Policy context
Walk the Talk was first set up in 1999, when the Scottish Executive established 12 research projects across Scotland to identify health inequalities affecting young people and any gaps in service provision. The clear message to emerge from this research was the compelling need for health professionals to develop appropriate and accessible services for young people. Concerns raised by young people included little access to youth-focused services, lack of information designed for young people, lack of consultation with young people, and fears about patient confidentiality.
Since then, Walk the Talk has been delivering training to practitioners and has produced resources and guidelines that are designed to support the development of health services that are relevant to young people. You can find out more about some of these projects in our Case studies section.
Our work is set in the context of Delivering for Health, the national action framework for children and young people's health, and Better Health, Better Care, the national strategy for a healthier Scotland. Walk the Talk also fits with the aims of Fair for All: Age, which has been set up to help NHS Scotland respond to the needs of different age groups of patients. Research has shown that young people and elderly people are the two age groups who face significant barriers in accessing healthcare.
For more detailed information on policy, please visit these links:
This policy map was produced during the first term of the Scottish Parliament, but it provides some useful background to Walk the Talk's ongoing work.
Delivering for Health (external link)
More information about Delivering for Health, the national action framework for children's and young people's health.
Better Health, Better Care (external link)
More information about Better Health, Better Care, the national strategy for improving Scotland's health.
Fair for All promotes equality and diversity in healthcare in Scotland, and includes six strands on age, disability, gender, race, religion and belief, and sexuality. Guidance on age can be downloaded from the Fair for All site.
This is the report of the Ministerial Task Force on Health Inequalities which sets out a list of key priority actions.
Valuing Young People (external link)
This policy document offers professionals working with young people guidance on the key policies and principles to refer to when designing services.
