Type 1 diabetes in children

Many children are not diagnosed early enough. Nicky Kime highlights the symptoms and importance of an accurate early diagnosis

Maintaining heart health

Risk factors for heart disease are wide ranging and cumulative. Nicky Kime outlines simple advice that can alter outcomes

Weight loss in type 2 diabetes

Support from nurses is crucial to help obese and overweight patients achieve and maintain weight loss, explains Nicky Kim

Management of Prediabetes

Nurses have a key role in promoting the patient's self-management and fostering motivation for lifestyle change, writes Nicky Kim

'Join Us On Our Journey': developing a new model of care for children and young people with type 1 diabetes Final report for NHS Diabetes

The aims of this research were to develop a model of care that will deliver the aspirations of the policy document, ‘Making Every Young Person with Diabetes Matter’ and improve the care provision for children and young people with Type 1 diabetes in England. Children and young people with Type 1 diabetes, their families and professionals, in nine acute trusts throughout the Yorkshire and the Humber region, participated in talking group discussions and individual interviews to find out about their experiences of diabetes care provision. Findings show that there are certain aspects of the care pathway that need to be addressed. In particular, diabetes care, resources, education, psychological support, school/college and transition were found to be the main areas of concern. Recommendations have been made indicating how current practice needs to change if the care of children and young people with Type 1 diabetes is to improve

Evaluation plan and recommendations - ‘Can’t Wait to be Healthy’: A briefing paper on evaluation for Leeds Childhood Obesity Prevention and Weight Management Strategy.

The rise in childhood obesity is a major public health challenge and a national priority for health action. Obesity is associated with many illnesses and is directly related to increased mortality and lower life expectancy. The Children’s Plan recognises child obesity as one of the most serious challenges for children and links it to a number of poor outcomes, physical, social and psychological (Department for Children, Schools and Families 2007). ‘Can’t wait to be healthy’- Leeds Childhood Obesity Prevention and Weight Management Strategy 2006-2016 is a comprehensive, city-wide strategy setting out actions to tackle the problem of childhood obesity for all children and young people 0-19 years. The strategy reviews the evidence around prevalence, causal factors and effective interventions. There is recognition of the complexity of the issue and the need for action on multiple levels and in different sectors, including health, education, environment and leisure services. The guiding principles are based on partnership working and local leadership, the active participation of parents, carers, children and young people, and the prioritisation of prevention and early intervention. ‘Can’t wait to be healthy’ was initiated by Leeds Primary Care Trust (PCT) and Children Leeds and its implementation is being overseen by a multi agency partnership. An initial action plan was agreed that gives an outline of proposed actions (2007-2010) grouped around strands of work. There are seven core objectives that are summarised in Box 1. A robust evaluation plan and reporting framework to measure progress and outcomes resulting from the strategy is required. This is supported by recent guidance for local areas indicating the importance of local evaluation and monitoring in tracking progress and informing commissioning (Cross Government Obesity Unit 2008a).The Centre for Health Promotion Research, Leeds Metropolitan University, was commissioned to work in collaboration with the Leeds Childhood Obesity Partnership to develop a strategic approach to evaluation. A series of workshops were held in Spring 2008 to enable stakeholders to engage with the planning process and to consider how evidence would be generated. The workshops used a ‘Theory of Change’ approach to develop understanding about how and why specific activities or combinations of activities work (Connell and Kubisch 1988). This resulted in a draft evaluation plan and recommendations for ongoing evaluation which are presented here. This briefing paper includes: • Summary of national guidance on indicators for childhood obesity • Evaluation planning process and approach • Theories of change and evaluation plans for each objective and for the overall strategy • Recommendations for evaluation of ‘Can’t wait to be healthy’ and priorities for data collectio

An Evaluation of the Bradford District Health Trainers Programme - Phase 2

Health trainers are health workers who offer one-to-one support to help individuals make changes to improve their health. The government regards health trainers as being an important mechanism to help tackle health inequalities through improving access to health advice, support and services in disadvantaged communities (Department of Health, 2005). As one of the 12 early adopter sites of the national health trainer programme, Bradford was one of the first places in the country to have health trainers working out in local communities. The early adopter phase was evaluated in 2006 to provide feedback on the development and functioning of the programme and any early outcomes. The evaluation findings indicated that the health trainer role was successful at supporting people to make changes to improve their health. Since the initial evaluation one significant development has been the piloting of the senior health trainer role. Three senior health trainers were recruited in November 2006 and placed in three localities, all areas of disadvantage. Their role was to support the work of health trainers on the ground and to use community development skills to improve access to the health trainer programme. At the time of the second evaluation there were 32 health trainers and 3 senior health trainers working in Bradford providing support to those individuals and communities with greatest health needs

Low-level support for socially isolated older people: An evaluation of telephone befriending

In May 2005 Help the Aged and Zurich Community Trust launched a two year national programme ‘A Call in Time’. The purpose of the programme was to provide low level support and befriending services via the telephone to older people who are lonely, isolated or vulnerable. Eight projects were funded across the country. Following the launch of the programme, Help the Aged commissioned the Centre for Health Promotion Research at Leeds Metropolitan University to undertake an evaluation of the programme and to investigate the direct impact of low level support on older people who are vulnerable, isolated or lonely using the telephone as a specific tool of befriending. The main objectives of the evaluation were to: * Measure and identify the effectiveness of telephone befriending services for older people with regards to their mental and physical well-being and their quality of life and the extent to which services were of preventive value. * Examine the components parts of each model of telephone befriending and identify ‘models of good practice’. All eight telephone befriending schemes functioning within a variety of different parameters were included in the evaluation. The participants in this research included project co-ordinators, project volunteers and older people who were in receipt of the services