The 2009 winners of the Healthcare People Management Association (HPMA) partnership award, sponsored and judged by the Social Partnership Forum are Belfast Health and Social Care Trust: The West Belfast and Greater Shankill Health Employment Partnership (WBGSHEP) which has been working in partnership to tackle health and social inequalities.
About the West Belfast and Greater Shankill Health Employment Partnership (WBGSHEP)
The West Belfast and Greater Shankill Health Employment Partnership is an innovative and unique partnership between community organisations within West Belfast and Greater Shankill, the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT) and the trade union Unison.
West Belfast and Greater Shankill experiences the highest levels of unemployment, poverty and other forms of disadvantage in Northern Ireland and seven of the ten most deprived locations in Northern Ireland are situated in the West Belfast and Greater Shankill area. Poor social and environmental living conditions have a major impact on health and people living in the West Belfast and Greater Shankill areas are almost five times as likely as those in employment to report their health as not good. NISRA’s 2001 Health and Social Wellbeing Survey showed that in Northern Ireland, unemployed people within the Eastern Board area (which includes West Belfast and Shankill) are almost five times as likely as those in employment to report their health as not good (28% compared with 6%).
The unique partnership shares a vision to tackle health and social inequalities and disadvantage by creating jobs and career progression. The partnership targets groups of people who face the most stubborn problems of unemployment by working with them to remove the barriers that are stopping them from finding employment. It works to improve job and career progression rates, this will lead to additional entry-level vacancies which can be targeted at those furthest removed from the labour market which will in turn create a potentially sustainable stream of additional opportunities
Making a difference to patient care
WBGSHEP makes a difference to patient care by tackling the underlying reasons for health and social inequalities. Social and environmental factors throughout the lifecourse have a major impact on health, and the low ranking of West Belfast and Greater Shankill only serves to emphasise the deleterious effects of deprivation and exclusion on health.
It helps unemployed individuals back into work by providing support and intervention with full employer participation. Individuals benefit from a series of “bite sized” accredited learning and development opportunities such as Infection Control, Health and Safety and Basic Food Hygiene. The employer provides them with mock interviews conducted by staff who then provide feedback to individuals to ensure they are fully prepared for the recruitment process when it occurs. Further assistance, support and ongoing mentoring is provided by local Job Assist Centres including assistance in completing application forms, interviews skills and job preparation.
How we did it
WBGSHEP is led by a project board and implemented by a project manager with support from a cross-organisational implementation group.
By being a truly inclusive partnership project, spanning employers, trade unions and community organisations, the project works across traditional boundaries and addresses challenges in a more imaginative, flexible and resourceful manner.
The partnership developed an initial scoping document, followed by a feasibility study and a detailed economic appraisal which:
- clearly specified the goals, outcomes and outputs expected from the partnership
- set out formal arrangements for independent evaluation, especially important given the innovative and groundbreaking aspects of the partnership
- specified and adopted rigorous governance arrangements.
Assistance on evaluating the success of the project was gained from the City University in New York and from the Kings Fund in London. A series of periodic workshops has enabled the partnership to get additional input direct from programme participants, supervisors, managers, education providers and community representatives.
The evaluation methods are based on qualitative and quantitative data, using case studies, wider discussions and questionnaires. These approaches have enabled the partnership to regularly re-assess its effectiveness and continually improve their approach.
The results
- 130 people living in the area will gain employment in the health and social care sector. Many of these people have been without work for an extended period.
a similar number of people will progress in their career following support from the partnership.
- 634 additional training places for staff in entry level posts have been created, including training in personal development and essential skills.
- Over 130 local residents who have been unemployed for some time have received additional personal development and vocational training.
- There are a number of indirect benefits including improved family circumstances and the associated regeneration of the area.
- The project will serves a good practice model for other areas.
The future
WBGSHEP is an excellent example of true partnership working and an excellent model for other health trusts and public services. The partnership demonstrates how a major public body can use its scale to help improve the regeneration of a local deprived area.
The project is now being rolled out to other areas of Belfast as well as other trusts within the region. There has been interest from other areas as far afield as New York and Glasgow and the project is now working with the Kings Fund to provide an interim evaluation of the success of the partnership.
Additionally, a substantive independent evaluation will also be carried out which will have much wider relevance for other projects working in other areas of deprivation and will ensure that learning and good practice can be shared with other trusts and employers.
Top tips from the West Belfast and Greater Shankill Health Employment Partnership:
for successful partnership working:
- evaluation is the key to improving and developing
- true partnership allows you to work across traditional boundaries
- use the skills of partnership members to tackle challenges in a imaginative, flexible and resourceful manner.
and what to avoid:
- traditional barriers and behaviours need to be overcome
- making assumptions on the needs of those furthest removed from the labour market
- bringing issues which are outside of the remit of the partnership.
Further information and contact details:
Catherine Livingstone, project manager
West Belfast and Greater Shankill Health Employment Partnership
catherine@esboard.org