07 Summary and conclusion Regeneration will always need joined up approaches for it to work Setting outcomes can’t just be a technical exercise – needs to be the basis for and reflect joint planning and joined up delivery Need to move towards shared health improvement outcomes that:  Are better understood by all involved in regeneration  Owned in equal measure by agencies beyond the “health” sector