Whole Systems Approach to Healthy Weight in Kent

This project will assess the implementation of a Whole Systems Approach to diet and healthy weight to explore the range of levers and opportunities to influence relevant local partnerships and interventions in Kent.

Whole Systems Approaches (WSAs) have been used to address diet and healthy weight nationally and internationally, yet evidence for their effectiveness remains in its infancy. Furthermore, consistency in definition, application and evaluation of WSAs is lacking in the available literature. To address some of these shortcomings Public Heath England (2019) provided a six-phase framework, referred to as the ‘Leeds Beckett Model’. This provides a guide to the process of how to apply a Whole Systems Approach to diet and healthy weight. The Leeds Beckett Model six phases include: 1. Set-up; 2. Building the local picture; 3. Mapping the local picture; 4. Action; 5. Managing the system network; and 6. Reflect and refresh.

This project will assess the implementation of a Whole Systems Approach to diet and healthy weight to explore the range of levers and opportunities to influence relevant local partnerships and interventions in Kent.

Research questions

• Which elements of the Leeds Beckett WSA have been implemented locally and what were the reasons for this?
• What impact did the implementation of a WSA have on: a) local stakeholders’ knowledge and understanding of how best to address diet and healthy weight issues; and b) local stakeholders’ service planning and delivery ethos, policy and practice?
• What was the process of implementing the WSA, who did it involve and how was it experienced by local stakeholders?
• To what extent did the WSA meet the needs of local stakeholders and the community?
• What were the barriers and enablers to implementing a WSA?
• To what extent was any implementation of a WSA sustained over time?
• What factors enabled the sustainability of the WSA?
• Has adopting a WSA benefitted any other areas of working beyond healthy diet and weight?