Involving Communities

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Involving Communities

• Caroline Bloomfield
• Community Development Worker
• Belfast Health Action Zone
• October 2007

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What is the Health Action Zone?

• A multi-sectoral partnership which works to
  reduce inequalities and promote the health,
  wellbeing and safety of the population of Belfast
• Adopting a broad social model of health

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HAZ Council

• Belfast City Council
• Belfast Education and Library Board
• Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (lead)
• Belfast Metropolitan College
• Belfast Regeneration Office
• Business in the Community
• Council for Catholic Maintained Schools
• Department for Employment and Learning
• Department for Social Development
• East Belfast Partnership
• EHSSB/Health and Social Care Authority
• Greater Shankill Partnership
• North Belfast Partnership
• Northern Ireland Housing Executive
• Northern Ireland Probation Board
• Queens University
• Social Security Agency
• South Belfast Partnership
• University of Ulster

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What is the community?

• Who/what is your community?

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What is the community?

• Pupils, parents, extended family
• Wider community
• Geographic community
• Communities of interest
• Community and voluntary sector
• National level
• Regional level
• Local level
• Independent umbrella organisations

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Community Sector

• Healthy Living Centres
• Smoking cessation, drug alcohol, physical
  activity, mental health promotion, healthy eating
  etc
• Adult education programmes, including confidence
  building /promoting self-esteem
• Parenting initiatives
• Early years services
• After schools clubs
• Counselling
• Restorative justice programmes
• Peer mentoring programmes

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Partnership

• All HAZ work is premised on partnership working
• Between statutory organisations
• Between statutory organisations and community
  voluntary organisations
• Often performs a brokering role, facilitating
  dialogue between a range of organisations

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Involving the Community a HAZ perspective

• A working partnership
• Integrated Services LIAGs
• Suicide and Self-harm Task Group
• Greater Shankill 21
• Neighbourhood Renewal
• Healthy Living Centres Network
• Involvement in other partnerships

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Integrated Services for Children and Young
People

• West Belfast and Greater Shankill
• Led by Belfast Trust and BELB
• LIAGs being established, bringing together wide
  range of organisations, including community
• LIAG will determine local needs and plan best use
  of resources
• Linking in with Neighbourhood Renewal, Renewing
  Communities, Extended Schools

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Suicide and Self-harm Task Group

• High incidence in NW Belfast
• Brought together a wide range of people from
  statutory, community and voluntary organisations,
  bereaved families
• Worked together to
• Raise awareness
• Lobby for resources
• Achieve joined up thinking and action
• Report produced based on recommendations of
  subgroups

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Importance of effective communication for
partnership

• Feeling heard and respected
• Foundation of trust
• Feedback
• Jargon
• Ownership
• Common vision

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How do you communicate and involve people?

• Examples from your own practice
• Barriers how did you overcome them?
• How would you rate your communication skills, on
  a scale of 1 to 10?

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Why do we involve people?

• Because we have to?
• Or we ought to?
• Or because we think it produces better
  results?
• Does it make a difference?
• Do you see benefits?

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Benefits of Community Involvement

• For schools
• Parental involvement
• Better information sharing
• Breaking down barriers
• Community organisations better understand what
  schools offer
• Schools understand what groups offer, and can
  benefit from it directly in the school or pass
  the information on to families

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Benefits of Community Involvement

• For HAZ
• Better information sharing
• Breaking down barriers
• Helps HAZ achieve its goals. Better results eg
• Suicide brought together the expertise of all
  involved
• LIAGs everyone within locality is aware of all
  available resources, and can better plan for
  future
• Healthy Living Centres funding secured

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Shankill Early Years Forum

• Initiated by nursery principals and Sure Start
• Link to Neighbourhood Renewal
• Now bringing together nursery schools, Sure
  Start, childcare providers, playgroups, parent
  and toddler groups.
• Hope to provide a seamless transition for
  children

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Examples of community groups working with schools

• HYPE sexual health
• Healthy Living Centres relaxation massage,
  self esteem workshops, mens health workshop
• Greater Shankill Alternatives anti-social
  behaviour, culture and conflict, racism
• New Life Counselling group and individual
  counselling

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Sources of Information

• Belfast Area Partnership Boards
• NICVA
• www.communityNI.org
• Local Councils
• DSD VCU www.volcomgrantsni.gov.uk
• Health Action Zones
• Other local organisations

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Contact Details

• Caroline Bloomfield
• Community Development Worker
• Health Action Zone
• 5th Floor
• 16 College Street
• Belfast BT1 6BT
• Tel [phone]
• e-mail caroline.bloomfield_at_belfasttrust.hscni.net
  
• Web address www.haz-nwbelfast.org.uk