Why well-being? Why you? Why now?

What children experience during their early lives become the foundations for their health and wellbeing for the rest of their lives. The origins of much adult disease, physical or mental, start in childhood. This presentation will help you to understand the strategic reasons that have led to a conference with 'well-being' at its heart. We will consider what the word 'well-being' means, its relationship to the word health, and why it seems to be everywhere. We will examine how those who work in educational and children's services fit into an international, inter-sectoral public health movement to improve the health and well-being of the whole population. This presentation will take us from Aristotle to the World Health Organization to the English Government, to you.

The purpose of this presentation was to provide the child/education workforce with an understanding of the origins of the 'wellbeing' agenda which came to the fore in England in 2010. Those who work with children and young people are important members of the public health workforce overseen by Public Health England. They have a particularly important role to play in preventing illness and promoting life long good health. The conference was hosted by the Faculty of Education at Canterbury Christ Church University.