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Child Development Centre- West Ham Lane Newham
The creation of a dedicated Child Development Centre that provided a focus for the work with children under 5 with special needs, providing multi-disciplinary assessment, support and therapy for children and their families. The project was developed as recommended by the Health Care Planners and Architects and the project team. The redevelopments resulted in additional working space for the Occupational Therapists/Physiotherapists, proper consulting rooms (with observation space) for clinicians, more space for Speech Therapy, waiting/play space for siblings to avoid disruption and better access and toilets for the disabled as well as a designated disabled parking area.
Exercise on Prescription
This initiative was part of a number of recommendations made by East London & City Health Authority as a means towards achieving the Health Of The Nations Targets, particularly with Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke. We designed this programme to assist the delivery of Primary Health Care in Newham by providing Health Care Professionals with an additional and complementary method of patient treatment. The benefits of exercise have been widely researched and the evidence is clear, that there is a need to promote Physical Activity nationally. The benefits include improved function reduction of risk of Coronary heart disease and stroke as well as improvements in self esteem and confidence. Our programme had a structured referral mechanism and a range of suitable activities within the Borough Leisure Facilities, in order to cater for individual needs of the clients. The service operated a ten week exercise during which time patients were given tuition support as well as a range of relevant health promotional advice, e.g. healthy eating, smoking cessation. Participants were monitored by qualified members of staff throughout the programme and patient progress was reported back to the referring practitioner. During the first year pilot the uptake of the service exceed the target by 90%. A total 195 patients were referred over a 6 month programme. These referrals were from 11 surgeries alone. This represents 16% of the total number of surgeries in Newham. The level of adherence to the programme following the ten week course was at 41.5%, which is significantly higher than other schemes.
Dental Surgery Assistants- Training Programme
The project was set up as a continuing training course for prospective dental surgery assistants at Abbey Road Health Centre. 40 local people joined on a two year, day release course and were taught as a 20 person class and in practical groups of five. For the remainder of the week, participants worked on placement with local General Dental Practitioners in Newham and its neighbouring boroughs. The training resulted in improved dental services for Newham through the expanded training of a skilled workforce; it improved the take-up of dental services in Newham by the employment of a greater number of skilled dental surgery assistants with a wider ethnic representation and; it provided an opportunity for training and basic education in a variety of work skills for young women with few or no formal educational qualifications
Darzi Clinic
This was the first poly (super) clinic, when the concept had not yet been developed in the country. The project involved the establishment of an Integrated Care Centre at a key location in the London Borough of Newham. The Centre provided a locality focus for the provision of primary health care services for a defined geographical area. The facility provided a base for a specialist resource centre bringing together, under one roof, a number of complementary services provided by Newham Community Health Services (NHS Trust), Newham Healthcare, the London Borough of Newham and the Voluntary sector. In addition, the project actively sought private sector support in adding to the range of appropriate services available to Centre users by encouraging investment in complementary retail outlets. The key aim of the project was to increase the productivity and efficiency of the local Health and local authority services, improving the ease with which the public can access services.
Provider Development
The aim of this project was to identify business opportunities and enable Health and Social service to purchase products and services more locally. In doing so, the project developed the mixed economy of care and created new jobs. The project encouraged creative partnerships with the statutory and independent sectors and promoted joint working. Previously services were commissioned from large, traditionally white, and established providers which monopolised the market. Ethnic minority business providers, which made up 51% of the local population, had few or only small contracts. The services provided by the large provider did not meet the cultural, religious and linguistic needs of customers/service users even though ethnic minority run businesses had the expertise in this area. As well as addressing equality issues the project met the needs of service users and at the same time created local jobs.
Occupational Health
The project was set up to prevent and reduce the incidence of work related ill health particularly amongst sections of the community at greatest risk and to increase the likelihood that work related ill health will be recognised and diagnosed at an early stage by primary health care workers. The initiative was set up to work with voluntary and statutory organisations and businesses to achieve these aims and in particular focus its work with a) primary health care teams supporting and advising the primary care workers and their patients in GP surgeries and Health Centres, b) young people within schools and more informal settings, and c) people who work in their own homes e.g. home workers.
Advocacy and Improved access to services
A refurbished centre was created for advocacy and health promotion in the Green Street partnership area. It provided advocacy and health information on site and facilitated access to advocacy and other services in the borough for Newham residents as well as the provision of a central point of access and information for health promotion. It worked as an umbrella organisation for agencies providing advocacy services in the borough and developed common standards of service and training. It also provided space for a group of related services, (eg the health advocates previously employed by East London and The City Health Authority and the Council's Translation and Interpretation Service) who shared reception, meeting and interview facilities. |
Bridging Divides