Ways to Wellbeing
Sciencewise-ERC funded project 2011
Background
Recent developments in UK mental health and health policy more generally have emphasised the need to balance actions taken to respond to illness, improve care and treatment and intervene early in identifying and responding to illness with a complementary approach which emphasises actions to prevent illnesses and to promote well-being... Find out more
Aims and Objectives
This project aims to explore with members of the public two issues that will help understanding of what gets in the way of taking action to promote well-being, and two that will actively help Department of Health (DH) and other Government Department’s policy-makers implement strategies based on Foresight’s MCW project.
Delivered By
Department of Health
The Department of Health (DH) is the government department responsible for public health issues, and is responsible for the commissioning of the project.
nef
nef (the new economics foundation) is an independent think-and-do tank that inspires and demonstrates real economic well-being.
Corr Wilbourn
Corr Willbourn Research and Development provides qualitative market research, brand development and deliberative facilitation and is the dialogue contractor for this study.
Laura Grant Associates
The evaluation is being delivered by Laura Grant Associates, whose specialisms include public engagement with science and engineering and programme evaluation.
Latest Status Updates
Twelve group meetings have been held, two in each of Altrincham, Coventry, Exeter, Guildford, London and Hartlepool. These were followed by workshops each combining the two groups in the six locations.
Key Impacts
• When the project was initially conceived, the intention was that findings from the research would feed directly into the development of the new mental health strategy ‘No Health Without Mental Health’. In practice, due to a delay in initiation of the project was mentioned in the white paper, but there were no findings to report.
• The most likely area for the project’s findings to have policy impact in the future is in the development of the new public health arrangements.
• There is evident scope for findings of the project to influence this guidance as it relates to health promotion, behaviour change and social marketing in relation to population wellbeing.
Resources
Project Quotes
“It was like everybody got a chance to speak, which was really good. And you could put your own point across and make other people think, oh yeah, that’s a good point, that. ”Dialogue participant
“I was very impressed by the way that [the researchers] ran them, I thought they did it beautifully. Not a particularly easy subject and I was impressed really. ”Stakeholder
“Well the atmosphere itself, it was a very kind of relaxed atmosphere and the two people who were actually leading us they were very flexible so I think there was no problem, it wasn’t regimental, everyone put their hands up and expressed their opinion. ”Dialogue participant