Agenda item

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Communities, which informed the Members on the progress and key developments for the Community Wellbeing Practices Initiative.

The Board was advised that the Community Wellbeing Practices (CWP) initiative provided a wraparound service for all 17 GP practices in the Borough to ensure patients whose needs were predominantly psychosocial in origin were identified and provided with effective community based interventions. Wellbeing Enterprises CIC, an established, local social enterprise had been commissioned to design and deliver the service in collaboration with patients, partner agencies and professionals working in health and social care.

The Board was further advised that a team of nine Community Wellbeing Officers served as a link between the GP Practice setting and the wider community. The CWP initiative provided essentially three core services for patients and the public: the provision of psychosocial support; a community navigation service and assed based community projects.

The Board noted the patients journey; the outcomes and achievements set out in the report and the feedback that had been received from members of the public and professionals.

It was reported that the next steps and the main priorities were as follows:-

·             Integrate the CWP initiative into new clinical and social care pathways to ensure patients whose needs were predominately psychosocial in origin were able to receive timely, effective community based support;

·             To increase the referral rates for patients coming into the CWP service from newly established referral sources;

·             Providing support to enable community members to develop their own wellbeing projects;

·             To continue to collaborate with partners in the VCSE sector on community led projects and to raise the profile of VCSE partner agencies in health and social care; and

·             To expand the social prescribing service to provide additional out of hours provision.

The following comments arose from the discussion:-

·             Information was requested on the pilot in West Bank.  In response, it was reported that information on the pilot would be circulated to all Members of the Board;

·             It was noted that the facetime project would support people with modern day technology and reduce isolation in the community;

·             Clarity was sought on whether the interventions were time limited and what happened when the interventions ceased.  In response, it was reported that a one to one meeting took place initially, an action plan was established for structured support over several weeks in order to enable individuals to achieve their targets.  Further meetings took place to monitor progress and patients were able to come in and out of the service as they wished.  The support was built around the patient and if specialised services were required they would be referred to an appropriate organisation for additional support.

·             Clarity was sought on the plans to ensure that the project was sustainable in the current economic climate and that there would be a continuity of preventative support for the residents of Halton.  In response, it was reported that it was a commissioned service and represented the national thinking in respect of sustainability and building communities.  The Chairman of the Health and Wellbeing Board was also adopting this approach and it had been endorsed by the National Association of Primary Care.  In addition, it was reported that there was a commitment to embed and continue this project in the community as it was far more beneficial than acute care in respect of prevention. It was noted that sustainability was an essential part of the project moving forward,  The importance of how support could be given to the infrastructure and for all other organisations to be involved in the work was also noted; and

·             The Board noted the excellent work that had been undertaken for many years by various organisations such as The Lets Go Club, The Canal Project and 4Estates etc in the Borough.  The Board also noted the importance of integrating such organisations fully into the project to avoid duplication, enhance the project and to ensure that their experience was not lost.

RESOLVED: That the report and comments raised be noted.