New Alliances to create wellbeing with people and communities

Background: Place based and community centred approaches are critical to improve population health and wellbeing outcomes and enhance health equity and inclusion. Places, spaces and communities themselves have health promoting rich assets including voluntary organisations, volunteers, the natural environment and facilities that can contribute to an integrated care ecosystem where people help and support each other for mutual benefit and greater resilience. The concept of social prescribing has gained traction but there are conceptual differences between community oriented/driven work, and that of a professionally led social prescription to the community. There are different experiences in different cultural context and between urban and rural or remote communities. This 90-minute workshop is a collaboration between three of IFICs SIGs: Rural, remote and island systems, Self Management, and Third Sector Organisations Ageing and Frailty, Intermediate Care and Rural, Remote and Island SIGs. SIG members from Canada, Scotland and Wales will describe community led support initiatives and discuss the barriers and opportunities to maximise their contribution to wellbeing.

Audience: The interactive workshop will be of interest to policy makers, researchers, advocates, voluntary organisations, volunteers, patients, carers and professionals who plan, commission, fund, provide or regulate care and support services for wellbeing. Participation in the session by a wide range of policy makers, practitioners, voluntary sector organisations, patients, caregivers and volunteers will provide diverse insights into the issues and solutions.

Approach: Introduction to the workshop (5 minutes)Representatives of the three SIGs will present an overview of the work by SIG members to identify opportunities for community led approaches in different context and geographies.Provocation (30 minutes)Three snapshot presentations will outline examples of community led and voluntary organisations led approaches in Canada, Wales and Scotland. They will share insights on the value of community led support in partnership with health and care services or before reliance on statutory services become necessary.Group discussion (40 minutes) Participants will consider the diverse nature of the third sector and how it integrates with traditional health and care services in both the urban and rural/ remote context, including adoption of social (green / blue / community prescribing). Breakout groups will discuss the barriers and enablers for optimising the contribution of community assets within local integrated systems in different cultures and in the light of diminishing community meeting places, such as farmers marts, small schools, village shops, pubs and community halls. Participants will be invited to suggest policy levers and actionable changes to empower community leaders build new alliances for creating wellbeing and health equity. Summary of key points and actions from the groups (0 minutes) ImplicationsThe session will conclude with agreement on take home messages and a set of actions for the participating SIGs to take forward over the next year (5 minutes).