Public Health

This award is open to a single council or where appropriate a partnership of councils, or a council-owned company. Private sector partners can enter on a council’s behalf, with the permission of the council itself.

Local government’s role in public health presents a major opportunity for councils and their partners to protect and improve the health of their local communities. Entries are likely to focus on the development of evidence-based solutions to reduce health inequalities, the impact of the work in question such as better health and wellbeing or fewer premature deaths, and (potentially) how the totality of the council’s work is helping to achieve the objectives in question. This award is intended to recognise the councils that are making the most of their role in public health.

Submissions should focus on:  

• Setting out the public health priorities the council has adopted and the reasons for doing so;
• How you are using evidence to develop effective strategies;
• Evidence of strong performance with regards to the strategies in question;
• They may potentially set out how public health is being integrated across the council and how the work is coordinated with that of partner organisations;

Award entries will be judged on:

• The boldness and vision behind the council’s strategies;
• Evidence showing the council’s work is having an impact on broader population health or on specific public health objectives;
• The extent to which you have implemented evidence-based solutions to public health problems;
• How cross-departmental and partnership working is having an impact;
• How you are overcoming barriers to implementation.