Community connectivity
Approach
Encourage community connectivity through strengthening access to and involvement of the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector (VCSE).
An asset-based approach seeks to mobilise and strengthen the skills, capacities or resources available to individuals and communities and allow people to gain more control over their lives and circumstances and reduce the risk of loneliness. The impact of loneliness and isolation is well evidenced and its impact on use of health and social care services is significant.
Our VCSE organisations are locally rooted having a wealth of local knowledge and connections (especially with hard-to reach groups), giving them unique insight into the challenges as well as opportunities within local ‘places’ to tackle inequalities.
The following are examples of what to consider when thinking about community connectivity:
- Focus on and invest in recognised ways of working that embrace ‘relationship and asset-based approaches’ and ‘everyone doing their bit’ to improve the health and wellbeing of our society.
- Enable healthcare professionals to refer patients to non-clinical pathways that are co-designed to improve their health and wellbeing (e.g. social prescribing).
- A community navigator/link worker, who could come from a range of sectors (e.g. VCSE, housing) will work with the individual to co-produce solutions that best suit their needs.
Resources
- Social Value Act https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-value-act-information-and-resources/social-value-act-information-and-resources
- Social Prescribing Network contact email: socialprescribing@outlook.com
- Making Sense of Social Prescribing’: publication from the Social Prescribing Network https://www.westminster.ac.uk/patient-outcomes-in-health-research-group/projects/social-prescribing-network
- Supporting self-management: Supporting self-management: A guide to enabling behaviour change for health and wellbeing using person – https://www.nesta.org.uk/report/supporting-self-management-a-guide-to-enabling-behaviour-change-for-health-and-wellbeing-using-person-and-community-centred-approaches/
- The role of advice services on health outcomes – http://www.lowcommission.org.uk/dyn/1435582011755/ASA-report_Web.pdf
- Altogether Better Working Together to Create Healthier People and Communities- http://www.altogetherbetter.org.uk/Data/Sites/1/–altogether-better-evaluation-report—working-together-to-create-healthier-people-and-communities-2015.pdf
- The Deloitte Centre for Health Solutions, (2015) The Primary Care Navigator programme for dementia, Two organisations transforming primary care by working differently http://napc.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/PCN_Case_Study_Report.pdf
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, (2015) Older People: Independence and Mental Wellbeing. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng32
- New Economics Foundation, (2008) Five Ways to Wellbeing. Available from: http://neweconomics.org/five-ways-to-wellbeing-the-evidence/?_sft_project=five-ways-to-wellbeing
- VCSE Health and Wellbeing Fund: information pack for voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector organisations www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/
- Fire and Rescue Service as a health asset support – https://www.england.nhs.uk/blog/jacquie-white-3/
- Encourage Healthy Ageing with a healthy living passport for empowerment and self-care https://www.england.nhs.uk/2015/01/healthy-ageing/
- E-frailty project – supporting people to live independently http://www.cm2000.co.uk/News/ArtMID/2529/ArticleID/73/E-frailty-project-–-supporting-older-people-to-live-independently
- Working with older people. Asset Based Community Development – enriching the lives of older citizens. Deborah Klee. Marc Mordey- http://deborahklee.org.uk/VintageCommunities/pdf/asset_based.pdf
- Head, hands and heart: asset-based approaches in health care, Health Foundation (2015) https://www.health.org.uk/publication/head-hands-and-heart-asset-based-approaches-health-care
- VCSE Review: Joint review of partnerships and investment in voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations in the health and care sector, Representatives of the VCSE sector and the Department of Health, NHS England, and Public Health England (2016) – https://vcsereview.org.uk/
- Developing Asset Based Approaches to Primary Care: Best Practice Guide, Innovation Unit / Greater Manchester Public Health Network (2016) https://www.innovationunit.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Greater-Manchester-Guide-090516.pdf
- A new relationship with people and communities, People and Communities Board (NHSE, National Voices and partners) [2017] outlines a set of ‘high impact actions’ for accelerating the adoption of person and community-centred approaches to health and care https://www.nationalvoices.org.uk/publications/our-publications/new-relationship-people-and-communities
- Public health working with the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector: new opportunities and sustainable change, LGA (2015) https://www.local.gov.uk/public-health-working-voluntary-community-and-social-enterprise-sector-new-opportunities-and
- Realising the value programme – tools and resources, NHSE / NESTA 2015 http://www.nesta.org.uk/realising-value-programme-reports-tools-and-resources
- People powered health co-production catalogue, NESTA 2014 http://www.nesta.org.uk/publications/co-production-catalogue
- BGS loneliness and isolation http://www.bgs.org.uk/policy-digest-m/resources/policy-digest/wales-loneliness-isolation
- Measuring National Well-being: insights into loneliness, older people and well-being, 2015, ONS https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/articles/measuringnationalwellbeing/2015-10-01
- Evidence Review: loneliness in later life, Age UK, 2015 https://www.ageuk.org.uk/Documents/EN-GB/For-professionals/Research/Age%20UK%20Evidence%20Review%20on%20Loneliness%20July%202014.pdf?dtrk=true
- Rural Poverty in Wales: Existing Research and Evidence Gaps, Public Policy Institute for Wales, 2016 http://ppiw.org.uk/files/2016/06/An-introduction-to-Rural-Poverty.pdf
- Reducing social isolation across the life course. Public Health England, UCL Institute of Health Equity, 2015 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/461120/3a_Social_isolation-Full-revised.pdf
- No one should have to care alone, Carers UK, 2017 https://www.carersuk.org/search/no-one-should-have-to-care-alone-for-carers
- Campaign to End Loneliness https://www.campaigntoendloneliness.org/references/
- Combating loneliness, a guide for local authorities. LGA, Campaign to end Loneliness, Age UK, 2016 https://www.local.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/combating-loneliness-guid-24e_march_2018.pdf
Evidence
Community Connectivity (through asset building)
- One-to-one services have been shown to be effective, as have some group interventions. Community Navigator schemes are good at identifying older people at risk of loneliness. Befriending services can be a cost-effective way to reduce loneliness and depression.
- Improving later life. Services for older people – what works? Age UK. https://www.ageuk.org.uk/Documents/EN-GB/For-professionals/Research/Services-what_works_spreads.pdf?dtrk=true
- Effectiveness Matters: Recognising and managing frailty in primary care – Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, The University of York https://www.york.ac.uk/crd/publications/effectiveness-matters/frailty-primary-care/
- https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2015/12/08/loneliness-and-isolation-social-relationships-are-key-to-good-health/
- http://www.bgs.org.uk/pdfs/2017naw_loneliness.pdf
- Whole evidence section (NHS Scotland) – various aspects of CC
- Making sense of social prescribing: A review of the evidence assessing impact of social prescribing on healthcare demand and cost implication (University of Westminster)
- VSCE sector rationale for involvement and investment
Local stories
LINKS
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