These short sessions cover a wide variety of public health topics and aim to develop professionals’ awareness and practice around the subjects covered.
At a typical 'Want to know more about...' session you will:
- learn how to identify the public health issue being covered
- discover local services that are working to improve the issue
- understand ways you can help, should you choose to
The sessions are free of charge and are presented by friendly and knowledgeable facilitators who are experts in their fields, including specialists from the Leeds Public Health team.
Upcoming sessions
Want to know more about... Improving children and young people’s oral health
Thursday 8 May, midday to 1pm
The National Dental Epidemiology Programme survey of 5-year-old children in England 2024 found that 22.4% of children surveyed had experience of dental decay. In Leeds this figure was 21.9% and of those children affected they had on average 3.1 teeth with decay and 2.8% had one or more teeth extracted. However dental decay can be prevented through regular brushing, adequate exposure to fluoride, reducing sugar consumption and regular check-ups at the dentist.
Improving the oral health of children is a key priority for Leeds with the ambition that every child will grow up free of tooth decay, to help give them the best start in life. This session is suitable for all practitioners with an interest in children and young people’s oral health and will cover:
- data relating to the oral health needs of children and young people in Leeds
- information on the Leeds Children and Young People's Oral Health Prevention strategy
- information of the Leeds Supervised Toothbrushing Scheme
- information on the Act Locally and toothPASTE projects which aims to empower families with young autistic children to establish good oral health habits
This session will be delivered by Emma Newton from the Leeds Public Health team, Kathy Fox from the Leeds 0-19 Public Health Integrated Nursing Service, and Leeds University's Dr Amrit Chauhan.
Want to know more about... Gestational diabetes in pregnancy and beyond
Monday 19 May, midday to 1pm
Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar that develops during pregnancy. People with a history of gestational diabetes (GDM) have up to a 50% chance of developing type 2 diabetes within 5 to 10 years of giving birth, with intergenerational impact on the child too.
In Leeds, GDM prevalence has risen significantly over the last decade and now complicates 13% of all births locally. This session is suitable for any professional working with women and families of childbearing age and will focus on best practice guidance and quality improvement related to type 2 diabetes prevention in this cohort.
The session will cover:
- what gestational diabetes is and its impact on pregnancy, the child and longer-term population health
- an understanding of the size of the problem locally
- why a focus on prevention is important in this context
- best practice recommendations around detection, promotion and prevention in this cohort
- the opportunities for ongoing quality improvement work in this area
This session will be delivered by Georgia Blaney (Public Health Improvement Specialist) and Jenny Roddy (Consultant Midwife Health Equity) from Leeds City Council and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
Want to know more about...Roma Health in Leeds: Our learning so far
Tuesday 3 June, 9:30am to 10:30am
June is recognised as Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller (GRT) History Month and aims to raise awareness, challenge stereotypes, and promote understanding of these richly diverse groups.
Most of our Roma communities in Leeds live in poor socio-economic circumstances - a risk factor for poor physical and mental health.
Our recent Roma Health Needs Assessment demonstrated that in Leeds, 90% of Roma people live in the most deprived 10% of neighbourhoods nationally, one in three work ‘elementary’ jobs, and nearly two in five adults report no educational qualifications at all.
This webinar will give an overview of steps taken to address some of health inequalities and ongoing learning including:
- updates on the local Roma community grants projects - delivered by community members
- examples of how health partners continue to build solid and trusting relationships between Roma communities and local services
- local community work through building trust and improving our understanding and communication of local services
- an opportunity to ask questions about working alongside our Roma community, and how to challenge and address any prejudices and stigma
This online session will be delivered by Catherine Ward and Laura Fitzgerald from Public Health, Leeds City Council and Lidia-Persidia Holea from AME Roma.
Want to know more about...East Leeds health needs and assets assessments
Wednesday 18 June, 10am to 11am
This webinar will provide an overview of the Health Needs and Assets Assessments (HNAAs) that have recently been undertaken by the Public Health Localities Team in Gipton, Harehills, and Burmantofts and Richmond Hill. We will explain what a HNAA is, the process for completing them, and share the key findings. HNAAs provide a deep dive into the local health and wellbeing needs, assets and priorities within these areas, and insight into what changes are required to meet local need by building on existing assets. They include chapters on demographics; social and commercial determinants of health; health conditions and life expectancy; and community and stakeholder voice. The session is suitable for anyone working or volunteering in these areas, such as people from the Voluntary and Community Sector, Primary Care, and Local Authority.
The session will cover:
- what is a Health Needs and Assets Assessment (HNAA)
- how and why we do HNAAs
- how the HNAAs can be used to support your work
- an overview of the key findings of the HNAAs
- next steps to create positive change
This online session will be delivered by Lauren Turnbull and Chetna Patel from the Localities and Primary Care Team, Public Health, Leeds City Council.
Want to know more about... films
Some of the 'Want to know more about…' sessions are recorded and published to YouTube.
You can watch recorded webinars and other training films on the Leeds Public Health Training playlist on YouTube , at a time that is suitable to you. If you attended a session that was recorded, this is where it will be published.
Leeds Public Health training playlist
Delivering a want to know more about… session
If you are interested in delivering a 'Want to know more about...' session to raise awareness of a particular public health issue or service, please contact us at phforall@leeds.gov.uk for a discussion.
