This programme focuses on the psycho-social aspects of preventable disease, improving the effectiveness of health promotion and public health initiatives and reducing health inequalities. Below are details of the current and past projects that fall under this area.
Health promotion and the voluntary sector
Funded by: Pfizer Community Fund, Eastern and Coastal Kent NHS
Project leader: Professor Annmarie Ruston
Project Team: Gillian Wells
Partners: Case Kent
Background: Improving health and narrowing health inequalities are national priorities. The Government in their White paper 'Choosing Health: Making Healthy Choices Easier' identified three key principles that are expected to underpin action to tackle persistent public health problems: supporting informed choice, personalisation of support to make healthy choices and making health everybody's business. The Government recognises that voluntary and community sector organisations are often much better placed than the statutory sector at engaging with groups of people who face most difficulties or who do not access traditional sources of advice on health. This project builds on our earlier research on public health and health promotion in the voluntary and community sector to support their public health role.
Aim: To build on previous work which examined the role of the voluntary sector in health promotion and to produce a practical health promotion toolkit.
Methods: The team worked with CASE Kent to develop and pilot a health promotion toolkit to be used as part of the everyday work of voluntary sector groups and organisations.
Outcomes: The toolkit is a valuable resource for the sector and in order to support the delivery of the local public health agenda the Eastern and Coastal Primary Care Trust has funded the production of copies to be sent out to voluntary and community sector organisations across Kent.
The Locality Health and Social Care Map Project - Shepway
Funded by: Eastern and Coastal Kent NHS
Project leader: Dr Alison Smith
Team: Gillian Wells
Background: Shepway is one of 13 districts in Kent, located in the South East coast of the county and including the towns of Folkestone, Hythe and Romney Marsh. The purpose of this project was to engage with individuals and groups who had been identified as being 'hard to reach' or 'seldom heard', therefore eliciting useful data about how the local NHS could achieve its five priority Commissioning Goals.
Aim: To obtain specific feedback on health issues and concerns in Shepway from 'hard to reach/seldom heard' groups in both urban and rural areas.
Methods: Qualitative approaches to data collection were chosen, including nine focus groups and two interviews with groups and individuals in an urban and a rural area in Shepway.
Outcomes: Recommendations were made to the Eastern and Coastal Kent NHS regarding what can be done to break the cycle of inequalities in Shepway, how services could be revolutionised for older people, what could be done to tackle disease, how wellbeing and good mental health can be promoted and what can be done to transform life chances for disadvantaged children.
Health Visiting and Public Health
Funded by: Primary Care Research Network (PCRN)
Project leader: Dr Alison Smith
Background: In line with government objectives to address health inequalities from 2004 South West Kent Primary Care Trust adopted a more public health focused as opposed to a traditional approach to health visiting practice.
Aim: To change the health visiting service in one area in West Kent towards a public health approach to practice. Rather than concentrating on contact with individuals the health visitors would work collaboratively with a group of new parents meeting regularly with them with the goal of enabling them to adjust to parenthood and to make informed health choices for themselves and their children
Methods: Using an action research strategy the project involved one cohort of mothers (and fathers if they wished) within the health visitor caseload from 36th week of pregnancy up to approximately 12 weeks post delivery. Data was collected in the form of basic evaluation data from the participants of the project at the end of each session and audio taped material from regular reflective meetings. Additionally participants were asked to complete a detailed questionnaire and were invited to contribute to a focus group
Outcomes: The study demonstrated that clients, colleagues and practitioners appreciated the new approach to health visiting. As a result of reviewing their approach to practice the health visitors were able to develop their public health role and thus to address issues of health inequality and social exclusion, including a healthy living drop-in centre with DN and PN, a walking group, a men's health initiative, primary school links involving children and parents and links with the local leisure centre. The project allowed a comprehensive internal review and external assessment of practice and provided a unique insight into the health visiting service in the two areas of the PCT
Elvington Health Needs Assessment
Funded by: Eastern and Coastal Kent NHS
Project leader: Dr Alison Smith
Team: Dr Ruth Adams, Dr Fiona Bushell
Background: An in depth qualitative health needs assessment was commissioned to complement a review undertaken by the Primary Care Trust (PCT) regarding primary health care provision for the people of Elvington and Eythorne (near Dover). The review had been carried out to investigate concerns raised by local people about health services available in the locality.
Aim: To undertake a public consultation with the residents of Elvington to elicit their views about their health and wellbeing needs.
Methods: Open day consultation atthe Elvington Community Centre, focus groups, various community activities with people of different ages and interviews with key people in the community.
Outcomes: As a result of the recommendations of the health needs assessment, the PCT are implementing a nurse-led pilot medical service in late 2009 (which the Centre for Health and Social Care Research has been commissioned to evaluate) as well as recruiting a Manager for the Community Centre.
Mapping of Mental Health Services Across the City of London
Funded by: Voluntary Action Westminster (City of London LINk)
Project leader: Dr Kevin Corbett
Team: Professor Annmarie Ruston, Dr Alison Smith
Background: Whilst City of London ('Square Mile') residents enjoy above average income, longer life-expectancy and good health, a disparity has been found to exist in levels of deprivation across the Square Mile which must impact on the health and well-being of the population. This has most strikingly evident in the census data on the Portsoken area east of the City, which has been reported as amongst the top 25% most deprived areas within the UK.
Aim: The proposed service profiling will aim to use existing national and local datasets in order to provide a context for interpreting a newly developed service profile of the whole range of existing and planned mental health services for those residing, working or who are temporarily located within the Square Mile. In addition, research will aim to identify the latter population's utilisation of the existing services as well as their projected usage of any future planned mental health services.
Methods: A mixture of data collection methods including qualitative case studies and a range of quantitative data derived from NHS and other local providers. Semi-structured interviews of service delivery respondents recruited from NHS and other provider sites.