Agenda item

Introduces the Health and Wellbeing Board to the work of the Community Wellbeing Champions (CWC) Project, which was set up by Public Health in light of Covid-19 to support community engagement efforts in relation to the pandemic and wider health and wellbeing needs.

Nazira Vania (Project Manager, Public Health, Leicester City Council) presented an overview of the work of the Community Wellbeing Champions (CWC) project. The project was set up by Public Health, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, to support community engagement efforts in relation to vaccination and wider health/wellbeing needs.

The following points were noted:

•           The champions can be any individual that promotes or supports health and wellbeing at a local level. There are currently 329 members in the network, from 145 organisations, and this is continually growing.

•           Examples of the work of the small team (comprising of Nazira Vania and Joel Carter) include:-

o          The “How Are You Leicester?” survey undertaken in 2022

o          Events, focus groups and engagements – and particularly those that inputted into Health Needs Assessments and Consultations to give a broader range of voices.

o          Weekly emails to the network to share information, event details and research.

o          Three in-person conferences, with a fourth one taking place in February 2024 (which will focus on the topic of Mental Health and Social Isolation).

o          13 Forums held to date – where initiative leaders can attend to present.

o          The Covid-19 Vaccine Confidence Programme.

o          Input into the Cost-of-Living Incident Management Team meetings.

o          Assisting the ICB to deliver the Super-Vaccinator Project.

•           It is difficult to measure outcomes, but increased reach and engagement can be demonstrated. In addition, network members have sent positive feedback, and the work has helped to strengthen the infrastructure for future crises.

•           Learning from the work, and upcoming challenges, includes:-

o          Some geographical gaps,

o          Some capacity issues around the growing demand,

o          Recruitment and retention of champions is a challenge,

o          Sustainability of projects due to uncertainty around funding (funding currently set to end March 2026).

•           Areas for development are:-

o          Increase presence, profile and training,

o          Strengthen partnership working,

o          Explore a Volunteer CWC role,

o          Aim to get a Graduate Project Officer joining the team. 

•           The Presenting Officer asked members for comments on how the project can support the work of the Board, and how insight from the project can feed into the Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

Comments and questions from the Board:-

•           The Member representing Voluntary Action LeicesterShire (VAL) noted that VAL is an accredited Volunteer Centre with volunteers that may be suitable for Public Health work. He will be meeting Kate Huszar in February – and this meeting will be extended to include the Presenting Officer.

•           The Director of Public Health was proud of this project and the approach of the small team around listening, understanding and then responding in a nuanced way. As such, this community engagement benefits all systems represented by the Board. He noted that the Department for Levelling Up had visited him on 12.1.24 to discuss community cohesion in Leicester – and this project had been presented to them as an example.

•           The Chair noted that conversations about funding will need to take place in the future.

•           Ruw Abeyratne noted that “indirect” work may be hard to demonstrate but has longer lasting impacts. She felt that the public sometimes report lack of trust in organisations – and the Board could support collective conversations around how we can measure trust.

•           Dr Packham noted that she is proud of the project. One example is the Public Health Expo at The Peepul Centre (which allowed voluntary sector organisations to make connections with each other at a face-to-face event).

•           Dr Ochieng echoed the challenge in measuring impacts of community engagement – and offered the support of De Montfort University in undertaking cost-benefit analysis. She was also happy to explore the use of student volunteers to look at the trust-building work noted above.

•           Ben Bee noted that there are ten Educators within Leicestershire Fire & Rescue Service who go into homes; this often requires multiple visits to build trust. He is happy for the learning/outcomes to be shared – and he will send the contact details for the Community Safety Manager in Leicestershire Fire Service.

•           Members suggested that the Board could support the project by reducing requests for proof of outcomes via spreadsheets.

•           The Chair noted that the offers of support demonstrate the benefit of the Health and Wellbeing Board.

RESOLVED:

•           That the Board thanked the Officer for the presentation and asked them to take Members comments into account.

•           That the Presenting Officer will meet with the Member representing Voluntary Action Leicester (VAL) - in February - to discuss possible opportunities for existing VAL volunteers and methods for volunteer retention.

•           That the Board will be sent the link to the invitation to the Mental Health & Social Isolation Conference taking place on Tuesday 6 February 2024 at King Power Stadium.

•           That the Presenting Officer will accept the offer of support from De Montfort University – and progress this through conversations with the Member representative.

•           That the Presenting Officer will accept the offer of information on learning outcomes on trust-building from Leicestershire Fire & Rescue Service’s home educator work; the Member representative will send the contact details for the Community Safety Manager.