Prevention champions...

What does #prevention mean to you?

For a group of leaders in Scotland, it means a lot. It's the only way to go. Some of us are so determined to make change happen we prioritise time with each other - in person as part of the #LongGame residential and online, today.

Why? Because it's hard, we have jobs, funding challenges, competing priorites and are working within (often) unfriendly systems. We gather strength by coming together, we share views, challenges, do some ranting, motivate each other and capture wins.

We would like you to know about us. We would like you to join us.

This is us today,

Catherine McWilliam from the instuitute of Directors in Scotland

Clair Thomson - Police Scotland and the #Prevention Hub

Diane Stockton - Public Health Scotland and the #Prevention Hub

Carrie Lindsay - Association of Directors of Education in Scotland

Tim Frew - YouthLink

Jess Gildener - awesome facilitator!

Keira Oliver - also awesome facilitator

Zahra Hedges - Winning Scotland Planet Youth in Scotland

And me.

There are more in the gang, including Judith Turbyne & Dr Kristy Docherty .

Each of us have committed to do more on pushing the #prevention agenda across #Scotland.

Im starting here by asking you to think about this..

“You and a friend are having a picnic by the side of a river. Suddenly you hear a shout from the direction of the water—a child is drowning. Without thinking, you both dive in, grab the child, and swim to shore. Before you can recover, you hear another child cry for help. You and your friend jump back in the river to rescue her as well. Then another struggling child drifts into sight… and another… and another. The two of you can barely keep up. Suddenly, you see your friend wading out of the water, seeming to leave you alone. “Where are you going?” you demand. Your friend answers, “I’m going upstream to tackle the guy who’s throwing all these kids in the water.” —A public health parable (adapted from the original, which is commonly attributed to Irving Zola)”― Dan Heath, Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen

And this

“what often prevents people from protesting is not a lack of motivation to protest, but rather their feeling that they lack the legitimacy to do so.”― Dan Heath, Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen

And this

In 2021, Scotland recorded:

• 12,752 preventable deaths (which could have been avoided through primary prevention)
• 5,110 treatable deaths (which could have been avoided through secondary and tertiary prevention)

In 2021, people living in the most deprived areas in Scotland are more than four times as likely to die an avoidable death compared to those in the least deprived areas. ?

Social and environmental conditions in which we are born, live, grow and age are thought to contribute to around 50% of the unfair differences in health. These differences are health inequalities. https://publichealthscotland.scot/our-areas-of-work/public-health-approach-to-prevention/the-role-of-prevention/

And this

https://www.noknivesbetterlives.com/the-vital-role-of-youth-work-in-the-violence-prevention-framework/

And this

Planet Youth is a programme focused on improving young people’s health, wellbeing, and relationships.? It is based on the Icelandic Prevention Model (IPM), a primary substance use prevention process tool where the key ingredient is data-driven collaboration via community engagement, family- and school involvement and pro-social positive youth development. This includes, schools, parents, carers, businesses, local government public services.? The model has been developed by Planet Youth, a research consultancy in Iceland that is now supporting the implementation of its model in with communities throughout the world.?https://www.planetyouth.scot/about

Im asking for a few things -

• What can you do to progress prevention across Scotland?
• What have you done to progress prevention across scotland?
• Would you like to join our conversations?

Please contact me on [email protected]. I'd love to hear from you.

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