Health and Wellbeing
Research has shown that the residents in Barton, Tredworth and White City are often more likely to suffer from specific health problems, such as diabetes, than in the rest of the county. Over the past three years, the Community Counts team has been working hard, in partnership with local agencies, to tackle some of these specific issues.
Key Priorities 2008 - 2009
Our main priority for the coming 12 months...
- Support a pilot to demonstrate the potential role of Health Trainers - volunteers supporting local people to access health services and healthy activities
A Healthy Start to the New Year
A group of local women have shown a real determination to improve their health at the 'Irie Club', where they have learnt about healthy eating and physical activity.
Around twenty women signed up for the course which was aimed specifically at those from the African Caribbean community. Over the six-week pilot during January and February 2008, Weight Management Specialist, Janet Passey, helped to demystifying weight loss myths and Healthy Living Worker, Ian Preston, provided practical and fun exercise sessions.
The course was organised by Community Counts, Black Elders and the Primary Care Trust, and was developed following a pamper evening in November 2007 during which residents highlighted the lack of information and services to help residents from the African Caribbean community who want to address weight issues.
Kerry continues to work with Black Elders and is looking to develop a series of weekly physical activity sessions. For more information contact Kerry on 332891.
Health Trainers Project
A two year pilot project to set up a new Health Trainer initiative is due to start in May 2008. The idea behind the scheme is to give local people the skills, knowledge and competencies to support individuals in the community to improve their health. The Health Trainers will work with these individuals to help identify their health needs, support individuals in learning how to make healthy choices, make long-lasting changes to their lifestyle and, where appropriate, get access to other local services.
This way of working has already been successful with the Healthy Living Peer Supporters, a scheme funded by Community Counts. The new Health Trainers scheme will re-establish peer support within the Community Counts areas of Barton, Tredworth and White City, plus additional neighbourhoods in Matson, Robinswood and Westgate. The project will also involve action research to find out the best way to manage and support Health Trainers in both the medium- and long-term, and identify the most appropriate ways of engaging with, and supporting, local people to work with the initiative.
For more information on the Health Trainers project contact Bilkis on 532586.
Community Diabetes Work
Suzy Allard's post, Specialist Diabetes Nurse, has been mainstreamed and is now funded by Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust. This is a great step forward and Suzy's work has been extremely successful in supporting residents with diabetes to improve self-care of the disease and therefore reducing the need for hospital care.
In addition to Suzy’s normal clinics with local GP practices she has now set up a weekly diabetes clinic in Tredworth. Every Monday, two specialist nurses are available at Parry Hall to help people with issues relating to their diabetes. There is also a group education session for people who have been diagnosed with diabetes and this is held twice a month at Parry Hall. These latter sessions are designed to provide information about the signs, symptoms and management of diabetes, plus a dietician is on hand to talk about eating healthily for diabetes sufferers.
The clinic and the education sessions are by appointment only so, if you'd like to book, either ask your GP or nurse, or call Suzy Allard on 332891.
Health Promotion Facilitator
The Health Promotion Facilitator, Kerry Whitcombe, has been busy working with a number of local community groups and concentrating on the following key activities:
- Increasing access to information on health related services
- Facilitating the Health Action Group, a group of health and well-being practitioners working in the area to encourage sharing knowledge of services and develop routes for joint working.
Kerry has been involved in many of the initiatives outlined on this page.