Home Resources Share Share Share Copy Link Copy Link Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Email VicHealth Local Government Partnership Scroll down Body Let’s change the game for our young people Big change starts with local actions. So, we’re counting on our councils to help us amplify the voices of our children and young people – our future leaders. Together, we can create better, healthier and stronger communities fit for their future. Learn more about background of the VicHealth Local Government Partnership (VLGP) and our current fast-track councils on this separate webpage. What are the health promotion modules? The health promotion modules are toolkits – they provide practical guidance, how-to-guides for taking action and links to additional resources, templates, and case studies. This is all to inform the planning and implementation of health policy and practice change for your council. The modules are designed to provide options for you to choose the recommended activities that best suit your council, community size and starting point – ensuring that you can make an impact within your community. The modules consolidate the practice knowledge, experiences and research developed over VicHealth’s many years working in close collaboration with local governments and other expert partners. Within the modules, are impact streams which represent the areas where councils are ideally placed to make changes that will have a sustained impact on the health of their local community. These modules have been designed to include options that suit councils and communities of varying sizes and capacities – from councils activating a particular impact stream for the first time through to councils ready to take up ambitious systems-level change. Foundation module Core modules Stretch modules Leading the way – engaging young voices for change Access module Building active communities Access module Connected and supportive communities Access module Building better food systems for healthier communities Access module Strengthening tobacco control at a local level Access module Increasing alcohol harm prevention at a local level Access module Promoting everyday creativity at a local level Access module Foundation modulefocus on supporting engagement of children and young people's voices in council planning and enabling their continued involvement in the implementation of policy and practice changes. Core modulesprovide the best practice policy and implementation guidance for councils in 3 priority areas to improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people. Stretch modulesare suited to councils ready to expand into broader health and wellbeing topics and create holistic and engaging community environments. First 2,000 Days Supplement Implementation actions provide an enhanced focus on creating healthy communities for children and families in early childhood, to set them up for the best possible start to life. First 2,000 Days Supplement Access supplement Foundation module The Foundation module provides the basic building blocks to help develop staff capabilities and skills in children and young people led engagement and planning. Access the Foundation module in the table above. Leading the Way – Engaging Young Voices for Change This module enables councils to build capacity and capability in engaging with and empowering children and young people to share their experiences to create a healthier future. The module provides practical ways to engage and co-design with children and young people in council activities. Impact Stream: Better solutions shaped by children and young people Access the Foundation module in the table above. Core modules The Core modules provide implementation guidance for councils in 3 priority areas, to improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people. These modules focus on creating better access to healthy food and drink options, increasing active opportunities and building more connected and supportive communities. Access Core modules in the table above. Building Active Communities This module incorporates a range of activities, processes, and changes that councils can make to increase children and young people’s physical activity in the community. This includes activities on designing neighbourhoods that promote physical activity and running programs that increase participation by children and young people who face greater barriers. Impact Streams: Increasing active travel opportunities to and from school (previously known as Walk to School) Including walking and bike riding in council strategies Creating opportunities for all Victorians to be active Including gender equity in council sport and recreation policy Empowering and enabling women to get active through local promotion of This Girl Can – Victoria Access Core modules in the table above. Creating Connected and Supportive Communities This module enables councils to deliver benefits to and reduce barriers for several groups and communities who usually face barriers to participation as well as designing programs and policies that promote mental wellbeing. Impact Streams: Co-designing with young people for better community wellbeing Building proud and inclusive communities Addressing social determinants of mental wellbeing Access Core modules in the table above. Building Better Food Systems for Healthier Communities This module will strengthen the capacity of councils to create local and healthy food systems and give children and young people opportunities to actively engage in the issues and solutions. Impact Streams: Creating thriving local food systems Embedding healthy food and drink options in council owned and operated places Using healthy rewards and sponsorships in community activities Enabling healthy partnerships Access Core modules in the table above. Stretch modules The Stretch modules are best suited for councils ready to expand into broader health and wellbeing topics and create holistic and engaging community environments. These modules focus on creating stronger preventative measures and reducing harm in relation to alcohol and tobacco products, while also focusing on promoting creativity and the arts at a local level. Access Stretch modules in the table above. Strengthening Tobacco Control at a Local Level This module will strengthen the capacity of local councils to increase smokefree environments in their communities and see improvements across a broad range of health outcomes. Impact Stream: Adopting tobacco control actions to protect children and young people Access Stretch modules in the table above. Increasing Alcohol Harm Prevention at a Local Level This module will strengthen the capacity of local councils to prevent and minimise alcohol-related harm, creating safer and healthier communities in their municipalities. This module is to be used in conjunction with ‘The Art of Community Alcohol Management: What local government can do to prevent and minimise alcohol-related harm’.Impact Stream:Adopting alcohol harm prevention actions to protect children and young peopleAccess Stretch modules in the table above. Promoting Everyday Creativity at a Local LevelThis module will support councils to increase opportunities to engage children and young people in creative activities that also promote their health and wellbeing.Impact Streams: Increasing equity in creative strategies Embracing opportunities for children to inform creative programs Improving opportunities for young people to lead creative programs Access Stretch modules in the table above. First 2,000 days Supporting a healthy first 2,000 days for all Victorian children The VicHealth local government health promotion modules are having a First 2,000 Days update! Councils can create healthy communities for children in their first years of life with a suite of ‘first 2,000 days’ focused implementation actions and guidance. The new and updated actions will provide ideas, recommended resources and information to amplify the needs and priorities of young children and their families through council policy, facilities and services. As part of this update, we have included ‘families’ as a third group in some of the impact stream and minimum deliverables. This is in recognition of the need to include parents and other caregivers as part of these actions. The 35 new and 3 updated actions across the core and stretch modules will be available in December 2022. Access First 2,000 Days Supplement in the table above.
