HENRY, a national charity, has been working with in partnership with local authorities for 15 years to transform traditional approaches to obesity prevention. HENRY supports parents to provide a healthy start in life through a range of holistic and evidence-based interventions. These include infant feeding services, Healthy Families programmes, flexible pathways in the first 1,001 days to promote emotional and physical wellbeing and training for practitioners in supporting behaviour change. This short animated explainer video provides an insight into the HENRY approach.

Papers published in peer-reviewed journals report statistically significant improvements to emotional wellbeing and parenting efficacy, as well as family eating and activity habits and food consumption. A full RCT of the HENRY early years programme, funded by NIHR, is underway, following a successful feasibility study in which children of participating families moved towards a healthy weight.

HENRY is currently implemented in 55 LAs in England, targeted on areas of greatest social and economic deprivation. This webinar will:

• Share information about the range of HENRY interventions from conception to age 5 that support a healthy start in life and improve long-term outcomes for children

• Present evidence of impact and the different ways in which HENRY is implemented across partner LAs

• Provide insights from commissioners in Leeds and London Borough of Waltham Forest on how HENRY has been embedded and added value in their areas

• Show how HENRY can support local plans for Best Start for Life and Family Hub funding

• Explain how LAs can be part of the RCT – which is currently recruiting new local areas

Speakers:

Janice Burberry, former Head of Public Health (Children and Families), Leeds City Council

Nicola Ellis, Consultant in Public Health , London Borough of Waltham Forest

Kim Roberts, HENRY Chief Executive

HENRY, healthy start, brighter future