This article examines the ‘Delivering the Workforce’ project in Greater Manchester, which aims to provide over 2000 assistant practitioners in a major attempt to contribute to the redesign of the health and social care workforce. target groups it is intended to benefit.

Objective: With the increasing prevalence of unhealthy weight status in pre-school children, this study sought to understand pre-school child weight management practices in Blackburn with Darwen, UK, with a view to informing appropriate intervention strategies. Design: Mixed-methods study (semi-structured interviews, quantitative survey). Setting: Urban–rural borough with high ethnic diversity in the North West of England. Methods: Phase 1 involved 15 semi-structured interviews with public health/service managers, health professionals and children’s centre staff to explore current pre-school weight management practices, challenges and perceived training needs. Phase 2 involved a quantitative survey of multi-disciplinary health professionals ( n = 30) who work with pre-school children. Data were analysed thematically and perceived challenges organised into individual, interpersonal and organisational levels of the socio-ecological model. Results: Current pre-school child weight management practices appeared to be inconsistent, and staff were unable to locate clear protocols or referral pathways. Challenges most commonly related to individual family factors (e.g. families not perceiving child’s weight status to be a problem) and organisational factors (e.g. lack of time). Perceived training needs differed between professions and included body mass index calculation and interpretation, weight-related communication and pre-school nutrition/physical activity guidelines. Conclusion: Inconsistencies in practice and a lack of clear pathways limited pre-school child weight management practices in Blackburn with Darwen. Although many challenges were attributed as external to the individual, potential steps to help practitioners cope with these demands are outlined.

Purpose: To examine the influence of psychosocial factors, including anxiety, depression, social support, maternal substance abuse, and intimate partner violence (IPV) on interpregnancy intervals (IPIs).Methods: B'more for Healthy Babies–Upton/Druid Heights is part of a citywide initiative to improve the health of at-risk pregnant women and their children. Participants with at least one prior birth completed baseline, postpartum, and 3-month follow-up surveys with questions about pregnancy, medical, and psychosocial history. Associations between IPI and the independent variables were assessed using chi-square analysis and analysis of variance. Multivariable multinomial logistic regression models examined significant associations while controlling for other independent variables and potential confounders.Results: Participants with current IPV were more likely to have a short IPI (odds ratio [OR]=13.1; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.07–158.9; p=0.04) than healthy IPI. Women with family social support were more likely to have a healthy IPI (OR=5.88, 95% CI=1.02–31.25, p=0.05) than those without family social support. Maternal anxiety and depression did not significantly influence IPI.Conclusion: IPV increased the likelihood of having an unhealthy IPI among this population and family social support increased the likelihood of having a healthy IPI. Additional efforts to address IPV and enhance family social support may lead to improved pregnancy outcomes.

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