Pulling Together for Surrey Downs
Across Surrey Downs, health and care needs are changing. People are living longer in poorer health, with conditions like asthma, diabetes, heart disease and dementia, while behaviours increase the risk of preventable disease.
Ensuring we meet the needs and wishes of the people who live here, by evolving the services we provide is a key ambition for our teams, and to do that, we are pulling our teams together to support the work in the form of our 'Pulling Together' programme.
Why are we pulling together?
Following engagement about health and care needs and wishes with staff, lay partners and citizens in summer and autumn 2021, the Pulling Together programme established.
It bought together staff, volunteers and residents from across the Surrey Downs Health and Care Partnership to discuss their experiences with health and care and what the future should look like, alongside a range of keynote speakers. These included national figures such as Lord Crisp, Prof Donna Hall CBE, Sir Chris Ham, Imelda Redmond, Professor Claire Fuller and Thirza Sawtell who each spoke about what is already happening here and what our next steps should be.
In October 2021 the Pulling Together Programme brought together staff, volunteers and residents from across the Surrey Downs Health and Care Partnership to discuss their experiences with health and care and what the future should look like.
Those involved at the time heard from a range of keynote speakers, including national and local figures such as Lord Crisp, Prof Donna Hall CBE, Sir Chris Ham, Imelda Redmond, Professor Claire Fuller and Thirza Sawtell.
What is the Pulling Together programme?
Focused on asset-based community development, the programme seeks to change the relationship between a place, its citizens, and communities by focusing on ‘what’s strong, not what’s wrong’.
This works through enablement of our local Primary Care Networks (PCN’s) - with relevant Districts & Boroughs - to identify, grow and lead a series of local community development projects, supported by the Partnership and using community development funding.
This might include a project that already exists in some form, or that makes use of existing assets within the community, for example skills, spaces, connections, has the support of people or will be led by people within the community, or that needs financial support to grown and improve.
What does the Pulling Together programme do?
By working together, the programme pulls together key partners to;
- Understand in a systematic way the needs, wants and priorities of local people and communities by independently engaging with local communities and populations.
- Focus on ‘what’s strong, not what’s wrong’ via an asset-based community development programme, changing the relationship between a place, its citizens, and communities.
- Bring together the NHS, local government, community health services, voluntary sector, and other providers to serve the people and communities of Surrey Downs.
- Agree measures of success with local people and to translate the community strategy into clear outcomes, roadmap, and resource needs.
- Develop localised, target programmes to make a difference to our local residents and service users, based on Population Health Management data and resources with other soft intelligence and local knowledge programmes.
- Share ideas and resources between projects / programmes through the network of support.
What difference is the Pulling Together programme making?
In Autumn 2023, partners came together to showcase local initiatives supported by the Pulling Together programme and to discuss ‘where we go next?’ in the creation of a healthier Surrey Downs.
Find out more about the difference some of our projects across the neighbourhoods of Surrey Downs, are having. Each project has a video showing how a range of professionals from different backgrounds are supporting health and wellbeing in our local community.
Who are the partners for Pulling Together?
In February 2022, the Pulling Together Programme Board was established and held its first meeting. Chaired by independent chair, Professor Lis Paice, a range of partners across the Surrey Downs System attended, including:
- Local communities through outreach, including community, religious and voluntary groups
- Primary Care Networks
- Districts and Borough Councils
- Surrey County Council
- Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise sector organisations, and
- Surrey Heartlands Population Health Management team.
An outline of the programme was given, and Terms of Reference (ToR) were agreed at the meeting.
Place Based Lead, Thirza Sawtell, reiterated the ambitions of Surrey Downs, providing clarity on what we hope to achieve throughout the lifespan of the programme by supporting the further development of connected, caring communities who are central to finding more effective ways to help people live well and solve problems together.
How do I get involved in the Pulling Together programme?
We welcome involvement from Surrey Downs residents, organisations, and community groups across our programme.
To find out a bit more, or to get involved, please contact esth.sdhcp.engagement@nhs.net