Listening to local residents key for Amber Valley GOGA success
There is considerable strength in Get Out Get Active’s (GOGA’s) ‘no fear’ attitude – ably demonstrated in the Amber Valley region over the past 12 months.
GOGA programme lead, Amber Valley CVS, has utilised the flexible and fearless approach to trying and testing new activities and ways of working.
Having been part of the Amber Valley wellbeing drop-in sessions from the start, Amber Valley CVS and session hosts ARCH Primary Care Network began testing the Community Model of Health Referral for local residents in response to their direct needs.
The wellbeing sessions cover the towns of Alfreton, Ripley, Crich and Heanor, where residents registered at the local GP surgeries are invited to attend by text message. The health partners at the sessions include Live Life Better Derbyshire (offering blood pressure checks and health advice), GOGA, Amber Valley Borough Council, Amber Valley CVS, Places Leisure, Sexual Health services, Deaf-initely Women, Futures Housing, Healthwatch, and local community police. Taking place predominantly in Somercotes, there have also been sessions hosted at Alfreton, Ripley and Heanor Leisure Centres.
Through the initial drop-in sessions, movement opportunities were promoted to help engage attendees in activity. These included Walk Derbyshire walking groups and existing physical activity sessions hosted locally. In reality, the pre-existing activities proved not to be an ideal match.
A large proportion of the residents attending the wellbeing sessions live with long-term health conditions and/or disabilities and have limited mobility. The walking groups were too challenging and the exercise groups too intense.
The feedback sparked the testing of the Community Model of Health Referral (CMHR).
The CMHR created an inclusive offer of activities to meet the individual needs of participants. It continues to be managed by Amber Valley Borough Council in partnership with Amber Valley CVS, Places Leisure, Active Derbyshire and other partner organisations.
Whilst the existing model of Health Referral is suitable for many people, however there can be numerous barriers to participation. This includes lack of confidence to go to a gym, access to transport, unsuitable locations, and unfamiliarity of location.
Through the wellbeing drop-ins, Amber Valley CVS and partners ascertained three key things: what the community would like to access, the need for a location suitable to them, and something that is inclusive for all. By co-producing activities and applying the GOGA principles, programme leaders offered activities that are appropriate for the participants and were able to break down many of the barriers to participation.
Through this co-production, there have been two regular chair-based exercise classes in Somercotes and a regular Tai Chi session. There is was also a community boxing sessions for 11 year-olds and over and a strength and conditioning chair-based class in a local housing community centre.
Chair-based exercise has proven to be a fantastic way of improving balance and mobility, highlighted in feedback from residents. The exercises help strengthen muscles in a fun way, allowing for greater stability, reducing the likelihood of falls, and increasing a person’s confidence when moving.
"We have worked with a disabled resident to start two inclusive walking groups in Riddings and Somercotes," said Chris Frost, GOGA Project Worker at Amber Valley CVS.
"These bench-to-bench walks allow the participants to define the distance they are able to cover, allowing any participant to walk or wheel the route. These have been a success in the community."
The Amber Valley CMHR triaging system is still in its infancy. Amber Valley leads have been undertaking Communities of Practice work with Move Consulting regarding the National Physical Activity for Health Pathways Project. The Exercise Referral pathway is being reviewed by Active Derbyshire countywide with numerous partners.
"We want to make it easier for people living with, or at risk of, a long-term health condition to access the support that they need to move more," explained Chris.
"At this stage, the referral pathway for our sessions is signposting and through word of mouth but this will be developed over the coming months."
Working closely with the Primary Care Network throughout the last 12 months, Amber Valley CVS has made links with numerous health partners regarding their work. These include Derbyshire Carers, Derbyshire Community Health Services, Healthwatch, Public Health, Adult Social Care, and the Social Prescribing network.
The GOGA programme and all physical activity opportunities in Amber Valley are regularly highlighted in meetings, networking events and other engagement opportunities. This partnership working has been genuinely successful in bringing physical activity and moving more into every conversation and embedding the GOGA way into the mindset of all partners.
GOGA funding has allowed for these sessions to be delivered within the community for the community.
The GOGA approach has enabled a focus on the elements that really matter to the local community and to listen to their voice. It has provided the flexibility to tackle isolation, increase physical activity levels, and improve wellbeing by delivering sessions that they want and, crucially, where they feel comfortable to achieve this.
Through investing time in creating meaningful working partnerships and by actively engaging with the people they are looking to support, employing the GOGA principles has enabled Amber Valley CVS to co-produce sessions with local residents and promote these with partner organisations.
