Collaborative Themes Working Group Greg Burgess, SAMH, Choose Life Co-ordinator North Lanarkshire Colin Anderson, NHS Lanarkshire BBV AND Sexual Health.

Collaborative Themes Working Group

Greg Burgess, SAMH, Choose Life Co-ordinator North LanarkshireColin Anderson, NHS Lanarkshire BBV AND Sexual Health Team

Background &Rationale Shift away from “silo” or single issue working around

national campaigns and other related thematic work: Suicide Prevention Week, Alcohol Awareness Week, Mental Health Arts & Film Festival, Mental Health Awareness Week, World AIDS Day/Wider BBV work and sexual health Clear, natural fit of sexual health as an issue to be

considered as a collaborative themes topic

Background & Rationale Collaborative Themes working Group

….. Partnership: a range of stakeholders from inter-related disciplines from NHS Lanarkshire, North and South Lanarkshire Councils, Lanarkshire ADP, ChooseLife, Strathclyde Police, Strathclyde Fire & Rescue and the voluntary and community sectors.

Partner participation: What does this really mean and involve in practice? All partners taking an active role not just lip service.

Initial barriers and solutions to overcome these……

Perceived opportunities/threats regarding this way of working

Different cultures and hierarchies within partner organisations

Evaluation: the tension between outcomes and process

Delivery on the ground….. Decision making on activities devolved by the

Working Group to local communities Local infrastructure: Local Area Teams (LATs)

in North Lanarkshire and a Problem Solving Group (PSG) in the South; “Cascading effect”: shared responsibility and partnership

Incorporate collaborative themes into existing or planned activities

Links with local people: Community Forums, tenants associations etc

Follow up support

Delivery on the ground cont…..

Consistency of approach; via role of local Health Improvement staff, Social Work and Housing Staff, Voluntary Sector

Related sub groups: Resources Sub Group, Evaluation Framework sub group etc.

Plans and progress to date….

Examples of what has been/will be delivered and shared: Joint resources Reaching “hard to reach” populations using

innovative means - “Now You’re Talking” Drama Performances in Lanarkshire pubs and clubs

Football Dance LGBT training for staff Media strategy

Consider the question “What in effect is resource?” Have we moved towards increased pooling/sharing? Not just about £!

Plans and progress to date….

Actual/potential criticisms of this approach: “This is nothing new”? “Everyone should be working together like

this anyway”? “The partnership working will fall away once

the campaigns are past”? Do Staff and Public pick up the messages?

In conclusion……

A true, collaborative attempt to take a more holistic approach to overall health improvement work which incorporates inter-related topics and issues.

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