29 March 2022
Fareham & Gosport Voluntary Sector Health Forum – Thursday 24 March 2022
Adult Mental Health Support Update
The Fareham & Gosport Voluntary Sector Health Forum was held online on Thursday 24 March 2022. Following on from attendees being welcomed – GVA’s CEO Kay Hallsworth, provided a brief Fareham and Gosport area Community & Voluntary Sector update – covering Community First’s new Digital Inclusion Support Service for Fareham & Gosport, their March ‘Cost of Living’ event and AGM, the March ‘Cost of Living’ event at Gosport Discovery Centre, the postponed Health & Wellbeing event (which will now be in early July) GVA’s representation at the Mental Health and Wellbeing Partnership and GVA’s March Ukrainian Forum Meeting.
Janie Millerchip, Transformation Project Lead, working in Gosport, Hampshire, Southampton & IoW, CCG, provided a CCG update. She began by explaining about Surgery Pods enabling a patient to undertake simple health-checks themselves and the information updates your GP’s medical records (c16 across Fareham and Gosport). An initiative for supporting homeless people is being rolled out from the pilot Fareham in Gosport via CCG/Gosport BC funding. A homeless health outreach drop-in service will be available every Tue 2.30-4.30pm at Two Saints called ‘The Big Red Chair’ for a range of health conditions including a range of vaccinations and signposting as needed. Also, Janie mentioned her work with partners the homeless in Gosport to provide health support to those living in Gosport via a weekly drop-in service for various health issues, vaccinations… similar to Two Saints in Fareham.
Janie updated on the Willow Community Garden (which is adjacent Forton Medical Centre). It is being progressed in partnership with Gosport Central PCN / Dr Robin Harlow (and is part funded by the National Gardens Initiative) – the only grant funding award in Hampshire for this. Finally Gosport Central PCN’s merger was updated upon.
Transformation Manager Alan Horsburgh, Hampshire, Southampton & IoW, CCG, explained about the No Wrong Door, Community Mental Health Transformation Programme pathway, sharing some insightful data re progress across Fareham and Gosport, the Advancing Mental Health Equalities Grants, and the projects that have currently being funded.
Elizabeth Kerwood, Associate Director of Community Involvement updated about the vaccine programme re the vaccine booster programme. Next comes the healthy 5-12 year olds and more info will be shared. The uptake countywide is good overall but there are some stark inequalities re the uptake and these areas are being targeting which is proving to be successful. This is via ‘Community Conversations’ via identified groups – there is Community Communications funding – to develop their own communications programme which will be upscaled system-wide for other purposes too.
Finally, Angela Huntington, Citizens Advice Fareham’s Local Solutions Case Worker, described core service support and triage – finance, benefits, debt, budgeting… some have no other support networks and don’t have capacity to act accordingly. The Local Solutions clients require a little extra support and runs until November 2022. Referrals come from a range of sources external (eg Social Prescribers) and internal and referrals are made externally too eg to Adults Health and Care. Clients’ needs are complex – c6 months support and a wrap-around service is available eg benefit applications, debt, housing for those with mental health support needs, food poverty, vaccinations…
The Fareham & Gosport Voluntary Sector Health Forum ended by confirming the next Health Forum online date and time: 1-2pm Wednesday 11 May 2022.
For more information contact Jackie Hartless:- Jackie.hartless@cfirst.org.uk