- The LGA has run a series of workshops for both members and officers at Croydon Council to build a health in all polices approach
- More than 100 people have been involved and now closer links between the public health team and other departments are being developed
- Croydon praised the LGA support, saying the experts brought real credibility and expertise
An LGA public health peer review in 2024 found that Croydon had solid foundations for strengthening its approach to prevention and health improvement. Reviewers noted strong strategic intent, with public health well aligned to the council’s wider transformation agenda. But the review also identified an opportunity to take the next step - developing a more consistent, council wide approach which used public health expertise in day to day decision making
Public Health Consultant Fatai Ogunlayi said: “We were starting from a position of real commitment and good practice across the organisation. What we wanted was to build on that by creating a more systematic approach, so health considerations became part of how the council works every day.
“This wasn’t about launching another programme. It was about shaping culture and building shared ownership. For health in all policies to work, everyone needs to see how their role contributes to better health outcomes for residents.”
Health cuts across party lines
To support this culture shift, Croydon initiated a programme of work on health in all policies. A key element of this work is a training programme. Croydon worked with the LGA to design and deliver a half day, in person workshop for elected members. Two experienced peers led the work - a former Director of Public Health and a former cabinet member for health. The session in July 2025 combined presentations with structured group discussions, giving members space to explore challenges, test ideas and reflect on their own role in shaping healthier outcomes.
Fatai said: “We spent a lot of time discussing the importance of getting the right experts, with the right experience, to guide us. Bringing in a former DPH and an experienced member meant our teams and councillors heard from people who understood the pressure and the realities of local decision making.
“When selecting facilitators, what became clear very quickly was that health genuinely cuts across party lines. What mattered was credibility, insight and the ability to help us move forward together. Feedback from the session was positive, with members valuing the opportunity to engage with health and prevention in a way that felt practical, relevant and rooted in local government experience.”
Adapting the format to widen participation
While the workshop was a success, it was recognised that not all councillors could attend a half day, in person session and the feedback from councillors was to offer shorter, virtual training so Croydon asked the LGA experts to design a condensed 90-minute online version that could run both in the evening and over lunchtime. The aim was to remove barriers and give more councillors a realistic chance to take part. The new format proved successful, with more councillors attending the virtual sessions.
“Face to face sessions are brilliant for energy and discussion,” said Fatai. “But flexibility really mattered here for wider reach. The LGA team adapted the content thoughtfully, maintaining the same quality and clarity while making it far more accessible. That adaptability allowed us to reach members who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to take part.”
Building on member engagement, a half-day workshop was then run for officers, mirroring the format used for councillors. Around 70 officers attended with representatives from all directorates. The session followed the same structure - focussed presentations, followed by group discussions where officers were asked to generate practical ideas about how they could collaborate more effectively to embed health considerations into their everyday work.
Those who took part were full of praise. Trading Standards Food and Safety Manager Trish Burls said: “It was an excellent session – a really enlightening opportunity to better understand the key determinants of public health and how our own individual services can impact positively on improving the wellbeing of our community.”
The workshop took place in March 2026 to coincide with the publication of the director of public health’s annual report, which was themed around health in all policies. Bringing officers together at that moment helped reinforce the message that improving health outcomes is a shared organisational responsibility.
Director of Public Health Ruth Hutchinson said: “Embedding health considerations into all council decisions has the potential to deliver wide-ranging, positive outcomes for Croydon residents. Achieving this requires a fundamental shift in how we work, adopting a more systematic and integrated approach across the council.
“The training developed and delivered by our LGA colleagues for both members and officers has established a strong foundation. Their extensive experience, strong understanding of the system and place-based health in all policies approach tailored to Croydon will play a key role in driving this agenda forward.”
LGA brought ‘real credibility’
Public Health Principal Una O’Brien, who leads the delivery of the programme, agrees getting the LGA involved was a real benefit. “People genuinely saw it as an event, not just another internal session. The LGA carries real weight and credibility and having them in the room changed the dynamic. Their external perspective and the fact they could talk about what’s happening in other areas was inspiring for our teams.
“It helped us see what’s possible and gave officers and members confidence that we’re moving in the right direction. Bringing in respected, independent experts elevated the training and showed we were serious about doing this properly.”
The focus now is building on what has been achieved so far. To keep momentum, the public health team is introducing a public health strategic partner model, with a named contact for each directorate - someone officers can approach to test ideas, seek advice and explore how to embed health considerations in their work.
Alongside this, a planned programme of deep dives is being developed – the likelihood is some will be centred on specific themes to encourage cross directorate collaboration, while others will be tailored to individual directorates to identify what they can do in their areas. “There is momentum across the organisation – and the focus now is on harnessing it,” added Fatai.