An example of an effective model of integrated service delivery for

women.

Aims & Objectives

• Promote Independence and Choice• Increase Knowledge and Skills• Improve Confidence, Self-esteem & Wellbeing• Improve Physical & Mental Health Awareness• Improve Access to Services• Promote Social Inclusion

Who we work with

• All women who live and work in the borough of South Tyneside.

• Females from age 16 upwards

• Women with different levels of physical, emotional and psychological needs

• Women who don’t have any issues but need support to continue at their current living level

Services WHiST Offer• Counselling• Health & Personal Development Courses• Therapeutic Courses• Exercises Classes• Support Groups• Volunteering Opportunities• Complementary Therapies• Drop-in Sessions & Coffee Bar• Creche• On-site library• Information, Advice & Signposting• Hosting other agencies to deliver services

Courses• Confidence Building• Health & Wellbeing• Managing Long Term Health Conditions• Wellness Recovery & Action Planning• Anxiety & Stress Relief• Coping with Low Moods• Relaxation• Bach Flower Remedies• Aromatherapy and other complimentary

therapies• Exercise Classes

DOMAIN 1: Improving the wider determinants of health.Objective: Improvements against wider factors that affect health and wellbeing, and health inequalities

DOMAIN 2: Health improvement.Objective: People are helped to live healthy lifestyles, make healthy choices and reduce health inequalities

DOMAIN 3: Health protection.Objective: The population’s health is protected from major incidents and other threats, while reducing health inequalities

DOMAIN 4: Healthcare public health and preventing premature mortality .Objective: Reduced numbers of people living with preventable ill health and people dying prematurely, while reducing the gap between communities

The strategic health objectives complimented by our services

The proven impact of women’s services.

•Evaluation is undertaken internally and externally, independently and also to track longer term impact

•They help women with complex needs

•They improve quality of life

•They aid recovery from ill health/injury

• They prevent premature death

How we work

Collaboratively with other agencies

Responding to local needs

Building partnerships

Some examples of very different projects that have developed collaboratively in different ways include

The Women’s Hub

Asthma Pilot project

Counselling services

Courses

The Women’s Hub

The women’s hub is a collaborative initiative involving WHiST, Changing Lives and the Probation services.

A similar hub also operates from Tyneside Women’s Project

They were aware of the potential benefits to this client group from engaging with a women’s organisation, especially when considering changing peoples behaviour patterns and management techniques. For example Assisted Desistance - research shows that the skills and resources women commonly use to manage traumatic life experiences can be particularly effective in overcoming obstacles to desistance. These are commonly built around social networks of support – hence group work interventions which nurture kinship and belonging are key. desistance theory supports the view that playing an active role in one’s community and taking on a measure of responsibility can assist in the journey away from crime. ‘People do not simply desist, they desist into something’ – we need to tap into the local communities and networks to support women’s non-offending identities.

The hub has been successful and women are accessing other services available at WHiST. The numbers involved may be small but it illustrates effective collaboration and we are paid for our contribution rather than subsidising this initiative as is the case with the valued health trainer service.

The Asthma Project

Is an initiative set up in response to local needs

It is a collaboration between WHiST, Asthma UK and FUSE research and evaluation project.

It is the first pilot project of this nature in the UK

Main Aim:

“Identify and address physical,

psychological and emotional barriers that

prevent self management of asthma”

OUTCOMES:

• Reduction in Asthma Attacks

• Reduction in Hospitalisation

• Reduction in Deaths

Counselling Services

These are funded by BLF and more recently we managed to secure additional funds from the PCT now the CCG

We have 15 supported volunteer counsellors

They deliver different types of counselling

RCTN have worked with WHIST for many years providing a specialised worker at WHIST one day a week

They have struggled to retain the funding from the Local Authority to sustain this service.

Counselling services

We became involved in a pilot project in 2012.

The project was initiated by the PCT who were seeking to improve their targets around (IAPT) Individual Access to Psychological Therapies.

They brought together several counselling agencies including, Sunderland Counselling Services, Cruise, North East Counselling Services, MIND, and at the last minute WHIST.

The major funder for WHIST counselling services is the BLF. The PCT now the CCG put some funds in to enable us to extend the service which are run predominantly by volunteers.

This initiative continues at present.

Courses

Courses are offered in collaboration with Adult Community Learning. We employ tutors and are heavily reliant upon our volunteers to support us in the delivery.

We have worked together with ACL over many years progressing from small grants to a contract.

ACL have experienced changes over the years which have resulted in more administrative demands being placed upon us with no additional funding.

Payment is also by results so it is difficult, especially when working with the most vulnerable groups, to know how much we will receive from them.

Benefits of attending WHiST

Leads to Increased: Self Confidence / Self Esteem Health & Wellbeing Self Awareness Motivation Independence Concentration and focus Ability to plan and return to work

Wrap around provision enables recovery and increases the likelihood of women making long term lifestyle changes in their lives.

Examples of the work we doAsthma pilotCounselling pilot IAPT collaborationWomen's Hub TWP and WHIST both successful. Integration of women into other wrap around services

How we workPartnerships, statutory agencies, vol agencies, collaboratively

Commissioning: How can we work more collaboratively.

Sustainability: How we address core funding issues.

Recognition and awareness raising: How can we improve this to reinforce the true value of women’s services.

The crab-apple tree in bloom in the therapeutic garden at WHiST