Working with the police to improve public health: expansion of digital learning hub
First published on 27 April 2022
- Population health
Following the launch of the Public Health Scotland (PHS) ‘Introduction to Public Health’ online learning hub last year, a new section has been added on the role of Police Scotland. It supplements existing examples of strong partnership working to improve health and wellbeing between local government and the NHS, alongside communities and the voluntary sector.
The section on Police Scotland aims to showcase the important role the police have in helping to improve health. It will strengthen learning within public services about the factors that affect health – such as the difficult conditions in which people live, and common signs of complex social circumstances such as poor mental health or problematic drug use. The hub will also help learners understand what influences the wellbeing of our communities, and what can be achieved as part of a shared public health approach.
Developed in collaboration with Police Scotland, the extension to the hub provides facts and examples which bring to life the public health approaches to addressing wider societal issues, in partnership with others including communities, the NHS and local authorities.
Vicki Bibby, Director of Strategic Planning at PHS, said:
“At PHS our aim is to prolong healthy life for all in our communities. Helping to create a Scotland where fewer people die from preventable diseases and causes, such as drug and alcohol misuse.
“We can better achieve this through a preventative public health approach. Police Scotland is an obvious and compelling example of a partner well placed to engage with, and support, people whose problem behaviours are often rooted in health-related factors.
“The public health learning hub is a great way for Police Scotland, and partners, to understand more about public health and to see how strong partnerships can be beneficial in achieving shared outcomes”.
The Introduction to Public Health Learning Hub is an evidence-informed digital resource with examples of real-life practice to engage learners, including talking heads, animations and reflective activities. Users will now be able to learn from examples of collaborative work with Police Scotland including case studies, directly explained by Police Scotland staff.