Work has started on the development of the Knowsley Public Health Annual Report which will focus on adolescent health.
Knowsley Council is working in partnership with the Merseyside Youth Association to co-design the report and this week, an engagement session was facilitated at Our Place in Huyton with a group of young people aged 11 to 18 years to get their views on issues that are important to them and those that have the greatest impact on their health and wellbeing.
During the session, a number of key themes were identified including:-
- Factors that affect the health of individuals and communities (known as determinants of health) such as social media and the ways that businesses and companies influence people’s health
- Health promoting environments and amenities which foster positive physical and Mental health and make healthy behaviours easier
- Access to health services
- Mental health support
- Social influences on young people’s health including education, income, social networks and access to help and support
The findings from this session will be used to further explore the issues identified and inform the development of the annual report.
Cllr Christine Bannon, Cabinet Member for Health, said: “It’s really important that we engage with our young people to ensure that the support and services we provide are aligned to their needs.
“It was a really great session this week, hearing about the key pressures and issues they are facing and the support they need.
“Thank you to everyone who took part, shared their views and helped us to shape our annual report moving forward.”