East Hampshire and Havant Health & Wellbeing Forum – 7 Feb 2023

Staying Warm, Safe and Healthy at Home

Introduction

The (virtual) East Hampshire and Havant Health & Wellbeing (HWB) Forum was held on Tuesday 7 February 2023 – with c42 attendees. Following on from attendees being welcomed, Tim Houghton, Chief Executive, Community First, provided a Community & Voluntary Sector update. He updated on Hampshire’s Mental Wellbeing Strategy, the Hampshire & IoW VCSE Health and Care Alliance, the Raises Voices in Health research and clarification about the Household Support Grant.

Jackie Hartless, Health & Wellbeing Manager, Community First, then described some of the health & wellbeing work that Community First are involved in across the area. This included working with QA hospital’s Drug & Alcohol Unit, initiatives to reduce social isolation, tackling health inequalities via the Core20PLUS5 Project by increasing cancer screening and reducing Hypertension in men 40+ and finally, how Community First are recruiting/working with Digital Champion volunteers to address digital isolation and improve digital access to health services.

Jonathan Crutchfield, Transformation Lead (East Hampshire), Hampshire, Southampton & IoW, Integrated Care Board (ICB) explained that the Health & Wellbeing Partnership for East Hampshire is being relaunched. The partnership is now focussing upon 3 core delivery areas:- developing a shared community estate programme, working collaboratively, inequalities amongst vulnerable communities and improving the physical and mental wellbeing of key cohorts eg young people. In Havant ‘Link-Up Leigh Park’ is supporting young people (16-24) to get into training &/or employment. The Youth Hub is now established in Leigh Park (16-24). There will be ICB recruitment events in March. There are Ukrainian Drop-in events planned across East Hampshire and Havant. There’s also a whole-system approach to obesity in Havant. There is a Havant Dementia Festival on 16 June.

Nicole Harpum, Urgent Community Response Area Matron SE, and Sheila Frampton, Urgent Community Response Area Matron, Fareham and Gosport, Southern Health explained that they provide urgent community response services for health and care, to support patients to stay at home where possible. This is achieved by a multi-professional team – patients are allocated to a ‘virtual ward’ where they are concerned about medically who are reviewed daily. Appropriate referrals take place including the Extended Primary Care Team.

Hazel Agombar, Senior Outreach Officer, the Environment Centre (tEC) highlighted the aims and what affordable warmth services are available. tEC services focus upon those on low income (means tested) ill-health – chronic physical and mental health conditions and those 65+ or families with children under 5. Hazel highlighted the areas they provide advice on, mentioned their links to Citizens Advice’s ‘Home and Well’ Project, the referral criteria and offered to deliver more detailed awareness sessions.

The East Hampshire and Havant Health & Wellbeing Forum ended by the contributors being thanked, a request for any future theme or presenter ideas and confirming the next Health & Wellbeing Forum 2023-24 dates and times as follows:-

Wednesday 23 May, 1-2pm
Wednesday 4 October, 12.30-2.30pm (Face to Face – Market Place and Networking – East Hampshire Venue TBC)
Wednesday 21 February 2024, 1-2pm

For more information, please contact Jane Bray:- healthforums@cfirst.org.uk