East Surrey Horley Health and Wellbeing Network

Neighbourhood development in the Horley Neighbourhood Health and Wellbeing Network.

Over the past year, our network has worked to identify and collectively action many areas to improve health and wellbeing in the local area.

Below is a selection of the Horley Neighbourhood highlights.

Supporting residents to get back into employment.

Latest update: Workwise service to run from the Horley Health Hub on Tuesdays from 12:00-17:00.

Overcoming issue of reaching people who are not online.

Latest update: YMCA East Surrey and partners are organising a new programme called Moving Together, which supports older people to be active and socialise in the community. They have organised strength and balance classes in the community including one at Tesco Extra Community Room in Horley every Friday from 21 February (9:30-10:45). 

Support needed for refugees with neurodiversity and learning disabilities – the police need support in signposting refugees with neurodiversity and learning disabilities to appropriate services. 

Latest update: NHS Surrey Heartlands will work with the police and community organisations to identify relevant services in East Surrey.

Suggestion on having engagement events to promote healthy eating and diversity of cultures represented in Horley.

Latest update: Two cookery events were organised with the support of partners. These events focused on low-cost healthy eating and peer-to-peer teaching of dishes from different cultures. 50 people attended the first event and 107 people attended the second event, both events were positively received. A third event is being planned before March 2025 and will focus on those in temporary accommodation. 

Lack of activities for young people in Horley 

Latest update: Several new youth groups have started including Sheds Youth Sessions and Wednesday Night Project. Healthy Horley PCN are looking at organising a new social group for young people from March 2025. 

Neighbourhood development in the Horley Neighbourhood Health and Wellbeing Network.

Over the past year, our network has worked to identify and collectively action many areas to improve health and wellbeing in the local area.

Below is a selection of the Horley Neighbourhood highlights.

Lack of activities for young people in Horley.

Latest update: Several new youth groups have started including Sheds Youth Sessions and Wednesday Night Project.

Suggestion on having engagement events to promote healthy eating and diversity of cultures represented in Horley.

Latest update: Two cookery events were organised with the support of partners. These events focused on low-cost healthy eating and peer-to-peer teaching of dishes from different cultures. 50 people attended the first event and 107 people attended the second event, both events were positively received.

Concerns raised about the health impacts of sewage treatment and overflows of tanks at Westvale Park.

Latest update: Discussions held with residents, Thames Water, River Mole River Watch (RMRW), Resident's Association and local councillors. This led to enhanced Thames Water action to limit the impact of sewage spill, and they have put together plans to increase the capacity of the storm overflow system.

Barriers to accessing urgent and routine NHS dentistry, particularly for children.

Latest update: NHS Surrey Heartlands met with headteachers in Horley to discuss the issue. Plans are underway to support access to NHS dentistry, and wider campaigns to improve oral health in children. 

The local Fire Brigade shared safety advice at the meeting and ask for more involvement in events.

Latest update: The Fire Brigade visited Men in Sheds at Horley Health Hub. This has resulted in appointments being booked to visit homes to make sure smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are fitted for people who didn't have them.

Over the past year, our network has worked to identify and collectively action many areas to improve health and wellbeing in the local area.

Below is a selection of the Horley Neighbourhood highlights in 2023.

Westvale Park

You would like to see healthcare facilities, a community meeting space, and open play facilities for children on Westvale Park (a new housing development on the outskirts of Horley).

Latest Update: We worked with partners and the Westvale Park Resident's Association to confirm that a mixed-use facility ('Neighbourhood Hall') is now being built by the developer. This includes space for community health creation activities, as well as two clinical rooms which may be utilised for a range of purposes. Reigate & Banstead Borough Council continue to lead on this project, with support from NHS Surrey Heartlands' Place team around the allocation of clinical space.

Physical activity in Smallfield

The inclusive exercise class in Smallfield is very popular among patients, particularly those who are older, frail, and/or affected by multiple long-term conditions, who describe very positive impacts. It is threatened with closure due increasing room hire costs, associated with the energy crisis.

Latest Update: We have encouraged Smallfield surgery and colleagues in the local Ageing Well teams to continue promoting the class. We have also facilitated access to funding to support the temporary increases in room hire costs.

Physical activity

The Outwood Trim Trail is a fantastic yet under-utilised facility for the local community.

Latest Update: The Trim Trail has been heavily promoted by network partners, for the benefit of the health and wellbeing of patients and staff.

Carers in Horley

GP practice staff in Horley practices are giving out inconsistent advice about the financial support available to carers.

Latest Update: We summarised the support available into a one-page document and made this available to Horley GP practices, and beyond, to support staff training. It has been uploaded onto the Growing Health Together website for reference.

Carers

Action for Carers sessions in Horley require promotion to ensure improved uptake by local carers.

Latest Update: This was promoted successfully by Horley practices, with an upsurge in attendance by carers who can now receive much needed support.

Booking medical appointments

It needs to be made easier to book routine GP appointments for those who do not have online access or capability.

Latest Update: Horley Primary Care Network practices have worked with patients and other local stakeholders to streamline and improve ease of access to booking GP appointments

Booking medical appointments

People who do not speak English as their first language find it more difficult to book a GP appointment over the telephone.

Latest Update: Horley Primary Care Network practices have invited patients who raised this concern to support staff training on this area, to ensure satisfactory improvements have been made.

Long term conditions

Receiving a diagnosis of a complex long-term condition can require multiple appointments with different specialists, and the communication between these specialists and the GPs can be suboptimal.

Latest Update: The issue is being raised at the long-term conditions steering group and we will update as soon as we have information.

NHS App training

Community would like training and support around digital inclusion, including around use of the NHS App.

Latest Update: Training on use of the NHS App has been delivered by network partners including Horley Library and Horley Community Centre. These have been actively promoted by local GP practices.

NHS App

Community members with learning disabilities and their carers requested a non-digital option for ordering repeat prescriptions.

Latest Update: All GP practices in Horley neighbourhood have an agreed process for patients to order their prescriptions offline, for those patients who experience barriers to digital inclusion which cannot be overcome through support and training.

Schools

Awareness of learning disabilities/ASD services and links to local schools could be improved.

Latest Update: Home school link-workers for all Horley schools have met at Warren Clark Golfing Dreams to discuss the potential support offered at their inclusive centre. Horley schools will be invited to contribute and refer families to a new Care Farm in development within Horley neighbourhood.

Neighbourhood communications

Overall communication about community activities that are going on in the Horley area and how to get involved need to be improved.

Latest Update: A National Lottery bid was submitted in November 2023, to fund the recruitment of a communications and engagement officer to develop embedded communications in neighbourhoods across East Surrey, using asset-based and participatory approaches.

Neighbourhood communications

Community noticeboards are recognised as a fantastic asset for local people to find out what is going on nearby, however not all community noticeboards are accessible to local groups to add flyers to.

Latest Update: Horley women's group have spoken with colleagues at Horley Community Centre and Horley Baptist church to request to add information they feel would be of interest to the wider community. Their group has also developed a community book containing flyers and details of local activities, to take out and about in venues across Horley, including pubs, which are recognised to attract isolated people.

Children and young people: Horley

Would like more provision for young people in the area, particularly covering the weekends and neighbourhoods further away from central Horley. We need to listen and learn from young people about what they would like to see.

Latest Update: We are working with the new Children & Young Person's Social Prescriber, based in Horley, to establish a new youth offer at the Horley Health Hub in conjunction with local youth leaders. Level Up Gaming Café has also been run during school holidays at the Horley Health Hub.

Children and young people: Sexual health support

More local support is needed around sexual health and contraception for young people.

Latest Update: We connected CNWL (provider organisation) with Horley Children & Young People's Team, who received training on helping children and young people to access support for their sexual health and contraceptive needs. The need for outreach clinics by CNWL within Horley neighbourhood is being considered.

Children and young people: Dentistry 

There is a need to improve access to urgent and routine NHS Dentistry – particularly for children, but also for adults, especially those on lower incomes who are likely to experience barriers to accessing private dentistry.

Latest Update: We shared a letter of concern written by Horley school headteachers with NHS Surrey Heartlands colleagues leading on NHS dentistry in October 2023. As of December 2023, a response is awaited. We understand a public survey is planned.

LGBTQ+ support

There are not enough visible LGBTQ+ 'sober' spaces in Horley.

Latest Update: We supported a survey launched by Surrey Libraries at PRIDE in September around what type of LGBTQ+ support people would like to see in East Surrey. As a result of this, a new LGBTQ+ 'Reading Friends' group has been started at Horley library, meeting monthly.

Dementia navigation

There are issues with Dementia navigation.

Latest Update: We have supported the local alignment of the former Dementia Navigation Service into its new configuration, embedded within neighbourhoods across East Surrey.

Community Transport

There are transport issues, especially for older people and those with young children.

Latest Update: We are advocating for the East Surrey rural transport service to receive renewed funding to support its vital role in connecting community members to vital services.