Well London Community Engagement and Development

London Forum for Alcohol Practitioners 18 September 2009

• The strategic partnership for health in London

• Aims to reduce health inequalities and improve the health of all Londoners

• Multi-sectoral – all key sectors represented at regional level

• Influencing, supporting, driving change

• Focus on social determinants of health

What is Well London?• £9.46M from BIG Lottery Fund

• Partnership approach supporting local action

• Objectives:– Changing perspectives on mental health by tackling stigma and

promoting positive mental well-being– Increased access to and consumption of healthy food– Increased opportunities for people to become more

active

• 20 areas across London

Well London Alliance• London Health Commission

• Central YMCA

• Groundwork London

• London Sustainability Exchange

• University of East London

• South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

• Arts Council-London

20 lower super output areas• Brent• Croydon• Greenwich• Hammersmith

& Fulham • Haringey• Islington• Lambeth • Newham• Tower Hamlets

• Barking & Dagenham• Camden• Ealing• Enfield• Hackney• Hounslow• Kensington & Chelsea• Lewisham• Waltham Forest• Westminster• Southwark

Where we work

Outcomes• 34, 508 direct beneficiaries will have increased opportunity for healthy

levels of physical activity, healthy eating and mental well being

• 5,176 direct beneficiaries will have improved mental health and well being and in addition there will be more positive community perspectives on mental health & well being

• 4,602 direct beneficiaries (3,424 adults and 1,178 children) will have increased uptake of healthy eating choices; including enhanced access to affordable healthy foods

• 4,348 direct beneficiaries will have increased levels of healthy physical activity

Features of Well London• Partnership approach to delivery• Work at the very local level • Work in the most deprived communities• Innovative approach to community engagement• Community development approach• Join up, integrate and add value to local work on healthy eating, physical

activity, mental health and open spaces, and use of cultural and creative practice throughout

• Rigorous evaluation• Influencing policy and practice across London and beyond

Co production, community development approach

• Involving residents at all levels in Well London

• Using and developing assets and expertise within local communities

ProjectsHeart of the Community:• CADBE*• W L Delivery Team• Youth.comUnity• Active Living Map• Training Communities• Wellnet

* Community Assessment, Design, Brokerage, Enterprise

Themed:• Activate London• BuyWell• EatWell• Changing Minds• DIY Happiness• MWIA• Healthy Spaces• Be Creative Be Well

Community engagement was a key element of needs assessment in design of Well London interventions

Data ProfilesCompilation and Analysis of Routine date

MappingMap existing services, provision and amenities

Co

mm

un

ity En

gag

emen

t•C

omm

unity Cafes

•Com

munity A

ction Workshops

Baseline Adult and Adolescent SurveysMeasure HPA, HE, Mental Wellbeing

Tailo

red A

rea-Sp

ecific A

ctivities •P

roject Portfolio

•Leverage

Re

vie

w b

y C

om

m / S

tak

eh

old

ers

De

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ry

Innovative Approach to Community Engagement

• Dual Task approach

– Information and problem solving

– Capacity Building

• Two Community Cafes in Each Area based on World Cafe Concept plus street interviews and focus groups

• Community Action Workshop in each area based on Appreciative enquiry (joint with community members and stat/vol sector stakeholders).

• Just under 1,400 engaged (1,100 Cafe & FG participants and 300 street interviews)

• Wide spread in ethnicity and tradition and age / sex

• Approx 5% of the resident population

So findings are expressed needs and perceptions of a significant sample of people living in the most deprived areas of London

Findings – Key themes

Looking across the areas:• Concerns of and about Youth• Lack of Community and Community Cohesion• Parks, green space and dogs • Fast food and healthy eating• Communication

• Coordination and sustainability

Action – young people

• Specific initiatives in specific areas

• Youth.com project involving young people in all aspects of Well London delivery

• Leveraging local authority provision

• Focus on cross-generational projects

• Adoption of the GLA Youth Peer Outreach

approach

Action - Lack of Community

• Heart of community projects, arts and festival activities, time banking etc all focusing on cohesion

• Work with local authorities to surface issues and leverage response on community centres

Action - Open spaces

• Work on improving open space aesthetically; and bringing activities into it.

• Work with local authorities to surface issue and secure better enforcement of existing laws and regulations.

Action - healthy eating

• Buywell working on supply side • Eatwell working on demand side

Commissioning Principles

• Partners should wherever possible commission local organisations/groups/individuals with relevant expertise

• Where local expertise is not available, the commissioned organisation or individual should work in partnership

with local organisations/groups/individuals to build

local capacity through delivery

Well London Delivery Team

• Outreach / referral / signposting team• Local people• Based on the PCT’s Health Trainer Model and Healthy

Behaviours Approach• Empower local people and engage with the

community

Logo competition

• Involvement of communities in developing a strong visual identify for Well London

• Competition open to all residents who lived in the target areas• Residents encouraged to vote for the short-listed logos• Winner was 15 year old Joshua from Brent

Youth.comUnity Project

• Team of Young Ambassadors

• Allows young people to have ideas which can be implemented

• Creates a “bottom-up” approach to planning projects which impact on and/or engage young people 

• Opportunities for young people to become active citizens

Challenges

• Time needed to build relationships in each area

• Overworked volunteers and/or the “usual suspects”

• Not always representative: some generations,

postcodes or genders miss out

For more information go to

www.london.gov.uk/welllondon