4 DEECD contributing to health and wellbeing outcomes The Victorian Child and Adolescent Outcomes Framework identifies the outcomes known to be of most importance to children and young people’s lives and to reflect the influence of families, community and society (Figure 4.1). The DEECD health and wellbeing priorities table details selected health priorities that DEECD education and health and wellbeing services can jointly contribute to over the long term. The Victorian Child and Adolescent Monitoring System (VCAMS) is the comprehensive monitoring system that enables measurement and reporting against the outcomes for Victorian children and young people articulated in the Framework. The Principles for Health and Wellbeing aim to contribute to these outcomes by promoting effective and coordinated services that are responsive to individual needs, and family, community and cultural contexts. Figure 4.1: Victorian Child and Adolescent Outcomes Framework Children and young people • optimal antenatal/infant development • optimal physical health – adequate nutrition – free from preventable disease – healthy teeth and gums – healthy weight – adequate exercise and physical activity – healthy teenage lifestyle – Safe from injury and harm • optimal social and emotional development – positive child behaviour and mental health – pro-social teenage lifestyle and law abiding behaviour – teenagers able to rely on supportive adults • optimal language and cognative development – successful in literacy and numeracy – young people complete secondary education Community • safe from environmental toxins safe healthy child learning developing achieving wellbeing • healthy adult lifestyle • parent promotion of child health and development • good parental mental health • free from abuse and neglect • free from child exposure to conflict or family violence • ability to pay for essentials • adequate family housing • positive family functioning Society • quality antenatal care • early identification of child health needs • high quality early education and care experiences available • communities that enable parents, children and young people to build connections draw on informal assistance • accessible local recreation spaces, activities and community facilities • low levels of crime in community • adequate supports to meet needs of families with children with a disability • children attend and enjoy school • adult health and community services that meet the needs of parents critical to parenting • adequate supports for vulnerable teenagers
Early Childhood Supports Education settings Student supports Outcomes Priority area Maternal & Child Health Service Early Childhood Intervention Service Early Education and Care Schools Student Support Services Primary School Nursing Primary Welfare Officers Secondary School Nursing Student Welfare Coordinators Safety and material wellbeing Providing a safe learning environment 4 4 4 4 4 4 Ability to pay for daily essentials (family or independent young person)* 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Adequate housing* 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Safe from injury, harm, abuse and neglect* 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Supportive Promoting positive relationships and bullying prevention 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Positive family functioning* 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Young people able to rely on a trusted adult in their lives* 4 4 4 4 Learning and skills Optimal language and cognitive development 4 4 4 4 4 4 Children attend and enjoy school 4 4 4 4 4 Success in literacy and numeracy 4 4 4 4 4 Young people complete secondary education 4 4 4 4
Figure 5.3: Association between health and education Health related behaviours • Excessive alcohol use • Drug use • Smoking • Poor nutrition • Physical inactivity Health conditions • Emotional, behavioural, mental health concern • Special health care need • Asthma • Diabetes Mediating factors • Cognitive development • Classroom/learning environment • Self efficacy • Learning skills • Physical energy • Teacher and peer relationships Educational achievement • Attendance • Engagement in learning • NAPLAN results • Completion of Year 12 Adult outcomes • Health status and lifestyle • Positive mental health • Occupation and income • Pro social conduct • Positive family functioning External factors • Family • Community • Society Source: Adapted from World Health Organisation Regional Office for Europe, 2011
6 The continuum of intervention for health and wellbeing Victorian schools, early education and care services and universal services like Maternal and Child Health have a key role to play in primary prevention and promoting the health of children and young people in their community. DEECD services also work with individuals to identify and respond to the additional needs of children, young people and families as soon as possible. The ‘continuum of intervention for health and wellbeing’ is a model to help DEECD services see the multiple opportunities for addressing health and wellbeing at the population and individual level. This model can support collaborative planning, help identify the core business of other services, identify gaps and duplication between services and support decision making about how best to use available resources. The spread of services across the levels can be tailored locally and regionally to match the health and wellbeing needs of the community and existing activity. DEECD services work in and across the continuum. These levels of intervention are represented in Figure 6.1 and described in the subsequent tables that also include the respective roles of services across the continuum. Figure 6.1 The continuum of intervention for health and wellbeing Complex intervention and restoring wellbeing Early identification and intervention Primary prevention 5% of population Approximately 15% of population Approximately 80% of population Focusing on promoting the health and wellbeing of all Victorian children and young people
DEECD services work across the continuum of intervention for health and wellbeing Activity domains Maternal and Child Health Service Early Childhood Intervention Services Early Education and Care Schools Primary School Nursing Primary Welfare Officers Secondary School Nursing Student Welfare Coordinators Student Support Services Health promotion and primary prevention 4 4 4 4 4 4 Population health monitoring for children and young people 4 4 4 Early identification of additional needs, vulnerability and risk 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Early intervention for children and young people with, or at risk of, compromised health and wellbeing 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Complex intervention 4 Enhanced 4 4 4 4 4 Restoring wellbeing 4 Enhanced 4 4 4 4 4