26^th September 2011

Dear Clerk of the Committee

I am a Senior Health Promoting Practitioner working as a Healthy Schools Scheme Manager in Ceredigion.  May I first express my disappointment that Healthy Schools Co-ordinators throughout Wales weren’t included on the list of Consultees, especially as a specific question regarding Designed to Smile and Healthy Schools was posed. 

I wish to respond to the posed question:

‘The extent to which the Designed to Smile programme has been integrated

into wider local and national initiatives such as the Welsh Network of

Healthy School Schemes and Flying Start.’

Whilst I can only comment on the situation in this county, it is my view that Designed to Smile has not been fully integrated into the Healthy Schools Scheme.  While initial links were made between the two schemes, both are seen as a separate entity and do not fully work together.  To fully integrate, Designed to Smile should come under the umbrella of ‘Healthy Schools’, as it is an integral part of the Nutrition action area.  Instead, is it seen by schools as a dental programme, not part of a health programme that is part of the Healthy Schools Scheme.

The Welsh Government has committed to fund the Healthy Pre School Scheme until March 2014.  As with the Healthy Schools Scheme, Designed to Smile should come under the umbrella of the ‘Healthy Pre School Scheme’, so that pre school settings are introduced to both programmes as one.  Schools and pre school settings often do not make the connection between both programmes and as such, often think that ‘it’s another thing to do’, instead of seeing it as a holistic approach to health.

Yours sincerely

Cerys Humphreys

Senior Health Promotion Practitioner