Southwark Council leads the way in obesity training
19 October 2018
Southwark Council has become the first council in England to commission an online training programme for both healthcare and non-healthcare workers in the borough so they are better equipped to openly and confidently talk about weight management.
Tackling obesity is a key priority for Southwark Council as recent figures show that 58.8 per cent of adults and 43.0 per cent of children in year 6 are classified as obese or overweight.
It is essential to ensure that professionals have the right tools to help residents effectively manage their weight. A report published in the British Medical Journal found that GPs and other healthcare professionals felt some uncertainty about how and when to raise the topic of weight. The report also found that the threat of alienating and possibly upsetting patients were some of the barriers to raising the issue of excess weight during consultations.
Southwark Healthy Weight Training is delivered by The College of Contemporary Health and is open to all professionals working with children, young people and families including clinical staff such as GPs, practice nurses and health visitors as well as non-clinical professionals like social workers, education staff and leisure centre employees.
The training covers the main causes and risk factors of obesity across different age groups and demographics as well as how to engage sensitively with patients and apply behaviour change techniques.
A number of Southwark based medical professionals have already completed the training. Claire an Oral Health Promoter at Kings College Hospital said “I found the course really interesting and motivating. It was great that you could pop in and out of it and didn’t have to do it all in one go. [It was] easy to use and access. Thank you for providing this course on such a relevant topic". Nyasha a school nurse added “This course was an eye-opener [and] was extremely helpful”.
Cllr Evelyn Akoto, cabinet member for community safety and public health, said: “It is vital that those on the frontline of healthcare are equipped to talk about weight management in the right way. This training is central to giving clinicians the tools they need to discuss how weight management can improve, and in some cases prolong, their patients lives.
“As a local authority we have always been at the forefront of implementing innovative programmes and initiatives that will help us tackle the issue. This training is just another example of how we remain committed to ensuring every one of our residents can lead a healthy and happy life. We all have a role to play in helping our communities to be as healthy as possible and I would strongly encourage GPs to sign up for this training”.
The online training is free and earns between 2 and 5 CPD credits. To sign up visit https://southwarkhealthyweight.com/
Page last updated: 19 October 2018
