Healthy Living Network
The Healthy Living Network is a community health development project that works with existing community organisations to enable them to promote health within communities. Currently the Healthy Living Network provides operational support to 27 communities across Rhondda Cynon Taff. This support is tailored to local need but may include advice on identifying and responding to health needs, support to establish Health & Well Being groups and facilitating the implementation of community based projects. All work undertaken by the Network aims to build local capacity for promoting health. Wherever possible the focus is to enable and support volunteers to deliver health initiatives such as basic cooking classes and local walking groups.
The Healthy Living Network has been in operation since 2005 and has been positively received by both communities and project partners. Informal feedback has highlighted the key role that the network play in developing links between communities and statutory organisations and facilitating the local delivery of national strategies.
Healthier Communities
Healthier Communities is a modular training programme for community development practitioners. It aims to develop capacity for improving health within communities by enabling practitioners to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to identify and respond to health needs within their community.
The programme consists of a one day introductory module followed by a range of specific half day modules developed to meet needs identified by the participants. The introductory session aims to develop a shared understanding of the concept of health, to introduce local and national health strategies and statistics and to explore participants’ role in health improvement. The shorter modules that follow focus on specific topics such as child poverty, health behaviour change and assessing health impact.
The course has been well received to date and the potential to use a similar model with other key decision makers and professional groups has been recognised and is currently being explored.
Safestart
Safestart is a child safety partnership project funded by Cymorth. Accidental injury is one of the most significant health risks for children and disproportionately affects the most disadvantaged families. The project aims to enable families of pre school children in Rhondda Cynon Taff to create a safer home environment for their children. The project improves access to affordable safety equipment by providing low cost safety equipment through a network of community based outlets. A range of safety equipment is available at cost price to anyone living in Rhondda Cynon Taff and a referral mechanism targets high risk groups and enables these families to purchase equipment at less than cost price.
Healthy Schools Scheme
The Healthy Schools Scheme is a partnership between Health and Education that adopts a holistic approach to health promotion in school settings. The Scheme is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and managed locally by the Public Health Team.
There are currently 109 schools participating in the Rhondda Cynon Taff Healthy Schools Scheme. 55 assessments were carried out by the team during the academic year 2007/2008 where all schools achieved their targets with some showing outstanding examples of health promotion. The Healthy Schools team are delighted to announce that the C3 training programme - Children Cooking in the Classroom that they developed and delivered to staff from 67 schools on the scheme has achieved a tLHB Innovations Award in the Learning to Improve category. Schools not already registered on the scheme will be given an opportunity to join during the summer term 2009.
MEND
The MEND (Mind Exercise Nutrition Do it) programme is a weight management programme, for obese children and their families. The programme is designed for children and their parents / carers, who are supported and educated to overcome their obesity and other associated physical and psychological problems. The MEND Programme does not aim for rapid weight loss but focuses on health outcomes and providing a foundation for healthy living.
Community Health Development
Community Health Development is a long standing programme of work that the team has participated in during the last decade. As a result we have developed considerable expertise ranging from the provision of operational and practical support at community level to the provision of specialist public health advice at a local strategic level. Local strategies and action plans are integral to the this area of work and the Local Public Health Team endeavour to embed policy and strategy to all work that they contribute to at community level.
The Local Public Health Team team is currently working in partnership with the Local Authority, Local Health Board and the Voluntary Sector to establish a Community Health Network; the first meeting will be held in November 2008. It is anticipated that this Network will provide an equitable support mechanism for community development workers throughout Rhondda Cynon Taff whereby they can tap into the specialist public health/health promotion advice that is available from the Local Public Health team.
Welsh Assembly Government Dietetic Capacity Scheme
The WAG Dietetic Capacity Scheme commenced in 2007. The project aims to help those that work with children, young people and their families, to increase their knowledge and skills in nutrition. This includes provision of Open College Network accredited courses delivered by a Community Dietitian. Following training, support is offered to help incorporate nutrition into their own work and to pass on the messages to their groups in the community.
The scheme is also supporting local action in response to the Food and Fitness Action Plan for Children and Young People.
Condom Card Scheme
The Condom Card Scheme has been set up to tackle the high rates of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections experienced by young people within Rhondda Cynon Taff . The scheme has been made possible by funding through the Cymorth Fund. The aim of the scheme is to improve young peoples’ knowledge of sexual health issues, and increase the availability and access to free condoms for sexually active young people, aged 14 – 25 years by:
- Providing access to condoms in a range of youth and community settings.
- Increasing the confidence and skills of youth and community workers in working with young people on sexual health issues.
- Bridging the gap between young people and the traditional sexual health services.
Young people can access condom cards from family planning trained nurses based in clinical and non-clinical settings in the community, thereafter they are able to pick up free condoms from trained youth/community workers on production of the card.
The Local Public Health Team manage the scheme in partnership with Cwm Taf NHS, statutory and non-statutory youth services, Coleg morgannwg and several local GP’s.
Speakeasy
Speakeasy is a 10 hour course which provides parents with the knowledge and skills needed to talk to children about sex and relationships. Topics covered include:
- Answering questions on sex and relationships effectively
- Puberty and Growing up
- Sexually Transmitted Infections
- Contraception
- Keeping Safe from Harm
The course is delivered by members of the Healthy Living Network and Health Promotion teams.
