Asking about adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in health visiting: Findings from a pilot study

This report explores key findings from the evaluation of an initial pilot of ACE enquiry delivered with mothers during early engagement with health visiting services across Anglesey, North Wales. The pilot took place between October 2017 and July 2018 and engaged 321 mothers in a supportive, ACE-informed discussion about childhood adversity and its impacts on health, wellbeing and parenting.

Authors: Katie Hardcastle, Mark Bellis

School-based violence prevention: a practical handbook 

This resource: School-based violence prevention: a practical handbook, is about schools, education and violence prevention. It provides guidance for school officials and education authorities on how schools can embed violence prevention within their routine activities and across the points of interaction schools provide with children, parents and other community members. If implemented, the handbook will contribute much to helping achieve the SDGs and other global health and development goals.

Authors: Sara Wood, Karen Hughes+ 1 more
, Mark Bellis

Be the Change: Sustainable Steps towards Wales’ well-being goals

Be the Change is a movement/campaign to encourage and support staff to take sustainable steps in the workplace to individually contribute towards Wales’ well-being goals.
Following the level of interest in the ‘Be the Change’ e-guides produced for Public Health Wales to-date, the Hub has developed a toolkit to help public bodies and wider stakeholders to adopt ‘Be the Change’ in their places of work. This toolkit aims to provide information and knowledge, but also support staff to become ‘agents of change’ by helping them to make small sustainable changes on an individual level, or by working together as teams.

Does adult alcohol consumption combine with adverse childhood experiences to increase involvement in violence in men and women? A cross-sectional study in England and Wales

A study to examine if, and to what extent, a history of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) combines with adult alcohol consumption to predict recent violence perpetration and victimisation.

Authors: Mark Bellis, Karen Hughes+ 5 more
, Kat Ford, Sara Edwards, Olivia Sharples, Katie Hardcastle, Sara Wood

Do emotions related to alcohol consumption differ by alcohol type? An international cross-sectional survey of emotions associated with alcohol consumption and influence on drink choice in different settings

This article examines the emotions associated with drinking different types of alcohol, whether these emotions differ by socio demographics and alcohol dependency and whether the emotions associated with different drink types influence people’s choice of drinks in different settings.

Authors: Kathryn Ashton, Mark Bellis+ 3 more
, Alisha Davies, Karen Hughes, Adam Winstock

Mass Unemployment Events (MUEs) Prevention and Response from a Public Health Perspective

This publication aims to address the gap caused by the downsizing or closure of a single large employer in a localised area, and provides a public health informed response framework which takes into consideration the impact on the wider determinants of health and the populations affected.

Authors: Alisha Davies, Lucia Homolova+ 2 more
, Charlotte Grey, Mark Bellis

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Housing Vulnerability –Report and Evaluation of ACE-informed Training for Housing

The ACE-informed Training for Housing resource was developed with partners in consultation with Housing representatives from different tenures across Wales, and aims to raise awareness of and increase confidence in responding to ACEs and vulnerability in the Housing sector. This report evaluates the training and makes recommendations for future ACE based training in the housing sector.

Authors: Charlotte Grey, Louise Woodfine

Health in planning assessments

In the latest edition of Planning in London, Michael Chang (Town and Country Planning Association), Liz Green (WHIASU) and Jenny Dunwoody (Arup) provided an overview of opportunities to integrate health considerations in a range of assessments in the process. These include the Strategic Environmental Assessment, Environmental Impact Assessment and the Health Impact Assessment. This article is set in the context of the forthcoming London Plan, a statutory strategic planning document for whole of London, which will see Boroughs adopt the policy of using HIAs in the planning applications process. Many of the issues and themes set out in the article will also be relevant and of interest to practitioners in Wales. (pp52-53)

Authors: Michael Chang, Liz Green+ 1 more
, Jenny Dunwoody

An evaluation of the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE)-Informed Whole School Approach

The impact that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have on children’s development and the consequent outcomes in later life have been widely evidenced. However, building resilience in children can help protect against the effects of trauma and reduce the risks of poor outcomes in adulthood. The ACE-informed whole school approach is a programme that has been developed to introduce and implement trauma-informed practices within schools. This report captures the findings from the independent evaluation of this pilot approach.

Authors: Emma Barton, Annemarie Newbury+ 1 more
, Jo Roberts

Adverse Childhood Experiences: Breaking the Generational Cycle of Crime. An Overview

The structured multi-agency, early intervention approach to vulnerability pilot tested new arrangements between NPTs and the Bridgend County Borough Council (BCBC) Early Help team to enable a more effective, response to vulnerability demand, with a focus on children, young people and their parents/ carers.

Authors: Michelle McManus, Emma Barton+ 2 more
, Annemarie Newbury, Janine Roderick

Adverse childhood experiences and sources of childhood resilience: a retrospective study of their combined relationships with child health and educational attendance

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) including maltreatment and exposure to household stressors can impact the health of children. Community factors that provide support, friendship and opportunities for development may build children’s resilience and protect them against some harmful impacts of ACEs. This paper examines if a history of ACEs is associated with poor childhood health and school attendance and the extent to which such outcomes are counteracted by community resilience assets.

Authors: Mark Bellis, Karen Hughes+ 6 more
, Kat Ford, Katie Hardcastle, Catherine Sharp, Sara Wood, Lucia Homolova, Alisha Davies

Making a Difference: Reducing health risks associated with road traffic pollution in Wales

This work is an extension of Public Health Wales’ Making a Difference report and draws on research evidence and expert opinion to identify action to reduce road traffic-related air pollution, risks and inequalities.

Authors: Charlotte Grey, Huw Brunt+ 7 more
, Sarah Jones, Sumina Azam, Joanna Charles, Tom Porter, Angela Jones, Teri Knight, Sian Price

IHCC Progress Report 2015-17

The International Health Coordination Centre (IHCC) published a report highlighting its achievements in supporting implementation of the Charter for International Health Partnerships in Wales. The latest IHCC Progress Report outlines the work, progress and achievements from 2015 to 2017 made by the IHCC and the Welsh Health Boards and Trusts in this field. It also shows how the IHCC has evolved in relation to global, UK, national and local developments.

Authors: Mariana Dyakova, Lauren Couzens (née Ellis)+ 3 more
, Lucy Fagan, Elodie Besnier, Anna Stielke

Is it all smoke without fire? Welsh primary school children’s perceptions of electronic cigarettes

The increasing popularity and rapid growth of electronic cigarettes has raised considerable concern about their impact on children and young people. Concerns relate to electronic cigarettes acting as a potential gateway to tobacco smoking for young never smokers, increased experimentation leading to a renormalisation of smoking behaviour and potential health harms of vaping.

Authors: Lorna Porcellato, Kim Ross-Houle+ 9 more
, Zara Quigg, Jane Harris, Charlotte Bigland, Rebecca Bates, Hannah Timpson, Ivan Gee, Julie Bishop, Ashley Gould, Alisha Davies

A Review of Sexual Health in Wales

A comprehensive review of sexual health in Wales, delivered by Public Health Wales’ Health Protection and Policy Divisions.

Authors: Zoë Couzens, Adam Jones+ 1 more
, Giri Shankar

Sharing is Caring? Consideration of the sharing of patient information in line with existing legislation and guidance, and options going forward

A review of the legislative and policy framework for sharing patient information in relation to sexual health in Wales. This paper presents officials with a series of options that could be taken to improve patient care, whilst also seeking to respect confidentiality and maintain trust.

Authors: Adam Jones, Zoë Couzens+ 6 more
, Amanda Davies, Sarah Morgan, Rachel Drayton, Catherine Moore, Jane Evans, Lisa Partridge

Public Health Wales Research Highlights 2017/18

Looking to 2030, Public Health Wales has identified seven key priorities for population health. These priorities have been identified through listening to the views of people in Wales and our staff; and taking into account key policies in Wales such as the Public Health (Wales) Act and the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act.

Public Health Wales Research Highlights Report 2016/17

Public Health Wales is involved in a wide variety of national and international research. Research is an essential part of what we do as an organisation, enabling us to understand the most effective approaches to improving the health and well-being of those living in Wales and beyond.

Authors: Alisha Davies, Mark Bellis

Sources of resilience and their moderating relationships with harms from adverse childhood experiences: Report 1: Mental Illness

The Welsh Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) and Resilience Survey was undertaken to examine individual and community factors that may offer protection from the harmful impacts of ACEs on health, well-being and prosperity across the life course.

Authors: Karen Hughes, Kat Ford+ 3 more
, Alisha Davies, Lucia Homolova, Mark Bellis