Health Action Groups
Blakestown Health Research
Blakestown Health Action Plan focused on the areas of our lives that impact on our health. This research/training allowed many of us to express the diverse issues and matters that impact on our health.
Following on from this Blakestown LCDP with the HSE primary care teams held a Health Fair in the community centre.
Many agencies and organisations were present on the day giving out advice and information. It was a well attended and successful day for all. An action from the research is to look at setting up a locally bases health forum. The emphasis of this action will be to have strong community participation on local primary care teams.
Contact Jean Clifford from Blakestown LCDP, who was the driver behind this action.
Corduff Health Action Group
Corduff Health Action Group was formed a few years ago following on from a course which was delivered in Corduff.
It was established to look at how the health of our community could be improved.
Since that time we have carried out a health needs analysis of the area and have been working away on the recommendations. Primary Care has been rolled out in Corduff and Mulhuddart and both areas have primary care teams. Unfortunately in Corduff we are still waiting for our health centre to be built so that the primary care team can be based locally. A locally-based primary care team would be positive for both the population and the local team.
Community participation in primary care was an important element in the roll out of primary care. We worked with staff from the HSE and a facilitator through that process and a lot of consultation took place. This has established structures for the community to get involved with the primary care process and having a say in what the needs are locally. This works as follows:
1. Local Health Action Group (LHAG). Open to anyone from the local areas of Corduff or Mulhuddart. Meets every two months to look at issues relation to primary care.
2. Community Participation Working Group (CPWG). Representatives from each Primary Care Team (PCT) are nominated by the PCTs to participate Representatives from the community health action groups. This is where issues are brought and what cannot be addressed at this level is brought to the next level.
3. The Community Participation Steering Group (CPSG) is made up of: Co chairs of the CPWGs, HSE General Manager, HSE Social Inclusion Manager, Team Leader Community Development Officer and the HSE Transformation Development Officer.
Corduff Health Action Group are inviting people to join the group and are holding its next meeting on Tuesday 15th November at 7.30 in the Corduff Resource Centre. If you would like to be part of the group but can’t come along, you may email us at asmith@bap.ie or tel: 8219021 for further information.
Good news story.
Another recommendation from the research was for an integrated service for young people with mental health difficulties. We are happy to report that as a result of our groundwork in bringing key players together over the last few years, Headstrong has announced a Jigsaw site for Dublin 15. This is part of a national programme which will work for and with young people to identify their needs and provide a service to match.
