Hull City Council Healthy Lifestyles Team have designed and created a programme of early years provision to promote physical activity and movement at the earliest opportunity. The programme is designed to increase access to physical activity, provide opportunities to meet Chief Medical Officer guidelines and develop physical literacy with school readiness in mind.
The challenge
We know Hull has some of the lowest physical activity participation rates across the Humber amongst children and young people, decreasing over recent years on the whole. 45.9 per cent of children and young people in Hull were classed as ‘active’ in 2023/24, compared with 48.7 per cent in 2022/23 as reported in Sport England’s Active Lives survey.
The challenge is to create opportunities to participate at the earliest opportunity, recognising links between affluence and physical activity participation and healthy weight.
Hull’s healthy weight picture currently shows:
Hull National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) 2023/24
Year Reception (aged four to five years):
- Since 2022/23, excess weight has increased from 25.4 per cent to 26.4 per cent and obesity has increased from 11.5 per cent to 12.0 per cent
- Almost three-quarters are a healthy weight (72.9 per cent)
- YR obesity levels in Hull are the 12th joint highest among the 151 upper-tier local authorities in England for 2023/24.
- Year 6 (aged 10 to 11 years):
- Since 2022/23, excess weight has increased from 40.4 per cent to 42.2 per cent (whereas there has been a reduction in England from 36.6 per cent to 35.8 per cent), and obesity has increased from 26.8 per cent to 27.9 per cent (whereas there has been a reduction in England from 22.7 per cent to 22.1 per cent).
- Just over half are a healthy weight (56.6 per cent).
- Y6 obesity levels in Hull are the seventh joint highest among the 151 upper-tier local authorities in England for 2023/24.
The solution
Hull has adopted a whole systems approach to tackling unhealthy weight levels within childhood. As part of this approach local Public Health investment has enabled the local authority Healthy Lifestyles Team to position themselves within Early Help and Family Hub multi-disciplinary teams.
The positioning of the Healthy Lifestyles Team has enabled physical activity to be embedded within Family Hubs and provision tailored to meet the needs of the community. The team created the ‘Tots Get Moving’ programme, working with a range of professional sports club’s community foundations, self-employed instructors and community groups to develop. Recognising the cost of private sessions, some requiring sign up by monthly direct debit, the team have utilised football, rugby league, dance and gymnastics to engage local families. Many of the activities encourage parental participation to facilitate improved confidence and continuation of the activities outside of provision, within the family home.
In addition to early years physical activity sessions the team have been able to work with the Youth Sport Trust to deliver Healthy Movers training since 2018. The Healthy Movers programme is designed to increase physical activity and physical literacy development opportunities within local nurseries, childcare and school based foundation stage classes. The programme seeks to upskill early years staff to improve their knowledge and understanding of how to deliver physical activity as part of daily routines. Over 50 practitioners have been trained to date, many of whom were not from a physical activity background.
Training has indicated an increase in confidence to deliver physical activity and an improved recognition of the importance of providing physical activity opportunities with settings.
The impact
Over the last two years the following have engaged within early years physical activity provision:
2022-23
- 553 parents/carers
- 671 children aged two to five
2023-24
- 454 parents/carers
- 536 children aged two to five
How is the new approach being sustained?
The team have undertaken training from the Youth Sport Trust to enable them to deliver the Healthy Movers training annually, significantly reducing the reliance on procuring the training from an external partner.
The team have influenced the local landscape of early years physical activity provision e.g. pro club community trust / local leisure facility offers.
Lessons learned
- Personnel is key to providing engaging provision and retaining participants – we often see parents returning with their second and third child
- Sessions provide an opportunity for parents to increase peer support networks, supporting mental wellbeing
- Personnel is key to providing engaging provision and retaining participants – we often see parents returning with their second and third child Sessions provide an opportunity for parents to increase peer support networks, supporting mental wellbeing
- Family Hubs can be key venues for delivery of physical activity.
- Each area of the city is different, reflected in uptake of specific activity in localities The external workforce has reduced in size over recent years Family Hubs can be key venues for delivery of physical activity. Each area of the city is different, reflected in uptake of specific activity in localities
- The external workforce has reduced in size over recent years
Contact
Andy McKee, Hull City Council, Early Help Health Co-ordinator
Email: [email protected]
Relevant documents
Our Impact : Active Humber Healthy Movers (Youth Sport Trust)
Health Movers (Youth Sport Trust)