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What are public health communities of practice or networks?

Our public health communities of practice (or networks) are collaborative groups sponsored by the ADPH and supported by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID). They are designed to connect professionals working on different public health priorities.

How do they work?

The South East ADPH network leads eleven communities of practice (or networks). The collective goal is to create forums for strategic leadership, shared learning, and collaborative action to improve health outcomes and reduce inequalities. Each network is sponsored by a Director of Public Health (DPH). The networks are supported and coordinated by OHID’s public health consultants and health improvement leads. Every network focuses on a specific area of public health, enabling network members to exchange insights, align strategies, and influence policy at local, regional, and national levels.

What do they do?

The objectives of each network are to:

  • Improve knowledge sharing: Facilitate exchange of best practices, evidence-based interventions, and innovations.
  • Build capacity: Support local authorities, NHS teams, and partners in implementing national health improvement priorities.
  • Increase collaboration: Create strong links between national, regional, and local public health systems.
  • Influence policy and delivery: Provide feedback and insights to shape DHSC and other government department strategies and programmes.

Outputs

Outputs from networks vary but can include:

  • Producing guidance, toolkits and practical resources for implementing health improvement initiatives and programmes.
  • Promoting learning and knowledge sharing through webinars and workshops.
  • Publishing reports and action plans, provide summaries of evidence, recommendations, and progress updates.
  • Providing peer support, a forum for troubleshooting and collaborative problem-solving.

Who are they for?

Membership is open to those involved in relevant programmes or based on expertise. Networks typically include public health professionals from local authorities and the NHS, regional OHID representatives, and subject matter experts on areas such as tobacco control, obesity, or public mental health. Occasionally, partners from academia, providers and the voluntary sector, are invited to join.

You can find out more about each of the ADPH South East communities of practice (or networks), including their specific aims, objectives and leadership, by clicking on relevant link below.

Contact details for network leads are listed under each network or you can contact the business support team at ohidsebst@dhsc.gov.uk

South East Children, Young People and Families Network

DPH sponsor: ​Simon Bryant, DPH Hampshire ​

For queries please contact​ OHID lead: Charlie Satow [charlie.satow@dhsc.gov.uk] or ohidsebst@dhsc.gov.uk

Purpose​

The network will enable the sharing of local delivery and strategic insight to support the development of children, young people, and family’s public health services for the South East region. ​

Aims​

The aims of the network are to:​

  • provide a confidential and supportive environment to inform and share current proposals for the development of children and young peoples’ public health services from preconception -24 years.​
  • enable the identification and sharing of outcomes used to monitor and evaluate service provision and support improvements in local strategic planning and commissioning.​
  • provide opportunities to share and discuss local commissioning that supports the alignment of commissioning intentions, cycles, and proposed changes between neighbouring authorities. ​
  • provide national and regional update across the system from OHID that;​
  • share national resources and updates, provide opportunities to explore what this means for local public health and system partners​
  • promote and build the evidence base for local implementation ​
  • draw in relevant expertise to support the wider system to develop and establish​
  • To provide OHID with enhanced insight and improved understanding the needs of Children, Young People and Families across the South East​
  • To identify and contribute to shared priorities that inform regional and collaborative action.​
  • To provide opportunity for peer-to-peer learning and ongoing professional development.

South East Drug and Alcohol Network (SEDAN)

DPH sponsor: ​Nicola Lang, Interim DPH Brighton and Hove​

​For queries please contact​ OHID lead: [Nicky Saynor nicky.saynor@dhsc.gov.uk] or ohidsebst@dhsc.gov.uk

Purpose​

The South East Drug and Alcohol Network (SEDAN) provides strategic leadership and support to local systems in the commissioning, development and delivery of evidence-based alcohol and drug prevention; harm reduction, and treatment programmes to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequalities in the South East.

Aims​

The aims of the network are to: ​

  • provide a forum to enable the coordination of activities that reduce duplication of effort and increase the impact on health outcomes and inequalities – for example through aligning national and local activities.​
  • identify and share evidence-based practice and learning across the network and with others nationally, to inform and influence national/local policy, support commissioning and delivery to promote quality and consistency.​
  • provide a source of advice and information for Local Authorities, OHID, NHS England and the third sector​

South East Healthy Communities Network

DPH sponsor: ​Kelly Evans, Interim DPH Slough​

For queries please contact​ OHID lead: Nicky Saynor​ [Nicky.Saynor@dhsc.gov.uk] or ohidsebst@dhsc.gov.uk

Purpose​

The Healthy communities network provides a forum which enables strategic direction, and promotes shared learning, peer support and collaboration in the development and scaling up of community-centred &/or asset-based approaches to health and wellbeing, with the aim of improving population health outcomes and reducing health inequalities.

Aims​

The aims of the network are to:

  • inform and support the embedding and scaling up of community-centred and asset-based approaches to public health across the South East in line with key policy directives​
  • understand the priorities and needs of local systems, using this to shape regional network activity and to influence upwards to help ensure national activities are informed by and in line with local system needs
  • create space through which to develop and agree common narratives and/or data to support ongoing investment in community-centred and asset-based approaches ​
  • promote whole systems approaches to community-centred public health​
  • serve as a forum to align priorities, share approaches, learning and promote networking and collaboration​
  • identify and promote synergies with other related forums, networks and programmes of work, including personalised care, patient voice, health inequalities​
  • share best practice and help address complex issues

South East Healthy Weight and Physical Activity Network

DPH sponsor: Matt Pearce, DPH for Reading & West Berkshire

​For queries please contact OHID lead: Victoria Heald ​[Victoria.Heald@dhsc.gov.uk]​or Antiopi Ntouva [Antiopi.ntouva@dhsc.gov.uk]or ohidsebst@dhsc.gov.uk

Purpose​

The purpose of the South East Healthy Weight and Physical Activity Network is to optimise healthy weight, healthy eating and physical activity for everyone living and working across the South East, creating the greatest health gains for the least healthy people and communities.

​Aims​

The aims of the network are to: ​

  • share national policy and insight, emerging research and examples of best practice in a timely way​
  • share practical experience, insight and evaluation evidence from projects across the South East and from other national and international programmes ​
  • offer reasonable specialist advice and support to local networks and programmes
  • coproduce and deliver learning opportunities, to multiple local authorities and their partners, which support locally identified whole systems approaches to tackling poor diet, obesity and/or physical inactivity​
  • support network members to demonstrate effective delivery against national and local strategies for tackling obesity and physical inactivity and to share their work nationally and locally

Subgroups:​

  • South East Food Systems and Healthy Weight​
  • South East Active Travel ​
  • South East Physical Activity and Health ​
  • South East Early Years, Children and Young People Healthy Weight ​
  • South East Adult Weight Management Services

South East Homelessness and Inclusion Health Network

DPH sponsor: ​Emma Seria-Walker, Assistant DPH Portsmouth​

For queries please contact OHID lead: Karen Simmonds​[Karen.Simmonds@dhsc.gov.uk] or ohidsebst@dhsc.gov.uk

Purpose​

The Network provides an information sharing and policy discussion forum, at a regional geography, for those:​

  1. a) working directly with inclusion health groups, or ​
  2. b) planning and commissioning health, social and care services for these groups, or​
  3. c) developing or influencing policy to reduce health disparities and improve access to service provision for inclusion health groups.​ ​

Aims​

The aims of the network are to:

  • improve health outcomes among people who are socially excluded, who typically experience multiple overlapping risk factors for poor health and are often not accounted for in data or record keeping. This includes, but is not limited to, people who experience homelessness, vulnerable migrants, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, sex workers, people in contact with the justice system, those with drug and alcohol dependence and victims of modern slavery.

For the purposes of this group ‘South East’ means the geography that is covered by the four Integrated Care Boards (ICB):

  • Thames Valley
  • Kent and Medway
  • Hampshire and Isle of Wight
  • Surrey and Sussex

South East NHS Health Check Network

DPH sponsor: ​David Whiting, DPH Medway​

For queries please contact: OHID lead: Karen Simmonds[karen.simmonds@dhsc.gov.uk] or Antiopi Ntouva [Antiopi.ntouva@dhsc.gov.uk] or ohidsebst@dhsc.gov.uk

Purpose​

The South East NHS Health Check Network provides a forum through which to promote collaboration and mutual support for those working on the NHS Health Checks programme & wider place-based CVD prevention across the South East, maximising impact on CVD health outcomes and CVD-related health inequalities and positioning the programme as a key enabler of cardiovascular disease prevention

Aims​

The aims of the network are to: ​

  • Foster collaboration, coordination and shared learning across the region.
  • Influence national, regional and local policy and priorities for NHS Health Checks and CVD prevention.
  • Support quality improvement and sustainable programme development.
  • Provide strategic leadership and support to local authority public health leads.
  • Share evidence, innovation and best practice to improve outcomes and reduce health inequalities.

South East Public Health Intelligence Group (SEPHIG)

DPH sponsor: ​Debbie Chase, DPH Southampton

For queries please contact the South East LKIS Team: LKISSouthEast@dhsc.gov.uk

Purpose​

The South East Public Health Intelligence Group (SEPHIG) is a network facilitated by the OHID Local Knowledge and Intelligence Service (LKIS) for people in the South East of England interested in public health and population health intelligence.​

Aims​

The aims of the network are to: ​

  • Provide a forum for national and local information exchange and networking​
  • Share and disseminate knowledge, intelligence, methods, skills and experience​
  • Share local work, including work in development, to facilitate learning across teams​
  • Deliver updates on important national OHID tools and products
  • Share feedback on OHID’s regional work and national products to drive improvement ​
  • Contribute to continuing professional development

SE Public Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Network

DPH sponsor: ​Darrell Gale, DPH East Sussex ​

For queries regarding the Mental Health network, please contact OHID leads Antiopi Ntouva antiopi.ntouva@dhsc.gov.uk or Karen Simmonds Karen.Simmonds@dhsc.gov.uk. For the Suicide Prevention network, please contact OHID lead: Steven Casson Steven.Casson@dhsc.gov.uk or ohidsebst@dhsc.gov.uk

Purpose​

The Public Mental Health and Suicide Prevention network provides a regional forum to promote shared learning, peer support and collaboration for the public health workforce involved in improving and protecting mental health and preventing suicide across the lifecourse.

Aims​

The Network aims to:

  • Shape strategy, policy and commissioning for public mental health and suicide prevention.
  • Support implementation of regional and national mental health priorities.
  • Share evidence, learning and best practice across the region.
  • Collaborate on priority projects and emerging issues.
  • Promote workforce wellbeing and asset-based approaches to improve mental health outcomes and reduce inequalities.

​The Network meets quarterly, with a closed Real Time Suicide Surveillance Drop in every other month for suicide prevention leads.

South East Sexual Health Network

DPH sponsor: ​Sara Blackmore, DPH Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead​​

For queries please contact UKHSA Lead: Kate Donohoe ​[Kate.Donohoe@ukhsa.gov.uk]

Purpose​

The South East Sexual Health network aims to:

  • improve sexual health outcomes by supporting local government commissioners in discharging their mandate to commission comprehensive, open-access sexual health services for their populations​
  • reflect the shared commissioning and public health support needs of local authorities and in so doing, develop a South East-wide sexual health work programme​
  • share best practice, information sharing and benchmarking​
  • agree new ways of working together ensuring a consistent regional approach where possible (e.g. SE cross charging policy)

South East Tobacco Control Network

DPH sponsor: ​Helen Atkinson, DPH Portsmouth ​

For queries please contact OHID lead: Jason Mahoney​ [Jason.Mahoney@dhsc.gov.uk] or ohidsebst@dhsc.gov.uk

Purpose​

Members of the Tobacco Control Network are working together in places, systems and the region to achieve a Smokefree 2030.​ The network provides strategic leadership and support for action on tobacco control and smoking cessation. It adds value to efforts to prevent smoking, improve health outcomes and reduce health inequalities. The network does this through effective communications between network members, enabling coordination and facilitating collaboration.

Aims​

Network members work together to achieve the network’s purpose by:​

  • coordinating activities​
  • reducing duplication of effort​
  • identifying and sharing evidence-based practice and learning​
  • informing and influencing national and local policy​
  • supporting commissioning and delivery and promoting quality and consistency​
  • providing a source of advice and information for local authorities, the NHS, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations​
  • identifying and implementing collaborative initiatives that will increase impact and reduce cost – for example, marketing campaigns and work on illicit tobacco​

These objectives are delivered through communications between network members and the meetings, events and groups that network members establish.

South East Work and Health Community of Practice

DPH sponsor:​ David Munday, DPH Buckinghamshire​

For queries please contact: OHID lead: Megan Saunders​ [megan.saunders@dwp.gov.uk] or ohidsebst@dhsc.gov.uk

Purpose​

The community of practice is a group to have open and transparent discussions about work and health across the South East. The group will use evidence and data to inform and improve practice, share achievements and impact, identify actions and areas to influence, have thematic discussions and build solutions to issues. It will promote cooperation and share ideas across the region and provide an opportunity to engage with regional leads from Central Government and NHS Departments leading on the work and health agenda. It will identify linkages and opportunities to work collaboratively on joint/cross cutting projects and matters of interest.

​Aims​

The aim of the network is to create a community of practice to facilitate collaboration and impact to ensure that people take-up, remain and progress in good work and fair employment across the South East.

South East Reproductive Health Network

DPH sponsor: ​Sara Blackmore, DPH Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead​​

For queries please contact :Natalia Clifford ​[Natalia.clifford@dhsc.gov.uk] or ohidsebst@dhsc.gov.uk

Purpose

To accelerate improvements in reproductive health outcomes through a coordinated 12‑month quality improvement programme across organisations and systems.

Aims

The aim of the Reproductive Health Network is to bring system partners together in a 12‑month quality improvement programme to improve reproductive health outcomes.

Through collaboration, shared learning and evidence-based practice, the network will support the development and delivery of local, sub-regional and regional action plans.

It will provide a structured approach to testing, implementing and scaling improvements, while monitoring progress and sharing lessons learned. The network will also provide a route for escalating issues and influencing regional and national action where needed.

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