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Name of project: Community Powered Edmonton
Led By: North Central London Integrated Care Board (ICB)
Summary: A project drawing on a range of community participation approaches tailored to different audiences to ensure multiple communities could be involved in a conversation about what matters to their health and wellbeing.
The situation: North Central London ICB was keen to explore how to reduce demand on acute services, including A&E, and shift to a more community-based, preventative health system. But instead of setting out to address this question directly they decided to start with listening to what communities in Edmonton had to say – ‘What helps people and communities in Edmonton to live a healthy life?’ ‘What really matters to you about your health and wellbeing?’, and ‘How can we work more collaboratively with communities to help address health inequalities?’.
The approach: North Central London ICB worked with New Local, Edmonton Community Partnership and Healthwatch Enfield, on the design and delivery of the project. Their strong local knowledge and experience of community participation meant that they could identify where targeted activity would be needed, for example with specific population groups, and the engagement methods that would work well. Over a period of three months, the partners engaged with more than 150 people in Edmonton using a range of participation methods. These were tailored to each community with engagement activities taking place at times of the day and in locations that were felt to be most suited to each group. There was particular emphasis placed on reaching communities experiencing the greatest inequalities.
The detail: A blend of community participation activities took place. This included:
Working with Bulgarian Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities to share their lived experience through drama and storytelling, supported by Platinum Performing Arts, as well as through a panel discussion supported by a Bulgarian Community Support Officer.
The thoughts and experiences of young people were captured through music performance and via the production of a short film, working with Ape Media. Filming took place in community locations where the young people felt comfortable.
Three separate discussion groups were held with a Turkish women’s group, a group of mental health service users, and a group of people with learning disabilities.
A short survey was available on an open-access basis for anyone to contribute their views anonymously in written form.
A community event was held at a local theatre to showcase some of the creative work which had been produced. This was held in the evening to enable community members to attend.
A series of three interactive workshops were held to bring local communities, community and voluntary organisations, and health professionals together in a conversation about health and wellbeing in Edmonton. A blend of online and in person sessions were held.
Allowing the different groups to hear from each other in a supported, facilitated environment meant that it was easier for participants to understand different perspectives and come to a consensus. This enabled the ICB to bring together and incorporate different views rather than just hearing them all separately.
Challenges: There was a lot of activity to coordinate and different organisations involved. Part of the challenge which arises from engaging extensively in this way is how to bring all of the different viewpoints and perspectives together. This was addressed largely through the workshop sessions and particularly the final session which brought together an equal number of representatives from the communities involved, local voluntary and community organisations, and health professionals from the NHS and local authority. It encouraged deliberation and consensus building on the actions that could be taken in response to the findings arising from the different community engagement activities.
Top lessons:
Tailor participation methods to the different communities involved – this helps to ensure all voices are heard and provides everyone with a level playing field to participate. In Edmonton, a range of creative methods were used including drama, poetry, music, video etc alongside discussion groups, conversation panels and workshops.
Bring people together to share learning and build consensus – collaboration can only happen if the right people come together. By building in opportunities to bring residents, service users and service providers together throughout the project, participants had the opportunity to listen to diverse perspectives, identify common ground and develop shared solutions.
Name of project: Community Powered Edmonton
Led By: North Central London Integrated Care Board (ICB)
Summary: A project drawing on a range of community participation approaches tailored to different audiences to ensure multiple communities could be involved in a conversation about what matters to their health and wellbeing.
The situation: North Central London ICB was keen to explore how to reduce demand on acute services, including A&E, and shift to a more community-based, preventative health system. But instead of setting out to address this question directly they decided to start with listening to what communities in Edmonton had to say – ‘What helps people and communities in Edmonton to live a healthy life?’ ‘What really matters to you about your health and wellbeing?’, and ‘How can we work more collaboratively with communities to help address health inequalities?’.
The approach: North Central London ICB worked with New Local, Edmonton Community Partnership and Healthwatch Enfield, on the design and delivery of the project. Their strong local knowledge and experience of community participation meant that they could identify where targeted activity would be needed, for example with specific population groups, and the engagement methods that would work well. Over a period of three months, the partners engaged with more than 150 people in Edmonton using a range of participation methods. These were tailored to each community with engagement activities taking place at times of the day and in locations that were felt to be most suited to each group. There was particular emphasis placed on reaching communities experiencing the greatest inequalities.
The detail: A blend of community participation activities took place. This included:
Working with Bulgarian Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities to share their lived experience through drama and storytelling, supported by Platinum Performing Arts, as well as through a panel discussion supported by a Bulgarian Community Support Officer.
The thoughts and experiences of young people were captured through music performance and via the production of a short film, working with Ape Media. Filming took place in community locations where the young people felt comfortable.
Three separate discussion groups were held with a Turkish women’s group, a group of mental health service users, and a group of people with learning disabilities.
A short survey was available on an open-access basis for anyone to contribute their views anonymously in written form.
A community event was held at a local theatre to showcase some of the creative work which had been produced. This was held in the evening to enable community members to attend.
A series of three interactive workshops were held to bring local communities, community and voluntary organisations, and health professionals together in a conversation about health and wellbeing in Edmonton. A blend of online and in person sessions were held.
Allowing the different groups to hear from each other in a supported, facilitated environment meant that it was easier for participants to understand different perspectives and come to a consensus. This enabled the ICB to bring together and incorporate different views rather than just hearing them all separately.
Challenges: There was a lot of activity to coordinate and different organisations involved. Part of the challenge which arises from engaging extensively in this way is how to bring all of the different viewpoints and perspectives together. This was addressed largely through the workshop sessions and particularly the final session which brought together an equal number of representatives from the communities involved, local voluntary and community organisations, and health professionals from the NHS and local authority. It encouraged deliberation and consensus building on the actions that could be taken in response to the findings arising from the different community engagement activities.
Top lessons:
Tailor participation methods to the different communities involved – this helps to ensure all voices are heard and provides everyone with a level playing field to participate. In Edmonton, a range of creative methods were used including drama, poetry, music, video etc alongside discussion groups, conversation panels and workshops.
Bring people together to share learning and build consensus – collaboration can only happen if the right people come together. By building in opportunities to bring residents, service users and service providers together throughout the project, participants had the opportunity to listen to diverse perspectives, identify common ground and develop shared solutions.
