ADD2613 Identifying and addressing knowledge and skills gaps with respect to Health in All Policies across the GLA Group workforce

1.1 The GLA Group Public Health Unit was set up under the auspices of the Collaboration Board, as outlined in MD2940. The Collaboration Board supports the Mayor’s stated ambition to strengthen the GLA Group’s capacity on public health, and to support work to tackle health inequalities; and his commitment to embed a Health in All Policies (HiAP) agenda and health resilience.

1.2 As outlined in MD2940, the Unit is hosted by the GLA and funded by the GLA, the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, London Fire Brigade, Transport for London, and Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation, through a shared-service agreement. The GLA Group Public Health Function is overseen by a GLA Group Public Health Forum.

1.3 In summer 2021, via MD2688, the GLA commissioned an external provider to perform a rapid literature review, internal and external stakeholder interviews, and workshops to prepare a report on best practice in embedding a HiAP approach across organisations, illustrating this through a theory-of-change model.

1.4 The proposed commissions set out in this decision will build on those findings and look specifically to advance this work in two phases.

1.5 Phase 1 of this commission will: identify the learning and development needs, and the knowledge and skills gaps, of the organisations across the GLA Group that are necessary for embedding a HiAP approach; and outline a foundational training plan, and a subsequent advanced training plan, to address these. It will use best practice and evidence to make SMART recommendations to develop a training programme (broken down into two parts: foundational and advanced) to address these needs and gaps. It is expected these recommendations, and the training programme, will be broken down in sufficient detail to enable commission of training in Phase 2.

1.6 Phase 2 of this commission will build on findings and recommendations for training in Phase 1; and will design and commence delivery of the foundational training programme specified to the organisations across the GLA Group, including the Group Public Health team. The foundational training may consist of a package of content and resources (which may include workshops, webinars, written resources, tools, case studies, etc) that might be needed across the GLA Group as a whole to address common skills and knowledge gaps with respect to embedding a HiAP approach. It is anticipated that this foundational training will begin a programme of training needed to embed HiAP longer-term, as part of strategic long-term plan identified in Phase 1. The foundational training may need to be tailored in part, due to findings from Phase 1, to: address gaps and challenges unique to organisations within the GLA Group; and ensure use of a wide range of formats that might suit different learning types, and account for the size of organisations and needs of staff at differing levels of seniority.

2.1 The overall aim of this work is to: identify learning and development needs, and knowledge and skills gaps, with respect to HiAP, across the GLA Group workforce; and deliver foundational skills training to begin to address these gaps, while outlining a route map to advanced training which may further embed HiAP across the GLA Group.

2.2 Phase 1 of this commission will: identify the learning and development needs, and knowledge and skills gaps, of the organisations across the GLA Group necessary for embedding a HiAP approach across the Group; and outline a foundational training plan, and a subsequent advanced training plan, to address these.

2.3 The broad objectives of the work will be to:

i. identify the common foundational knowledge and skills needed across the GLA Group (including the GLA Public Health team) to embed HiAP in their work

ii. identify the specific knowledge and skills needed, which may be unique to each organisation within the GLA Group (including the GLA Public Health team) to embed HiAP in their work

iii. use findings around the needs of the respective organisations to write a report, and develop a set of SMART recommendations for training, guidance and formats of delivery that will be needed on HiAP, to address both the common and specific needs identified, building on learning from previous work done on best practice

iv. use these SMART recommendations to develop a detailed training programme for the GLA Group that is broken down into two parts (foundational and advanced) so that future commissions can be broken down accordingly; and specify levels of training, and frequency of refresher training, that might be needed for staff at different levels of seniority across the organisations

v. specify a plan for how such a programme should be evaluated.

2.4 The funding for Phase 2 of the HiAP programme of work will involve provision of foundational skills training on HiAP to address some of the core identified gaps in skills in previous work. This training can be tailored where necessary to address gaps unique to organisations within the GLA Group.

2.5 The broad objectives of the work will be to:

i. use previously commissioned reports and findings on best practice in embedding HiAP in the organisation, and findings from Phase 1, across the GLA Group workforce, to design and deliver a training programme in a variety of agreed and accessible formats (workshops, webinars, written guidance, tools, frameworks, case studies etc) to address the learning needs identified.

ii. deliver the training programme across the respective organisations of the GLA Group, including the GLA Public Health team. The training should:

ii.i be developed in a way that is sustainable, and that allows it to be incorporated into GLA Group organisations’ culture and processes

ii.ii be tailored to account for the different needs of staff at different levels of seniority and influence within GLA Group organisations (bearing in mind the ultimate goal of embedding HiAP)

ii.iii upon completion, include a robust evaluation that outlines the further and advanced skills training needed to continue embedding a HiAP approach across organisations. This should include a report on findings collected through appropriate mixed methods methodology (collects information on how training participants engaged, and judged quality of training content delivered and whether they believed the intended goals/ learning outcomes from the training were met).

2.6 Ultimately, the intended outcome of this overall work is to continue to progress towards embedding a Health in All Polices approach across the GLA Group.

3.1 HiAP is a collaborative approach to policy development that encourages all sectors to consider the health impacts of their policies, and work together to provide integrated and joined-up responses to complex health challenges and health inequalities. HiAP covers a wide range of activities and seeks to “embed considerations of health, equity and sustainability as a standard part of decision-making processes”.

3.2 Embedding a Health in all Policies approach across the GLA Group is the goal of this commission This approach requires all sector to work towards minimising social inequalities that give rise to health inequalities (avoidable, unfair and systematic differences in health between different groups of people). Health inequalities are most often experienced by those belonging to these four groups: deprived groups, those with protected characteristics e.g., sex, ethnicity, inclusion health (socially vulnerable groups e.g., asylum seekers, homeless) and geographical areas.

3.3 As such, this programme of work – which seeks to advance knowledge and skills across the GLA Group of how to embed a HiAP approach in their work, will ultimately aim to support non-health sectors to consider health more systematically in their work and strive to improve equality and reduce inequalities across such population groups. This underpins the GLA Health team’s work, and complements the goals set out in the Mayor’s London Health Inequalities Strategy.

4.1 This project contributes to the Mayor’s commitment for a HiAP approach to policies and programmes that aim to reduce health inequalities.

4.2 The GLA Group Public Health Unit is funded through a series of shared-service agreements with TfL, MOPAC and VRU, LFC, and OPDC. It has a small programme budget, which will be used in part to fund this work with the beneficiaries of the project being the signatories to the shared-service agreement.

4.3 This proposal was discussed and agreed at the GLA Group public health forum meeting on 9 November 2022.

4.4 Risks and issues will be assessed and managed at each phase of the work prior to commencement.

4.5 There are no conflicts of interest to note for any of the officers involved in the drafting or clearance of this decision form.

5.1 This decision seeks approval from the GLA Group Director of Public Health for the expenditure of £48,000 to fund two phases of work; initially to identify knowledge and skills gaps and develop a detailed training plan; and subsequently to deliver foundational training to begin to address these gaps with respect to Health in All Policies, across the GLA Group organisations. 

5.2 Based on the planned delivery timeline in section 6, is it expected that only phase 1 will be completed and delivered this financial year (2022-23) and phase 2 is expected to be delivered next financial year (2023-24). The anticipated split of expenditure for each phase is £24,000.

5.3 There is sufficient budget to fund the 2022-23 expenditure for phase 1 of £24,000.

5.4 Funding for future financial years will be subject to the annual budget setting process and is subject to change. The phase 2 expenditure of £24,000 in the financial year 2023-24 is assumed to be affordable within the provisional budget and can only be confirmed when the budget allocation is formally approved in March 2023.

5.5 Any contracts that commit the GLA in future years are subject to appropriate break clauses.