Great Yarmouth and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group

Photo: Front: Brian Kerrison Middle, L to R: Lynn Rivett, Sue Salter
Back, L to R: Mick Hannant, Russ Bayfield, Michelle Polidano and Alan Whistlecraft 

Patients in and around Gorleston will be able to benefit from a new scheme offering the healthcare support of a “community advocate”.

Six community advocates have been signed up as part of a health scheme for the 51,000 people living in the area. Their role will be focussed on supporting those with long-term health conditions including diabetes and depression, with a focus on stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Voluntary Norfolk manages the Community Advocates for this project which has been developed with NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group (NHS GYW CCG), Great Yarmouth Borough Council and the MESH team from their office at the Shrublands Youth and Adult Centre on Magdalen Way.  Voluntary Norfolk’s successful bid resulted in a grant from Norfolk County Council’s Living Well in the Community Fund to support the project until March 2014.

Alex Hupton, Engagement Officer for NHS GYW CCG, said: “We had previously carried out a research project using community advocates to interview people in the Gorleston area with long-term conditions to find out what sort of support they would find useful to improve their health, wellbeing and reduce the risk of emergency treatment for their long-term condition. A lot of the issues came from not knowing what help was available or they weren’t sure if they were eligible. Sometimes people just weren’t confident enough to get in touch even if they did know about something that would be helpful.

“Not only is that frustrating for the individual but it also means often a crisis that might have been avoided ends up with that person in hospital.

“We also hope the project gathers evidence to help how we and our partners develop health and social care services in the future, so they have been co-designed and co-delivered by local residents.”

The six community advocates worked on the research project so will be able to use their existing knowledge of the area and support those with long-term conditions in the area, which includes Gorleston, Hopton, Bradwell, Belton and Fritton.

Brian Kerrison, one of the community advocates recruited for the project, said: “A lot of people are being cared for by friends or relatives and it will be great to get involved and introduce them to various clubs and agencies so they can meet others in the same situation.”

Voluntary Norfolk will oversee the advocates and manage the project while the funding continues until March 2014.

Alan Whistlecraft, from Voluntary Norfolk, who will be managing the scheme, said: “It’s good that local people are being employed to improve support services and outcomes for local people with long-term conditions.”

Some of the advocates will be at The Bridge on Tuesday 22 January 2013 and will regularly be at the following venues  where the dates of their visits will be advertised:

The Bridge, St Mary Magdalene’s Outreach Project, free lunch and ‘drop-in’ each Tuesday, 11.30am to 2.30pm. 

St Mary Magdalene, Fastolff Avenue, Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk, NR31 7BZ

Contact 2000, Lowestoft Road Baptist Church, Gorleston-on-Sea 

The advocates are also keen to visit other rural locations in the area so please contact the office if you could offer a suitable group or venue.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council is supporting the project and their MESH team is working alongside the advocates to ensure they are embedded in the neighbourhood.

Julie Woods, from MESH, said: “It is very encouraging that this project is concentrating on the local area.”

Simon O’Leary, development manager at Voluntary Norfolk, said: “We are delighted to be supporting the Community Advocates project, which will provide real opportunities for local residents and communities in Gorleston to directly shape how local health and social care services are prioritised and delivered. The project will also enable local voluntary and community groups to work better together with primary health and social care services, to provide additional support and care for people who have long term health conditions.” 

To contact the community advocates or suggest a venue they could visit email [email protected] or telephone the MESH office at Shrublands Youth and Adult Centre on 01493 604739.

The organisation known locally as HealthEast has recently been approved as the statutory organisation NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney Clinical Commissioning group, healthcare commissioners for the area.