Polisi, the Policy Team

What we do

We work with stakeholders and evidence to better understand and influence public health policy issues. We also upskill and enable our colleagues across Public Health Wales to undertake policy advocacy activity by supporting engagement with policy consultations and providing training to embed best practice. Current policy areas of focus within the team include health and housing, the cost of living crisis, child poverty, and the links between international trade and health. We also work to implement and embed legislation that protects and promotes the health and well-being of everyone in Wales, including the Well-being of Future Generations Act and Socio-economic Duty. We have expertise in enabling public bodies to embed the long-term way of working by applying futures approaches, which we are currently delivering in partnership with the office of the Future Generations Commissioner.

What we have done

With a focus on the policy context in Wales, the Polisi team has led on a range of timely projects, generating new evidence and thinking on a broad range of subjects that affect population health and well-being in Wales. Some recent work includes analysing the potential impacts of Brexit on health and well-being in Wales, exploring options for a Basic Income in Wales, looking at what future trends could means for social capital and health inequalities in Wales, and approaches to improve winter well-being and reduce winter pressures in the health system. We  have also supported several Health Impact Assessments, including of Brexit and new international trade agreements. We have produced tools and resources to help public bodies, including a toolkit for applying the futures model the Three Horizons, and for maximising the public health benefit of the Socio-economic Duty. We continue to build on our portfolio of evidence making the case for investing in healthy housing.