DD2664 Healthy Place, Healthy Weight Mission Programme 2023 - 2024

Healthy Place, Healthy Weight mission 
1.1.    Healthy Place, Healthy Weight (HPHW) is one of the nine missions initially established in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 
1.2.    HPHW is promoting child health, including healthier weight, with a focus on the most disadvantaged areas. The mission’s activities aim to make local environments healthier including the food retail environment as food and diet are key drivers of weight. 
1.3.    The mission builds on the work undertaken by the London Child Obesity Taskforce (LCOT) (now known as the Mayor’s Advisory Group on Child Healthy Weight). It focuses on pan-London policy interventions and initiatives supporting local work, particularly that of the boroughs, that will allow as many Londoners as possible to benefit. 
1.4.    The mission’s progress is reported to the London Obesity Delivery Board and the Mayor’s Advisory Group on Child Healthy Weight. 
1.5.    Under MD2930 the Mayor approved expenditure for the mission’s work in 2021-22 and 2022-23, including the convenience store project and support for the Healthier Catering Commitment (HCC); Capital Growth, London’s food-growing network; and the 2021 and 2022 Good Food for All Londoners reports. The Mayor approved expenditure for: the expansion of the School Superzones programme under cover MD2915: School Superzones work programme 2021-22 to 2023-24.; and an evaluation of the convenience store project under cover of MD3141: Health and Wellbeing work programme 2023-24. 
1.6.    The key programmes for the mission are as follows: 
•    expansion of the School Superzones initiative (approved under MD2915) 
•    promotion of water-only schools 
•    support for boroughs to implement healthier food-advertising policies on council-owned advertising sites (this work is externally funded by Vital Strategies, a partner of Bloomberg Philanthropy) 
•    support for breastfeeding (approved under MD2930). 
1.7.    Approval is being sought through this DD for the following mission work, which will be delivered in 2023-24:
•    communications (this could include workshops, events, webinars and communications assets), including support to Sustain for production of the Good Food for All Londoners report
•    a third phase of the work with convenience stores to increase sales of healthier products to children 
•    support to the Association of London Environmental Health Managers (ALEHM) to deliver the HCC
•    evaluation of the HCC.
•    the Capital Growth programme, delivered by Sustain, that promotes food growing in London. 
Summary of expenditure and activity 
1.8.    The table below provides a breakdown of the approval being sought under this MD for 2023-24 expenditure: 

1.9.    Expenditure will take the form of grant awards and contracts for services, the procurement of which will depend on the nature of the activity concerned. The procurement will be conducted in accordance with relevant GLA procedures, including the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code. 

Communications
Purpose of funding 
2.1.    This proposal is for a range of communications work related to HPHW, such as workshops, events, webinars and communications assets that will share learning and best practice. 
Expected deliverables 
2.2.    Publication of the 2023 Good Food for All Londoners report produced by Sustain. This tracks and assesses London boroughs’ policies on a range of food-related areas of work, including food insecurity and healthy weight. It supports and encourages councils to take a joined-up approach to increase access to healthy and sustainable food at the local, organisational and individual levels. For the past two years this report has promoted the HPHW mission and has included a joint foreword by the Mayor’s Health Adviser, and the Regional Director of Health for London who is also the Mayor’s Statutory Health Adviser. 
2.3.     A celebratory event for partners involved in the Schools Superzones programme. This will share good practice and explore issues such as impact and sustainability. 
2.4.    Share and Learn workshops, events and communication activities to support the sector capacity. 
Phase three of the convenience stores project 
Purpose of funding 
2.5.    Convenience stores are generally less healthy than their larger competitors, with smaller product ranges and less balanced options. This project is jointly funded by HPHW mission and Impact on Urban Health. It has used the learning from the Mayor’s Good Food Retail programme. The work is taking place in the Oval/Vauxhall and Brixton Hill School Superzones, and is being delivered by Rice Marketing Ltd. It focuses on the purchasing behaviour of children, and aims to: 
•    develop a systematic and practical approach to supporting store owners, helping them to improve the availability and appeal of healthier options in the shops that children frequent 
•    make the commercial case for stocking and promoting a healthier range of products aimed at children, such as snacks and drinks 
•    develop a set of recommendations and tools for improving and scaling up the work across other areas in London, including School Superzones. 
2.6.    The project is currently in a second phase of delivery. Activities in phases one and two have included engagement with children to gain insights into how they shop, support for 10 stores to implement action plans; preparing plans for scaling the work across London and briefings to national wholesalers via the Association of Convenience Stores and the Federation of Wholesale Distributors on how they can support this work. 
2.7.    The evaluation of this work was approved by the Mayor under cover of MD3141. The evaluation has started and is expected to be completed by the end of December 2023.
Expected deliverables and outcomes for phase 3
2.8.    The third phase of the project aims to provide partner organisations, predominately council officers with the skills to take on some of the work with convenience stores. It will start in early 2024 and will use the learning and recommendations from the evaluation to support replication of the work in other areas. Work will entail: 
•    engaging key stakeholders from local authorities to support work on the food retail environment 
•    dedicated one-to-one support from Rice Marketing for targeted boroughs to support their work with convenience stores
•    practical tools such as a toolkit, training or training materials to support boroughs. 
2.9.    Rice Marketing Limited was awarded a contract in 2022 for services required for the delivery of phase 1 of the project following a tender process. The contract was then varied in 2023 for services required for the second phase of work (covered by MD2930). It is now proposed to further extend the contract with Rice Marketing Limited to support the delivery of phase 3. Officers acknowledge the requirement to seek competitive tenders for such services under the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code but are here seeking the approval of an exemption from this requirement (in respect of this work) because of Rice Marketing Limited’s previous involvement in the project and difficulty in separating the phase 3 works from that. The third phase of the project will focus on rolling out the work undertaken in Lambeth to other areas. This has already started, supported by Rice Marketing Limited, with the development of an advisory group that will bring together councils, advocates from the wholesale and retail industry and academics to share good practice. 
2.10.    The continued expertise, skills and knowledge of Rice Marketing Limited, and its effective relationships with wholesalers, suppliers, trade bodies and boroughs, are essential to provide consistency in each phase of this project. Work with convenience stores is a specialist area of retail and Rice Marketing was the only organisation to tender for the original contract. Since 2009, it has worked with local authorities, the Department of Health, the GLA and Impact on Urban Health, to engage with stores that serve low-income families in areas where there is limited access to healthy, affordable food. The cost will be approximately £10,000 and represents good value for money based on the expertise of Rice Marketing Limited and the work required. 
Healthier Catering Commitment
Purpose of funding 
2.11.    The HCC, a voluntary accreditation scheme for food businesses, supports them to make straightforward, healthy changes to their ingredients, processes and retail environments. Over the past two years HPHW has awarded funding to ALEHM for ongoing delivery of the HCC. 
2.12.    This MD is seeking approval to carry out the following activities:
•    support the ongoing delivery of the HCC, including:
o    core work with food businesses to increase the number of healthy options at takeaway outlets, including those selling food on delivery platforms
o    the offer of training on HCC for local authorities, to increase the number of participating local authorities and trained officers able to deliver the scheme 
o    extending the commissioned work with wholesalers, initiated in 2020-21, to improve the range of the top 100 products ordered by catering businesses 
o    continued work to develop and deliver the second-tier HCC criteria for larger chains, to encourage higher levels of achievement to gain the award.
•    commission an evaluation of the HCC to look at its impact, including impact of accreditation in the most disadvantaged areas; views of customers; what can be done to target customers and businesses; what it takes to get takeaways on board; and the health benefits of the HCC.
Expected deliverables/outcomes 
2.13.    The learning and recommendations from the evaluation report will be useful for ALEHM and boroughs delivering the HCC. It will enable the GLA to target any future support to where the HCC can have most value. It should also provide an improved baseline position in order to measure increases in participating boroughs, numbers of participating businesses, and uptake of training, etc.
2.14.    The delivery of the HCC will provide: 
•    a greater understanding of the challenges faced by boroughs delivering the HCC in School Superzone areas
•    Increased participation in the HCC scheme
•    engagement with larger wholesalers to ensure that healthier products are visible, using price promotions, and to offer good margins
•    a second tier for the HCC that will recognise and encourage the progress of fast-food chains and larger outlets investing in healthier and sustainable catering through a range of actions. 
Support for the Capital Growth programme 
Purpose of funding 
2.15.    Capital Growth, delivered by Sustain, is London’s largest food-growing network, promoting and supporting urban food growing across the capital. The vision for Capital Growth is that everyone has the opportunity to grow food as part of a healthy, resilient food system. 
2.16.    The benefits of food growing are well documented, and community gardens can support health and resilience. This work will provide more opportunities for food growing in disadvantaged areas. 
Expected deliverables/outcomes 
2.17.    Funding will support the development of infrastructure to grow food through facilitating access to land; developing local networks; building capacity to set up groups and grow food; and ensuring that access to these spaces is inclusive and reaches those most in need. 
2.18.    Where possible, and to maximise impact, work will link with School Superzones and primary schools in receipt of universal free school meal funding. This means existing food-growing projects can be supported and linked to school meals. 
2.19.    The table below gives a breakdown of deliverables for the above work programmes, and the decisions being sought for proposed 2023-24 expenditure.

3.1.    Under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 (the Equality Act), as a public authority the Mayor must have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and any conduct that is prohibited by or under the Equality Act; and to advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations, between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. 
3.2.    Child obesity is a huge challenge in London, where over 38 per cent of Year 6 children are overweight or obese. This can have profound impacts on the health and life chances of children. There is a strong relationship between deprivation and obesity. Supporting evidence from the National Child Measurement programme demonstrates that the effects of deprivation can be seen at ages 4-5, when children start school; and at ages 10-11, when children are in year 6. These effects intensify with age. Significant differences in rates of overweight and obesity, as well as health outcomes, also exist between ethnic groups in London; some of these differences are due to the confounding factor of deprivation. Due to the strong links between deprivation and overweight, HPHW mission activities are prioritised in areas that fall in the bottom 30 per cent in the indices of multiple deprivation, and/or areas with particularly poor health-related outcomes. A principle of the mission is that communities should be central to its design, and work should promote community-centred and culturally competent best practice. Examples have included insight work with families to understand their experiences of services and how they can be made more representative of different cultures and ethnicities and consideration of children with special educational needs. 
 

Key risks 
4.1.    The key risks and mitigating actions are outlined in the table below: 
 

Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities 
4.2.    The proposed activities will contribute directly to Inclusive London (the Mayor’s equality, diversity and inclusion strategy) and the London Food Strategy. 
4.3.    Tackling child obesity has been a long-term priority for the Mayor and is reflected in the Health Inequalities Strategy (HIS) and the London Food Strategy; and in the development of the HPHW mission. In 2018 the Mayor established the LCOT to give every child in London the chance to grow up eating healthily, drinking plenty of water and being physically active. The LCOT has now transitioned into the Mayor’s Advisory Group on Child Healthy Weight. In this guise, it continues to provide expert advice to the Mayor on delivering against the LCOT’s ambitions. 
4.4.    Reducing child obesity is one of the 10 areas of focus for pan-London collaboration for London’s health and social care partners. The work of the mission is included in the Every Child a Healthier Weight Delivery Plan, to which the Mayor is a signatory.
Consultation and impact assessments
4.5.    In 2021, further consultation with partners and stakeholders took place regarding the purpose of the mission and other related work already happening across London. Following this, the mission was refocused towards the healthy weight of children and families, where it could have the most impact. The name of the mission was changed to “Healthy Place, Healthy Weight” to reflect the mission’s focus on the wider determinants of health. 
Subsidy control 
4.6.    This DD seeks approval for up to three funding awards to Sustain, totalling up to £33,000. This comprises contributions to the 2023 Good Food for All Londoners report; the Capital Growth programme; and the development of a toolkit to support boroughs’ work with convenience stores. This will bring the total funding awarded to Sustain by the HPHW mission, from 2021 to 2024, to £77,920. 

4.7.    Sustain is an alliance of organisations and communities working together for a better system of food, farming and fishing; and cultivating the movement for change. Access to healthy food is a key driver of the HPHW mission. Sustain’s expertise and pan-London reach mean it is ideally positioned to produce the Good Food for All Londoners report. The report celebrates and encourages action by councils on good food issues, spanning several themes and departments. It also supports action by councils to address key challenges such as food poverty, inequalities and the climate emergency. The Mayor’s London Food Strategy includes support for the Capital Growth programme, and the contribution that food growing plays in providing skills that can increase job creation in the food sector.
4.8.    The three proposed grants to Sustain are relatively small, and two are contributions towards initiatives that receive funding from other partners. This funding will ensure that the objectives of all the initiatives are achieved. We have not identified any negative effects on domestic competition, investment or international trade, related to these grants. 

Conflicts of interest

4.9.    There are no conflicts of interest to note for any of the officers involved in the drafting or clearance of this decision form’
 

5.1.    Approval is sought for the expenditure of up to £115,000 in 2023-24 to deliver key elements of HPHW.
5.2.    This will be funded from the HPHW Mission Development programme budget.
5.3.    There is sufficient budget within the HPHW Mission Development programme budget in 2023-24 financial year to meet the expenditure of £115,000.
5.4.    The award of funding to delivery partners will be subject to satisfactory financial due diligence.
 

6.1.    The foregoing sections of this report indicate that:
•    the decisions requested of the Director concern the exercise of the GLA’s general powers, falling within the GLA’s statutory powers to do such things considered to further or which are facilitative of, conducive or incidental to the promotion of social development in Greater London
•    in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought, officers have complied with the GLA’s related statutory duties to: 
o    pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people
o    consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom
o    consult with appropriate bodies.
6.2.    In taking the decisions requested, the Director must have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty - namely the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010 and to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (race, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion) and persons who do not (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). To this end, the Director should have particular regard to section 3 (above) of this report. 
6.3.    Section 9.1 of the Contracts and Funding Code (the Code) requires the GLA to call-off services with a value of that concerned here from a suitable framework, where possible, or if not, to undertake a formal tender process which will be managed by TfL Procurement in respect of the services. However, the Director may approve an exemption from this requirement under section 10 of the Code upon certain specified grounds. One of those grounds is that a contract may let without competition where a supplier has had previous involvement in a specific current project or the services concerned are a continuation of existing work that cannot be separated from the new project/work. Officers have indicated at section 2.8 of this report that this ground applies and that the proposed contracts afford value for money. On this basis the Director may approve the proposed exemption if satisfied with the content of this report.
6.4.    If the Director makes the decisions sought, officers must ensure that:
•    the contract with Rice Marketing Limited s varied accordingly
•    to the extent that expenditure concerns the: 
o    award of grant funding, it is distributed fairly, transparently, in manner which affords value for money and in accordance with the requirements of the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code and grant funding agreements or agreements varying current grant funding agreements (as applicable) are put in place between and executed by the GLA and recipients before any commitment to fund is made; and 
o    payment for any other services, those services are procured in liaison with TfL Procurement and in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code and contracts are put in place between and executed by the GLA and contractors before commencement of such services.