Place

WSP has been developing its understanding of ‘place’, and in particular how wider community assets can be factored into our system transformation projects.  We’re trying to answer the question about how the ‘maturity’ of a local place, defined by a range of resources, relationships and wider determinants of health, can be assessed and then improved to have a positive impact on health and wellbeing.

 Download our briefing material here.

Place can mean different things to different people, but when we think about population groups, we can get closer to what’s important when we’re thinking about improvements to health and wellbeing. For example, for older people ageing well means not only that there is sufficient capacity and capability in the statutory sector workforce locally but also that they have strong networks of family or carer support and ways to engage and contribute to their local communities. 

WSP have spent time researching and gathering evidence about what works in ‘place’ and are constantly developing tools that help clients to think through the contribution that place makes to improve health and wellbeing as part of a population health management approach.

 

For example:

  • Across one STP area we have developed a tool to help understand workforce requirements for both General Practice and community services in their eight ‘places’ taking into account local population health needs now and in the future;
  • In the Weald of West Kent we have worked with a group of local professionals across primary care, health and social services to frame and evaluate the maturity of their place resources in the context of slowing the progression of need for key at risk groups.

For further information place contact either Nick Garratt or Peter Lacey.