Abstract

The Children's NSF Standard 1 and Every Child Matters place great importance on the health and wellbeing of children and young people and on the role public health can play in promoting this. As a result, Children's Services Mapping has tracked PCTs development of child health strategies, child health needs assessment and the commissioning of the child health promotion programme, known now as the Healthy Child Programme. At a service level, questions have been asked about the delivery of child health promotion and healthy lifestyle information advice and support. In 2008 for the first time, child health promotion (including health improvement, advice and support) was offered as a 'service type' enabling local authorities and NHS providers to identify provision of dedicated health promotion services and services that have health promotion as one of a their key functions.

Data issues

Many of the public health questions have been asked since 2005 but over time they have become more refined to obtain greater detail about service provision. Therefore care should be taken when comparing results year-on-year.

Relevant Policy Documents

• CH: Department of Health (2004) Choosing Health - Making healthy choices easier. Cm 6374. London: The Stationery Office (TSO).
• CHP: Department of Health and Department of Children, Schools and Families (2008) Child Health Promotion Programme: Pregnancy and the first five years of life.
• ECM: Department for Education and Skills (2004) Every Child Matters. London: DfES.
• HCP: Department of Health (2009) Healthy Child Programme: from pregnancy to 19 years old. London: DH