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Aims of the Young People Programme at NHS Health Scotland
Policy documents

Aims of the Young People's Programme at NHS Health Scotland

• provide relevant information to young people in a variety of formats
• actively engage with young people to steer strategy and implementation
• support the workforce with relevant resources, networking opportunities and skills development
• influence the creation of healthy environments for young people.

The programme covers key stages in young people's health and seeks to address health inequalities through a broad range of measures including:

• joined up working with other programmes and intiatives across NHS Health Scotland to ensure we are exploring and improving young people's health and wellbeing in relation to the following key priority topic areas: mental health and well being including self harm and suicide prevention, sexual health, tobacco, physical activity, food and health, and alcohol.
• working with key partners within Further and Higher Education and Life Long Learning.
• working in close partnership with the Youth Work sector in particular Youthlink.
• to build upon our Youth Health Network which will help us to showcase and celebrate good practice which is taking place across Scotland
• working with specific agencies who offer support and information to target groups of young people including: black and minority ethnic communities, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people, young parents and disabled young people.
• developing and supporting primary health care practitioners through the Walk the Talk Programme which addresses young people's access to health services and creating youth-friendly environments for young people.
• working in collaboration with our key partner Young Scot (external link) to offer high quality, tailored health information to young people on a range of health topics and issues via a range of creative communication tools including online portals on the Young Scot website Young Scot INFOLINE (external link) and Feeling Good (external link)

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Policy documents

Towards a Mentally Flourishing Scotland

This policy document was launched in May 2009 with a specific set of targets around children and young people's mental health and wellbeing. NHS Health Scotland is targeted against several of these indicators for action and the young people's programme will play a role in facilitating activity and communication. Towards a Mentally Flourishing Scotland: policy and action plan 2009-2011

Related policy documents

Better Health, Better Care - action plan (2008) (external link): sets out a range of measures to improve the quality of the NHS.

Equally Well - Report of the Ministerial Task Force on Health Inequalities (2008) (external link)

Changing Scotland's relationship with alcohol (2008) (external link) This alcohol consultation discussion paper from the Scottish Government that sets out our strategic approach to tacking alcohol misuse.

Towards a Future Without Tobacco (2006)(external link): this consultation document offers a series of recommendations that NHS Health Scotland are taking forward in conjunction with other agencies.

The Road to Recovery: A New Approach to Tackling Scotland's Drug Problem (2008) (external link): the Scottish Government's new national drugs strategy focuses on recovery but also looks at prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, education, enforcement and protection of children.

Healthy Eating, Active Living: an action plan to improve diet, increase physical activity and tackle obesity (2008-2011)(external link)

Looked After Children and Young People: We Can and Must Do Better (2007) (external link): a report from the Ministerial Working Group about educational outcomes that focuses on the key actions for children and people living in residential and care settings.

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Reviewed 12 April 2010