The Health Champions programme is designed to empower and support local volunteers to use their skills and position within the community to play a more significant part in helping their friends, families, neighbours and community groups to promote health and support them to stay healthy.
This programme aims to work in partnership with our communities to help individuals, families and groups take responsibility for their health and wellbeing. The focus is on better health promotion, prevention of ill health and self-management.
The local work of Health Champions outlines a practical approach to reducing health inequalities through community empowerment; National, regional and local partners work together to develop an approach to community empowerment in health and well-being which is systematic and integrated into the core business of reducing health inequalities.
Health champions will develop their skills, based on their areas of interest and utilise these skills in supporting their family, friends, neighbours and community groups to live healthier lifestyles and to manage their own health and wellbeing.
Who is a Health Champion?
A Health Champion is a volunteer who engaged, trained and supported to use their life experience, understanding and position of influence to help their friends, families, communities and work colleagues lead healthier lives.
Health champions are individuals who often wish to ‘give something back’ and can spare some time help others to stay healthy.
Health champions are people who, with training and support, voluntarily bring their ability to relate to people and their own life experience to transform health and well-being in their communities.
What does a Health Champion do?
Health champions motivate and encourage others to adopt healthier lifestyles and access the support they need. Examples of activities include:
• Providing people with health-related information, leaflets etc
• Looking out for and support vulnerable people
• Identifying issues within the community and communicating with health and care professionals
• Obtaining feedback on patients’/users’ experiences of care/services, possibly through patient stories
• Networking with other health champions to support one another and share ideas and experiences
Health champions help others to manage their health conditions and will be play a key part in self-care and preventing people from being admitted or re-admitted into hospital.
What are the different types of Health Champions?
Our plan is to develop:
- Health Champions (Adults) – there will be two levels of HCs:
- Level 1 (or informal) – with basic training provided; their role is to communicate information, including signposting, to their family, friends and networks.
- Level 2 – Accredited training, safeguarding checks completed. In addition to the above, a defined role agreed depending on their area of interest, e.g. physical activity, mental health, diabetes etc.
- Youth Health Champions – young people between the ages of 13 and 25, with accredited trained for youth HCs, providing lifestyle information and support to their peers.
What are the expected outcomes?
The outcome is an increase in people’s confidence and their self-esteem which will improve community health and wellbeing.
Health Champions will, in addition, contribute to achieving several Public Health Outcomes, including:
1. Increased life expectancy
2. Reducing health inequalities between different parts of the borough
3. Increasing the proportion of people who are physically active
4. Increasing the proportion of people who eat healthily 5. Reducing levels of diabetes