FUTURES HOMESCAPE HEALTH TRAINER & HEALTH CHAMPION SERVICE Linda Robson – Support Services Team Leader Shirley Holmes – Health Trainer

Background The Health Trainer Initiative was proposed by the 2004 Department of Health White Paper “Choosing Health: Making Healthy Choices Easier”. It was introduced to tackle health inequalities in hard to reach communities. In 2007 funding for the Initiative was incorporated into all Primary Care Trust (PCT) budgets so the service could be accessed nationally. Futures Homescape Ltd work in Partnership with the Derbyshire County PCT to deliver this service.

Futures Homescape FHL was the first Housing Association to introduce Health Champions and Health Trainers in 2008, working with people 60 years and over across the Amber Valley and Erewash districts of Derbyshire, which include over 20% of Derbyshire’s population. Funding has been from the PCT, and has been secured until October 2013, by which time the Clinical Commissioning Group will have reviewed the future funding of health related services. FHL had committed funding to continue the service for the next 3 years should other funding not be available

Why commit to this funding? FHL values this service highly: Amber Valley has a very high proportion of its population over the age of 85, and a higher than average level of falls and health issues An added value service to FHL’s traditional management, maintenance, and support services Value for money service Links in with health and social care services, delivering extra low cost support for the physical well being of older people Embedded within FHL’s Social Investment Strategy, ‘creating a positive impact in the communities we serve and improving the lives of people who live in them’ Positive outcomes, customer demand and satisfaction Helps FHL meet its funding outcome targets

Enhancing our roles FHL has 2 Health Trainers and more than half of its NSC’s are Active Health Champions We are currently waiting for training dates so a further 3 NSC’s can also become Health Champions NSC’s deliver a visiting service to over 2200 residents, assessing needs and risks, identifying support, and assisting residents to maintain independent living The Health Champion role is an enhancement to the NSC role, giving greater job satisfaction, increasing knowledge and experience, and helping to deliver a more integrated service for the resident

Aims The aim of the initiative is to: - Reduce falls and thereby reduce admissions to accident and emergency Enable individuals to change their behaviours, and maintain the positive changes to promote a Healthier Life style Offer tailored advice, motivation and practical support to individuals Communicate the benefits of health promotion and well being Tackle Health inequalities within the community. Reduce hospital admissions and promote earlier discharge Easy referral pathway

The Key Areas Smoking Healthy Eating Weight Management Physical Activity Reducing Alcohol intake Social Inclusion * Falls Prevention * * These areas are a direct result of working with the client group “older / vulnerable people” which is the age group covered by FHL and it was identified these areas affected the health and wellbeing of people and an area which needed to be addressed.

Health Trainers Health Trainers are qualified to City and Guild Level 3 but also need to have qualified as a Health Champion prior to becoming a Health Trainer and their role includes:- Accompanied visits known as “buddying” One to one sessions with service users Behaviour Change Motivation and Support Complete Personal Health Plans Goal Setting Attend Events to Raise Awareness and Profile Chair Based Exercise Sessions and Otago

Health Champions The Health Champion role is a role enhancement to the Neighbourhood Support Coordinator role and they are qualified to level 2 – Royal Society of Public Health – Understanding Health. The Health Champion role is to:- Provide information on key areas Sign post to relevant agencies / Health Trainer Chair Based Exercise / Otago

figures Since 2009 (when data collection started) to April 2012 people have benefitted from one to one support from Health Trainers and / or referrals and also information from Health Champions. This equates to 35.7 per month and greatly exceed the expectation set out in the service level agreement. 1,285

Client Initial Assessment forms completed Referrals to other agencies Goals Not Achieved by service users 963 Goals achieved by service users

Developing more health related services The success of the Health Trainer project has seen the PCT understand the value of Housing organisations in delivering the health agenda, and forging closer links with FHL We now work in partnership to deliver: Bowel screening 5 point falls risk assessment tool Footcare services

Service user feedback I feel more confident among people because I wasn’t very talkative before, I now look for the healthy option in my diet. I got my life back because I was very depressed. I feel if I wanted more help I could ask and the support would be there. Health Trainer gave me the confidence to loose weight. Health Trainers helped me gain a sense of wellbeing and I keep a check on what I am eating and my mobility hasn’t got any worse and I am now doing bits in my garden. I feel more alive and I can put my bad arm up more than I could. My balance is better and my confidence has improved, I now have a 3 wheeler which helps with my walking. I go to Chair Based every other week and I do exercised now at home. Confidence has increased and also have a better healthier life style. I now have confidence to go out alone, lost weight and improved mobility and breathing.

What are the issues? What next? We are limited to dealing with over 60’s only We are competing with other health trainer services managed directly by Health Funding has only ever been guaranteed for one year We want to become established as part of a joint health, housing and social care service Establish longer term funding and outcomes Identifying other health promotion services, gaps in service delivery, e.g. delivering footcare in own homes Working effectively with schools, care homes, adult care services

Thank you. Questions?