1. 06.09.2012 www.researchatinsight.org
IVISOC: Improving volunteering in
social care
GOOD PRACTICE IN PRACTICE? ▪▪▪

2. 06.09.2012 www.researchatinsight.org
COMMUNITY HEALTH CHAMPIONS ▪▪▪
• ‘Community Health Champions are people who – with
training and support – voluntarily bring their ability to
relate to people to improve health and well-being in their
communities’ Altogether Better Programme [Yorkshire] 2011
• ‘In summary – the role of a Community Health Champion
is to opportunistically and appropriately raise awareness
on the health issues and/or services that they have
received information on’ Aneurin Bevan Health Board [Gwent] 2012

3. 06.09.2012 www.researchatinsight.org
HOW DOES IT WORK? ▪▪▪
• A shared vision aiming to break away from
‘conventional’ approaches to service delivery
• A growing imperative around healthy, vital and
sustainable communities
• A ‘light touch’ sensitive to and responsive to individual
need and circumstances
• A recognition of the appropriateness and power of
word-of-mouth involving peers
• A behaviour change through information, motivation
and belief
• A ‘know-how’ that encourages engagement through the
creation of accessible opportunities to the ‘hard-to-reach’

4. 06.09.2012 www.researchatinsight.org
ALTOGETHER BETTER ▪▪▪
• budget »»» £6.8 million
• reaches »»» Yorkshire-wide (and White Paper)
• outcomes »»» 13,000 to 70,000 CHCs
• evidence »»» empowerment>control>quality-of-life
• investment »»» SROI £0.79-£112.42 per £ spent
• challenges »»» funding and cuts
• what next? »»» re-think…

5. 06.09.2012 www.researchatinsight.org
CHC PUBLIC HEALTH WALES ABHB ▪▪▪
• budget »»» £30,000
• reaches »»» all areas bar Blaenau Gwent
• outcomes »»» 150 champions circa 25 org’s
• evidence »»» anecdotal
• investment »»» un-measured (pilot phase)
• challenges »»» retention of partners and people
• what next? »»» re-think…

6. 06.09.2012 www.researchatinsight.org
GOOD PRACTICE? ▪▪▪
• Both programmes have looked at each other’s models
for ideas and innovation…
• Public Health Wales (initially) replicated Altogether Better
to kick-start the CHChampions programme…
• Altogether Better is interested (currently) in how PHW
are managing on a finite budget…
• Each has an understanding of what the other has
achieved… and the Champion momentum continues…

7. 06.09.2012 www.researchatinsight.org
THE COMMUNITY WORKS ▪▪▪
‘Sometimes the best person to know how you are
feeling, or how to do something positive in your local
area, or how to make changes to your life, is a family
member, neighbour or friend, and that’s where
Altogether Better Community Health Champions are
making an amazing difference. These dedicated
volunteers help to motivate individuals in their local
communities and workplaces to make positive changes
and enjoy improved health and well-being through peer
to peer support, building on their own unique life
experience, skills and knowledge of their local area’
National Lottery Awards 2011

8. 06.09.2012 www.researchatinsight.org
IN THE END ▪▪▪
• organisation »»» organisation
• organisation »»» community
• community »»» community
• community »»» organisation
• accessibility • empowerment • motivation •
aspiration • lifestyle • quality of life •
opportunity • health • happiness •
“regeneration”

9. 06.09.2012 www.researchatinsight.org
FOR WALES ▪▪▪
• ‘It is unfair, unjust, and immoral to tolerate variations in
health outcomes among our communities. They are just
not acceptable’
• ‘This not a health service problem. It is our problem,
across the whole of government and civil society. We
need to act together, to work together, and to take the
responsibility for achieving better shared outcomes for
our country’ Carwyn Jones [First Minister for Wales]

10. 06.09.2012 www.researchatinsight.org
REACHING THE POTENTIAL ▪▪▪
•hard-to-reach?
•sea-farers?
•champions?
Thankyou - Diolch