North West Behavioural Science Regional Hub
North West Behavioural and Social Science Regional Hub is funded by HEE NW for the public health, healthcare, social care and voluntary sectors.
Following evaluation of the last two years of work with the BSPHN, the NW Behavioural & Social Science regional hub is taking a more targeted approach to developing public health capacity and capability in this sphere of public health practice across the North West.
Bespoke Learning & Development Opportunity.
HEE NW & OHID NW have commissioned BSPHN to provide a bespoke learning and development opportunity for the public health workforce and key stakeholders across the Northwest.
The aim of the offer is to provide an introduction to behavioural and social science methodology and apply that learning to local public health priorities in the region.
Utilising an applied approach, delegates will work together in action learning sets based on their local ICS footprint areas – three special interest groups will be established to allow delegates to apply the learning with the support of subject expert facilitators as well as taking a peer led approach to pull together public health interventions of their choice that are informed by behaviour change methodology.
The development offer is provided by Professor Paul Chadwick, honorary professor at University College London and International behavioural scientist.
BSPHN are taking overall leadership responsibility for this proof-of-concept approach and a project evaluation will be available at the end of the development programme.
All public health teams across the region have been invited to field at least two members of their public health teams and local academia and ICS teams leading on public health have also been invited.
Course Objectives:
- Identify the modifiable behavioural influences on key public health outcomes
- Select behaviours to target for change to achieve public health outcomes
- Identify and describe the different influences on behaviours using the COM-B model of behaviour
- Develop interventions to change behaviour using the tools of intervention types and policy options in the Behaviour Change Wheel framework
- Understand what Behaviour Change Techniques are and how they fit within the Behaviour Change Wheel framework
- Apply these ideas to develop a behaviour change intervention plan relevant to your area of work
Timeline regarding the Development offer:
- Public health teams invited to attend Oct – Nov 2022
- All delegates welcome event led by Dr Paul Chadwick to outline structure of the course, learning objectives and learner requirements 3rd Nov 2022
- All delegates received modules 1& 2 to be completed prior to attending the action learning sets ( three across the region – Cheshire & Merseyside, Greater Manchester & Lancashire & South Cumbria) All four modules are pre-recorded, including videos, quizzes and task sheets – a minimum of 1 hours learning per module.
- First guided facilitated action learning set held ( Nov / Dec) one in each ICS area
- Delegates encouraged to meet in between these sessions and organise their own special interest group meetings.
- Second guided learning session – one in each ICS footprint area - Jan 2023
- Face to face summary workshop to share learning, interventions that have been drafted and to consider next steps March 16th
- Project evaluation – this is a proof-of-concept approach and outcomes, and recommendations will be shared by BSPHN across the public health community. March 30th - April – project close
For any further information regarding the development offer above please contact admin@bsphn.org.uk
For any further information regarding behavioural and social science in the Northwest contact Dr Rory McGill Rory.McGill@sefton.gov.uk
How to join the BSPHN?
Join ‘The North West Behavioural Science Regional Hub’, aiming to connect you to the growing evidence that utilising behavioural sciences in public health practice contributes to improving health outcomes, including the Covid19 response and reducing health inequalities.
The work funded by HEE is a partnership between OHID North West and the North West Population Health and Prevention Network.
Background & Context
OHID outlined a series of recommendations to integrate behavioural science approaches and practice into public health commissioning and service delivery in order to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequalities. Improving people’s health: applying behavioural and social sciences 2018
In May 2019 HEE NWPHPN, Champs Collaborative and PHE NW delivered a NW symposium to socialise the strategy across the public health, clinical and voluntary sector and to explore the rationale to expand the work through a professional development approach in partnership with the Behavioural Science & Public Health Network. Evaluation and feedback indicated that participants would benefit from and use a regional hub to build capacity and capability in behavioural and social science approaches and practice in public health work and services. Funding from non-recurrent innovation funds via HEE NW have been secured to establish the NW behavioural science hub.
Many public health challenges – including preventable diseases, smoking, and mental ill-health – are more often behavioural and sociological than medical in nature. The reason behind this is that they often arise from behaviours that are underpinned by social and structural determinants.
Evidence from behavioural science suggests that simple and easy ways of helping people to change their behaviour are the most effective. Whether it’s encouraging smokers to quit, increasing uptake of the NHS Health Check, making healthier food choices easier, or reducing the number of inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions, this evidence can help in understanding and therefore influencing behaviour change that promotes health, prevents disease, and reduces health inequalities. We must reach and be meaningful to people in the lives that they are leading.
See below for information regarding previous NW events here.
Behavioural Science and Public Health Network - Regional Hubs
The BSPHN plans to establish regional behavioural science hubs. We are currently in the process of trialing this within the Midlands and East. This pilot is funded by Health Education England. If successful, we envisage these regional hubs, which feature both face to face learning and networking events along with access to virtual learning and support, will provide the necessary expertise, training and the opportunity to collaborate and share practice across the behavioural science local system. The Midlands and East Hub is accessible to BSPHN members only.