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The Health Action Zone in Belfast is a partnership working to reduce inequalities and promote the health, wellbeing, and safety of the population. They address various social determinants of health such as housing, education, and unemployment. The HAZ Council consists of multiple organizations from different sectors, including healthcare, education, and social services. They focus on developing effective practices, impacting mainstream service delivery, and ensuring links between practice and policy. The HAZ also works with communities through integrated pathways to address specific health needs, such as mental health, sexual health, and vulnerable young people. The goal is to achieve a coordinated and integrated approach to prevent suicide and self-harm, raise awareness, lobby for resources, and foster joint thinking and action. The HAZ Council Task Group, Education Working Group, Vulnerable Young People Working Group, Family Support Working Group, Self-Harm Working Group, and Communication Reference Group are actively involved in this process. The challenges include joining up policy, adapting to changing environments, mainstreaming initiatives, maintaining stakeholder engagement, political and social upheaval, securing funding, and influencing external authorities.
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Tackling Inequalities in Health in BelfastCaroline Bloomfield, Health Action ZoneTom Crossan, Belfast City CouncilAnne McClean, North & West Belfast Health & Social Services Trust1 June 2006
WhatistheHealthActionZone? • A multi-sectoral partnership which works to reduce inequalities and promote the health, wellbeing and safety of the population of North and West Belfast
What is Health? • HAZ works on a broad social model of health, recognising that many issues which affect health lie outside the health sector, eg: • Poor housing • Low educational attainment • Unemployment/dependency on social welfare • Impact of conflict
HAZ Council • Acute Hospitals (Mater, Royal, City) • Belfast City Council • Belfast Education and Library Board • Belfast Inst of Further & Higher Education • Business in the Community • Council for Catholic Maintained Schools • Department for Employment and Learning • Department for Social Development • Eastern Health and Social Services Board • Greater Shankill Partnership • North & West Belfast Health and Social Services Trust (lead) • North Belfast Community Action Unit • North Belfast Partnership • Northern Ireland Housing Executive • Northern Ireland Probation Board • Social Security Agency • University of Ulster • West Belfast Partnership Board
The Distribution of Multiple Deprivation in Belfast: Noble 2001
Strategic Focus • Developing effective practice; • Impacting on mainstream service development and delivery; • Ensuring links between practice and policy
Partnership • All HAZ work is premised on partnership working: • Between statutory organisations • Between statutory organisations and community + voluntary organisations • Often performs a brokering role, facilitating dialogue between a range of organisations
Development Pathways A range of organisations working together with communities in an integrated way, where: . Need is most acute Change is most feasible Opportunities for multi-agency co-operation are greatest Ensuring maximum effectiveness and collaboration
Current Development Pathways • Travellers – health and accommodation needs • Communities in Schools – making the school a resource for the community, and the community a resource for the school
Development Pathways(Cont) • Integrated Services for Children and Young People – aims to improve the life chances of children and young people through creating new ways of meeting their needs and delivering services. • Sexual health – developing a co-ordinated and joint strategy to promote sexual health
Development Pathways(Cont) • Neighbourhood – developing a framework for HAZ partners to participate fully in the Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy • Mental Health – taskforce on the prevention of suicide and self-harm
Prevention of Suicide and Self Harm Context • Growing public/community concern • Evidence of high prevalence in N&W Belfast • The need to work together to: • Raise awareness • Lobby for resources • Achieve “joined up thinking” and action
Process of Developing a co-ordinated and integrated approach HAZ Council TaskGroup WorkingGroup Education Working Group Vulnerable Young People Working Group Family Support Working Group Self Harm Working Group Communication Reference Group Timeframe: April 05 – March 06
Members of Task Group • Lenadoon Community Forum • Lenadoon Counselling Programme • North and West Belfast Health and Social Services Trust (Lead) • North Belfast Community Action • Unit • New Life Counselling • NI Housing Executive • North Belfast Partnership • Politicians • Probation Board Northern Ireland • Tar Isteach • Training and Employment Agency • West Belfast Partnership Ashton Centre AWARE Beechmount Community Council Belfast Education and Library Board Belfast City Council Catholic Church Council for Catholic Maintained Schools Church of Ireland Department for Social Development Eastern Health and Social Services Board Greater Shankill Partnership Homeless Support Team Irish Church Mission
Outputs • Process • Research – better understanding • Draft Report – Proposed Implementation • Recommendations for Action (local and regional) • Education • Vulnerable Young People • Family Support • Self Harm • Communication
Community Development • Communities identifying need • Supporting communities • Supporting health initiatives • HAZ being a connector
Challenges • Joining up policy • Changing environment • Mainstreaming • Keeping people on board • Political and social upheaval • Funding • Influencing outside authority
Contact Details Caroline Bloomfield Community Development Worker Health Action Zone 5th Floor 16 College Street Belfast BT1 6BT Tel: 028 9023 7026 e-mail address: caroline.bloomfield@nwb.n-i.nhs.uk Web address: www.haz-nwbelfast.org.uk
