Engaging Communities – Connecting Communities
The Big Knit:
Engaging Communities is co-ordinating a knitting programme for the 5 Lane Community Partnership - organising local volunteer knitters to create hats, gloves, scrves and blankets for some of their COPD Patients. These are distributed to all GP Practices within the 5 Lane Community Partnership.
A lot of the knitters already knit for other projects such as local Hospitals and support appeals for the Homeless Charities and developning countries but they are delighted to have been asked to support a local Project. The Project is ongoing throughout the Winter.
We are also looking for donations of wool, if you can help either through knitting or crocheting or can donate any wool, please contanct Pauline or Sue on 01274 292100.
Self Care Champions:
We are delighted to be working with 5 Lane Community Partnership as their Self Care Champions.
Look out for us during Self-Care week 18th - 24th November 2019, we will have lots of Self-Care and Living Well information at a Co-op Foodstore in the Eccleshill and Idle area.
It's here......The Born in Bradford Research Bus has arrived at Inspire Bradford Business Park and will be here for the next few months. There will be an official launch on Friday 23rd March at 12.30 where you can meet some of the team over lunch and have a look around the unit.
The bus is on loan from the University of Birmingham and has state of the art facilities on board including a DEXA Scanner which is used to look at the bone density of adults and children.
Wellbeing Workers in GP Practices Pilot - Update 3rd May 2017
As this successful and innovative service draws to an end, a celebration event was held at Inspire Bradford Business Park. Thank you to Inspire and Graze Cafe and Catering Services for a brilliant venue and lunch.
Engaging Communities would like to thank Trust Primary Care (TPC), the Host GP Practices, the Wellbeing Worker Team and the 600+ patients who have benefitted from the service.
It has been a pleasure to work collaboratively with TPC and the host practices to develop this pilot service. It has been both interesting and very encouraging to hear the feedback from patients, host practices and the wellbeing worker team. Engaging Communities is currently examining all the feedback and a summary report will follow shortly.
Engaging Communities - Wellbeing Workers
Feedback from patients included:
"The worker made me feel my worth and get myself a job. I felt useless after being on the dole for 30 months"
"When you need someone to talk to and you need more than a Doctors 10 minutes, at a time of mental stress, I strongly recommend every GP surgery has someone like her"
"Thank you .......for being there for me. My life is complicated and I was in a deep hole. I shall strive forward and use the tools that you have given me to calm down".
Feedback from the Wellbeing Worker team included:
"It's been great to see the difference in patients from when they first come to see you"
"The highlight for me has been helping people develop some coping strategies to deal with some very difficult situations"
"I have really enjoyed the work and would like to do more in the future"
Feedback from Trust Primary Care included:
"It's all run smoothly from the start. It's been such a good service and patients will miss it".
"Thank you for your hard work and expertise"
"The project was put together quickly and efficiently and you have provided an excellent, professional support for the workers and the practices".
"All host practices and teams have valued the wellbeing workers, and your support in running such a successful pilot".
Feedback from the Host Practices included:
"our wellbeing worker has provided a valuable service for patients that otherwise would have been treated with medications in supporting them to deal with their issues in a different way"
"This service looked to us to fit the self care /social prescribing future model"
"The worker has been very useful, kind and thorough with many of our Eastern European patients. I have had many reports from patients saying she has really helped them. One patient in particular who had relocated to Bradford, who speaks hardly any English, has breast cancer, depression and chronic pain. The worker spent a lot of time with this patient contacting the breast clinic, making sure she attended and offering general support"
"Our wellbeing Worker has very much become part of the team. There is no doubt that a considerable number of patients have benefitted greatly from the service"
"We really believe there is a social need within General Practice"
"Our worker was so much more experienced and skilled than her title suggests"
Case Study: Engaging Communities is working with Trust Primary Care to provide Wellbeing Workers in 9 GP practices across Bradford.
This pilot project is unique in that the Wellbeing Workers are part of the practice team, there to support patients and to help the practices with patient engagement and health promotion.
The aim of the Workers is to connect patients to support services and activities provided in the voluntary sector and reduce unnecessary GP appointments. The activities and support offered through the voluntary sector is diverse and easily accessible and include:
- supporting people with low level mental health issues, debt problems etc,
- helping people address health issues through walking groups, weight management groups, cookery courses
- social activities
- befriending
- volunteering opportunities
Wellbeing Workers connect patients in to those services and activities that meet their needs, and continue to support the patient until they feel confident to continue on their own.
Interim evaluation of the project indicated; that the voluntary sector are seeing increased referrals to their services, Wellbeing Workers are getting referrals from a range of staff in practices, their clinics are busy and referrals cover the age spectrum from 18 plus. All Wellbeing Workers feel their work is having a positive impact on the patients. Trust Primary Care is using System One data to evidence levels of attendance at the practice. A full report will be available at the end of project in Spring 2017
Pennine Breast Screening Service:
From July - November 2017 the mobile Breast Screening Unit were based at Inspire Bradford Business Park. It was a pleasure to host the team and see so many local women take up the opportunity of Breast Screening. We're looking forward to welcoming the service back in July 2020.