Community Health Improvement Partnership - CHIP
The Challenge
CHIP faced three main sustainability challenges. The first of these was to find significant funding streams that would keep the project and activities going beyond Big Lottery Funding, this challenge was substantial as they had to find over £200,000 to keep the existing activities going. They had to gain recognition for the service amongst potential partners and to have health professionals take the project seriously. And lastly, the Project Coordinator recognised that CHIP needed to spend valuable time embedding the Project within the Council itself.
The Approach
One of the key factors for sustainability of the Project has been the relationship with local Public Health Practitioners (PHP). Since 2002 the CHIP project has actively fostered a positive working relationship with the PHP on a formal and informal basis, it took time to develop the relationship through regular informal meetings which increased the Public Health Practitioners’ understanding of CHIP’s role in community health and vice versa. Support from the Public Health Practitioner was not enough in itself to make CHIP sustainable. The project realised that it had to be embedded within the Council itself, the support of the Chief Executive for the Council and Leisure Development Manager (the Coordinators Line Manager) has proved crucial. The project has been actively promoted within other Council Departments and regular updates are provided for the Chief Executive and Leisure Development Manager. One of the key strategies for sustainability was gaining recognition of the work of the project, it was realised that recognition would come through effective promotion of the services with partners and NHS Health Care professionals. This was largely achieved through awareness raising activities and entering the project for local and national awards. In terms of awareness raising and recognition CHIP has effectively used database technology to demonstrate impact to partners and Health Care professionals. The project uses a database to record activities, whilst fairly basic the system has made it quick and easy to pull up data for partners.
The Result
CHIP has been sustained by building key relationships, promoting the project effectively and gaining recognition for their work amongst health care professionals. As a result of this activity (over 2 years) the project has now obtained substantial inkind support and secured £245,000 from a number of sources including East Ayrshire Council, NHS Ayrshire and Arran, Community Regeneration Fund (CRF) and Community Health Partnership.
Lessons Learned
CHIPs sustainability route demonstrates the importance of individuals in the sustainability of Healthy Living Centres, in this case the strategic approach to sustainability by the Project Coordinator, East Ayrshire Council’s Leisure Development Manager and Chief Executive, Public Health Practitioners and the Community Planning and Partnership Unit. Each individual played a significant role in embedding CHIP in the Council and the strategic plans for East Ayrshire. Promotional activity and demonstrating the impact of the Project highlighted the unique role of CHIP and encourage partners and health care professionals of the need to identify and access funding streams to sustain the Project following the Big Lottery.
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