At the forefront of health

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Community Health and Wellbeing Workers

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CHWWs provide support in addition to anything a health care professional offers and its service is not a replacement for any other support.

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Doctor Matthew Harris explains the role:

Community Health and Wellbeing Workers (CHWWs) are an exciting, new part of the health system landscape in Cornwall. It is inspired by, and based on, the Brazilian Family Health Strategy, which has had a host of CHWWs in place since 1994. In Brazil, there are 275,000 CHWWs across the country, working closely with about 40,000 primary care teams. It has led to extraordinary outcomes across all age groups and conditions.

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Cornwall CHWWs are recruited from local areas, and are paid full- or part-time, to provide regular and ongoing health and social care support to households in small neighbourhoods of around 120 households each. CHWWs are part of the primary care team but are also integrated into the wider health and social care system, so, as problems arise and support is needed, residents can be identified and referred on in a timely manner.

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Currently, Cornwall counts on around 34 CHWWs, and it has been so well received it might be extended.

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This work is part of a wider effort to scale the CHWW role across the whole of England and Wales. Since 2019, the National Association of Primary Care and Imperial College London have been working together to implement this in many areas in the country. There are many localities already piloting and scaling this role, such as in Westminster, Bridgewater and Oxford. The initiative has been cited in major national policy reports and is looking to expand. Over time, we expect the CHWW initiative to lead to big improvements in patient care outcomes, uptake of preventative services, access to care, and care coordination. Adapted from: https://volunteercornwall.org.uk/how-we-help/in-the-community/chww

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Volunteer Cornwall’s website has a tool to check the areas currently supported by CHWWs:

https://volunteercornwall.org.uk/how-we-help/in-the-community/chww#Postcodes

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​CHWWS from Bodmin Way and KBSK

 

Bodmin Way works with local organisations to support the community. One group is KBSK who has provided dance and youth provision for over a decade. Both Bodmin Way and KBSK were awarded the chance to work in collaboration alongside the NHS in the CHWW programme. The three-year project started in July 2024 with intensive training in Level 3 Safeguarding and in Information Advice and Guidance on top of the training provided by many organisations such as the Job Centre and Healthy Cornwall. This certainly helped equip the teams, but everything changes so quickly, so on the job and continuous training are necessary. If government agree to the NHS’s ten-year programme, many more residents will be supported by CHWWs.

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Trained CHWWs were out in Bodmin from October 2024.

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​CHWWs provide tailored resources and support what residents need, when they need it. Things the teams help with are:

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• providing connection with the local community and signposting to activities

• visiting residents at home for a chat or advice

• energy saving ideas and devices

• filling in forms

• sorting out benefits

• money and housing concerns

• re-housing

• accessing mental health support

• advocating and making referrals.

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​Bodmin Way CHWWs and contact details:  

Amy Clemow 

07467203166

amy.clemow@nhs.net

 

Debbie Bristow 
07768934611
Debra.bristow@nhs.net

Sam Allen 
Sam.allen2@nhs.net
07884479706

Beth Woolley 
Beth.woolley4@nhs.net
07768934609

 

GP practices, through social prescribing, connect residents with CHWWs. Bodmin Way CHWWs had a ready-made caseload provided by the confidential relationships Revd Elaine Munday has built with many people in the community, including through schools and Bodmin Way groups. Door knocking, leaflet dropping and drop-ins were other ways CHWWs sought to let people know they were there.

 

Drop-ins continue weekly at Kinsman’s Community Hub on Tuesdays between 2pm and 4pm. There’s always at least two CHWWs to offer support.

 

Bodmin Way CHWWS have been a huge support and are highly valued by those who have received it.​