Seacroft Local Care Partnership
Seacroft Local Care Partnership (LCP) in Leeds focuses on improving health and wellbeing through a collaboration between community organisations, statutory partners and residents. Its initiatives aim to address socioeconomic challenges, promote health equity and create sustainable community support systems.
The neighbourhood
Community definition: Seacroft is geographically defined by the LS14 postcode, encompassing an estimated 18,000 residents.
Community cohesion: A strong partnership and trust exist between statutory services and community organisations, developed over time through collective efforts and shared goals. The community is actively engaged through various forums where residents and partners collaboratively set priorities and address local needs.
Local assets: Assets include the Denis Healey Centre a community-led gym providing a versatile space for various activities and events. The area also features the Chapel FM Arts Centre for creative endeavours, the LS14 Trust Pantry and Cafe for social gatherings, and several outdoor spaces like the Forest Garden and community allotment for recreational activities. These facilities promote community engagement and provide valuable resources for residents.
The context
Deprivation: Seacroft faces significant economic challenges that affect the overall wellbeing of its residents. Half of the population lives in the most deprived 20 per cent of Leeds.
Health inequalities: High prevalence of severe health conditions such as asthma in children, diabetes, coronary heart disease (CHD), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Highest rate of childhood asthma in the city and significantly above average rates of diabetes and CHD.
- High rates of smoking and adult obesity, with smoking rates significantly above the city average and obesity rates showing a clear relationship with deprivation.
Mortality rates are significantly above the Leeds average, and life expectancy is lower compared to other less deprived areas.
Social isolation and support needs: Addressing social isolation and supporting victims of domestic abuse post-Covid are critical priorities.
The model
Community engagement and methodology: Seacroft employs an asset-based community development approach, involving residents and organisations in decision making processes. The model focuses on holistic community involvement where any partner, including residents, can call a conversation to establish new priorities.
Partnerships and collaboration: The LCP is funded through several funding streams and grants. National Lottery funding supports specific projects. Key contributors include local authorities, VCSE organisations, and residents, with a significant portion of employees being local residents (around 80%). It is closely linked and collaborates with Seacroft Primary Care Network (PCN) sharing resources and focusing on initiatives like proactive care for older people and pharmacy services to improve patient outcomes. Additionally, they are part of the broader East Leeds Collaborative, which involves multiple LCPs and PCNs.
Funding: Often relies on the goodwill of its partners. While sometimes it secures small amounts of funding, it primarily focuses on using existing resources in innovative ways. The work is supported by the LCP Development team funded by system partners through a fair share funding agreement. Although the ICB leads the programme as the senior responsible officer (SRO), it is a collaborative effort owned by the entire system.
Health and wellbeing initiatives
Frailty support: A proactive care team works with the frail population. Funded by the local authority VCSE group Seacroft Friends and Neighbours is a key organisation in this initiative, providing targeted support to those affected by frailty and poverty at a much earlier age.
Domestic abuse: Recently, there has been a focus on supporting victims of domestic abuse. This programme takes an asset-based approach, leveraging community resources to provide comprehensive support.
Hypertension project: Aimed at reducing strokes through earlier diagnosis of hypertension, this initiative encourages community members to monitor their own blood pressure. The project is explained and promoted through local art centres.
Mental health support: Primary care interventions are available for people with severe mental illness (SMI) diagnoses, improving access to necessary healthcare services.
Live Well/Die Well in Seacroft: These group sessions facilitate conversations around dying and death, involving significant listening and talking to address community concerns and improve end-of-life care, supported by healthcare professionals.
Social prescribing: Social prescribing link workers collaborate with the Social Prescribing Network in Leeds to avoid short term fixes and build relationships with the neighbourhood. They aim to connect residents with community partners for long term support.
Cost-of-living support:
Green eating schemes: Initiatives to help residents with healthy eating on a budget.
Food banks: Operated through local churches, providing essential food supplies to those in need.
Community centres: Two to three community centres offer various support activities, including social isolation programmes for older people and general community support.
What makes this effective and resilient
Strong relationships: Longstanding, mature relationships between partners, including statutory sectors and community organisations, enhance resilience and responsiveness. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the LCP rapidly addressed vaccine hesitancy through 'Question time' sessions that alleviated fears and promoted vaccine uptake, showing the community's trust in the partnership.
Resident-led initiatives: Empowering residents to lead and manage initiatives ensures relevance and sustainability. Approximately 80 per cent of those involved in LCP activities are residents that have a deep connection and commitment to the community. For example, the Denis Healey Centre is run by Seacroft Community on Top, a resident-led organisation providing inclusive and affordable activities.
Flexible governance: A flexible approach to governance allows the model to adapt and evolve. The Design Group, which includes representation from VCSE organisations, PCNs, and active councillors, helps shape strategy and direction based on community feedback. This adaptability was crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic, where quick coordination and response were necessary.
Community engagement: The holistic approach involving residents in decision making processes creates a sense of ownership and accountability. Programmes like Live Well/Die Well in Seacroft engage residents in meaningful conversations and building an openness to discuss challenging issues.
Examples of effective working
Proactive frailty support: The proactive care team working with the frail population has been effective in addressing early signs of frailty and providing necessary support. Seacroft Friends and Neighbours, funded by the local authority, has seen positive outcomes in reducing the impacts of poverty on the frail population.
Hypertension project: This project focused on reducing heart attacks through early diagnosis of hypertension. By involving the community in self-monitoring blood pressure and creative education at local art centres, early diagnosis rates improved, and community health awareness increased.
Social prescribing: Social prescribing link workers connect residents with long term support services rather than offering short term fixes. This approach has been shown to improve residents' overall wellbeing and reduce the burden on primary care services.
What makes this challenging
Data sharing: Effective data sharing across partners remains a significant barrier, hindering seamless collaboration and impact measurement. Different organisations use varying systems and protocols, making it difficult to aggregate and analyse data comprehensively.
Sustainable funding: Securing sustainable funding to support long term development and impact remains a critical challenge. Although there are shared funding streams and national lottery funding, these are not always sufficient or guaranteed for future projects. The need for sustainable funding is essential to continue and expand successful programmes.
Impact measurement: Measuring the impact of initiatives is challenging due to poor survey response rates and the difficulty in capturing qualitative outcomes. While wellbeing wheels and scoring are used, they often receive low engagement, making it hard to quantify the effectiveness of programmes.
Impact and outcomes
Reduction in unplanned care: One of the primary goals of the Healthy Leeds Plan is to reduce unplanned healthcare utilisation by 25 per cent for the most deprived communities. This goal aims to decrease hospital bed days, reflecting better health management and preventive care, while also managing healthcare costs. The LCP are making positive steps towards this goal.
Health indicators: Various health indicators are tracked, such as the rates of childhood asthma, diabetes, coronary heart disease (CHD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and smoking. These indicators provide a clear picture of the community's health status and the effectiveness of ongoing health initiatives.
Wellbeing star and scoring: Wellbeing stars are used to measure the overall wellbeing of the residents. These tools help in assessing different aspects of health and wellbeing, although response rates from neighbourhood members can be low.
Qualitative evidence
Community feedback: Regular feedback from residents through forums and meetings helps in understanding the impact of various programmes. This feedback is crucial for adjusting and improving.
Success stories: Personal stories and testimonials from residents provide qualitative evidence of the impact. These stories highlight how specific interventions have improved individual lives.
