Evaluation of health trainers in West Sussex

Abstract

Health Trainers were introduced by the Department of Health in 2006 to help tackle health inequalities by offering one-to-one support to individuals who want to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Health trainers are people recruited from local communities with a good understanding of local issues who are trained to offer support and motivation on five priority areas: reducing obesity, improving sexual health, encouraging sensible drinking, reducing smoking and improving mental health. West Sussex Primary Care Trust (WSPCT) commissioned voluntary sector organisations (VSOs) to deliver the West Sussex health trainer service. This is the report of the independent evaluation undertaken by researchers at the Social Science Policy and Research Centre at the University of Brighton between April 2008 and September 2009.