Down Lisburn Locality

Down Lisburn Locality covers the two Council areas of Down District Council and Lisburn City Council. The contacts for Investing for Health within the Down Lisburn locality are:

• Chris Totten - Investing for Health Manager
• Joan Crossey - Secretary

Contact Details:

Investing for Health – Down Lisburn Locality
Lisburn Health Centre
Linenhall Street
Lisburn
BT 28 2AT

Tel 028 92665181 Ext 4699
Fax 028 92501319

The following information provides an overview of the Investing for Health programme within the locality.

Strategic Context & Approach

The goal of Investing for Health (IFH) within Down Lisburn is to work towards the continuous improvement of health and well being for everyone and a reduction in health inequalities where these exist. The focus of activity is on building capacity amongst individuals, communities and partner organisations to realise the goals and objectives of IFH. In seeking to realise the goal the priorities for action are targeted at:

• Raising the profile of IFH within the strategic and operational agendas of key organisations and partnership networks;
• Providing support that will assist communities to identify their needs and priorities and that will create a partnership approach between communities and provider organisations to address these;
• Developing mechanisms and structures that foster a more integrated and co-ordinated approach to priority setting, planning and delivery;
• Supporting the development of actions and practice to address needs and priorities across a range of issues, settings and population groups;
• Ensuring that activity and practice is monitored and evaluated and that there are mechanisms in place that encourage the sharing of information, knowledge and learning across partners.

There are a number of significant policy and strategic development initiatives that complement and support the realisation of the IFH agenda within Down Lisburn. These include:

• Colin Neighbourhood Regeneration Plan;
• DHSSPS Priorities for Action and strategies on a range of key health issues such as Home Accidents. Alcohol & Drugs, Mental Health Promotion, Sexual Health and Physical Activity;
• Down District and Lisburn City Council Corporate Plans;
• Down and Lisburn Community Safety Strategic Partnership Plans;
• DSD Neighbourhood Renewal Strategies in Colin and Downpatrick;
• Down and Lisburn Local Strategic Plans;
• Down and Lisburn Health & Social Care Groups Primary Care Plans;
• Down Lisburn Trust Corporate Plan;
• Colin and Downpatrick Sure Start Strategies.

Population Need

Work is currently underway to collate and disseminate data and information on the health and well being of the Down Lisburn population across the range of determinants and objectives of IFH.

This work is being led by the two Health & Social Care Groups, Down Lisburn Trust Health Development Department and Investing for Health and is being undertaken in conjunction with a range of local partners.

With the recent investment in Community Health Development Workers across the area work is also underway to develop local Community Health & Wellbeing Profiles that will be used to inform local priority setting agendas and the Locality Health Improvement Plan for 2005 - 2008.

Partners

The Investing for Health agenda within the area has at its core a network of over 50 key partnerships, networks, organisations and groups from across the community, statutory and voluntary sectors. Their contribution to the realisation of the Vision, Goals and Objectives of Investing for Health is central.

Investment themes and approaches

Investment in the locality to date has focused on:

• Supporting work with older people through a joint initiative with Age Concern NI and Down Lisburn Trust;
• Improving access to education & training for key workers and organisations in areas such as Health Inequalities, Mental Health Promotion and Healthy Choices;
• Supporting the development of the Down Lisburn Trust Health Development Team as a key strategic resource in leading the development and delivery of the health improvement agenda with organisations, communities and partners;
• Improving the focus, action and coordination of work with partners and groups on the key priority areas of alcohol and drugs and mental health promotion;
• Creating a structure to enhance community health development practice as a fundamental approach in health improvement. A total of 8 Community Health Development Workers posts have been established as a result of very significant additional resource commitment from IFH, Down Lisburn Trust, Down and Lisburn Health & Social Care Groups, Down District Council, DSD and EDRCN.
• Integrated Planning across organisations and communities that will ensure a more coordinated and collaborative approach to addressing the local agenda for health improvement. As a result work is currently nearing completion on the development of two locality Health Improvement Plans for 2005 – 2008 covering the Down and Lisburn Sectors. ( Drafts copies available in the publications section of the site)
• “Communities of Interest” have been established on, Mental Health Promotion, Smoking, Nutrition and Sexual Health to plan future service development. Similar groups will be formed to consider action on Fuel Poverty and Home Accident Prevention in 2005/2006.
• Partners within the Investing for Health network in the area have developed a wide range of initiatives and programmes that are targeted at addressing specific health issues or target populations. Much of this work is outlined in the Organisations element of the site.
• Through the work and funding of groups such as the Down & Lisburn Health & Social Care Groups, the Down and Lisburn Local Strategic Partnerships and the Local Community Safety Partnerships there has been significant non-recurrent resource provided for local communities, groups and organisations to develop and implement local health improvement initiatives within their communities.

Future Action & Priorities

The key areas for action for the “Investing for Health” programme within the Down Lisburn area will be on:

• Maintaining a focus on the ongoing engagement of communities in the identification of needs and priorities and in the development of actions to address these;
• Improving and supporting the ongoing development and delivery of health improvement interventions that will target and address local needs and priorities across the breadth of the IFH agenda;
• Continuing to build commitment, capacity and support from partners in the outworking of the Investing for Health agenda;
• Supporting the development and improvement of priority setting , integrated planning and resource provision with key partner organisations;
• Working with partners to delivery the actions of the Health Improvement Plans.