A bold new strategy has launched today to help south west Londoners live happy, healthier lives for longer – with boosting the local NHS and social care workforce as a key focus.
The schemes are designed to help local people into employment in the NHS, reduce health inequalities, and better reflect the communities served.
Examples of planned initiatives include:
- Filling 100 work experience opportunities or placements in five priority roles to give people the skills for employment
- Employing 100 young people into health or care roles by working with schools, universities and other youth organisations as well as helping with the application process and supporting career development.
- Designing courses in partnership with local colleges, which seeks to equip local unemployed people with skills that will help them to find jobs health and care
- Agreeing the three roles that are most difficult to recruit for and targeting action to boost recruitment.
Workforce is one of key priority areas drawn up by South West London’s health and care partners including the NHS, councils, the voluntary groups, community organisations and Healthwatch.
We will work together to look at our system wide workforce challenges and aim to support local people into employment.
Mike Bell, Chair of NHS South West London and Co-chair of South West London Integrated Care Partnership
The idea of providing joined-up health and social care is not new, with partners in south west London at the forefront of the movement to bring organisations closer together for many years.
The strategy will support our health and care partnership to deliver agreed priorities for the next five years, setting out the challenges and opportunities to improve short and long term health and care.
Areas identified for action include:
- Tackle and reduce health inequalities
- Prevent ill-health, promote self-care and support people to manage their long-term conditions
- Support the health and care needs of children and young people
- Positively focus on mental well-being
- Support for older and frail people in the community
As well as taking action on cross-cutting areas of:
- Equality, diversity and inclusion
- Championing the green agenda
- Elevating patient, carers and community voices
- Workforce
Cllr Ruth Dombey, Leader of Sutton Council and Co-Chair of South West London Integrated Care Partnership, said: “We are really lucky here in South West London to have such a vibrant community and voluntary sector – there are so many dedicated people who care about their communities and understand the lives of the people living here.
“I honestly think that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to do something different, but we can only do it if we bring together the voices of everyone in the community.”
Mike Bell, Chair of NHS South West London and Co-chair of South West London Integrated Care Partnership, said: “Our ambition is to make real and tangible improvements in health and care for local people. To do this we need to be clear about where to focus our collective action. We will work together to look at our system wide workforce challenges and aim to support local people into employment. We know that the quality of someone’s employment can make much more difference to their health than the services, the important services, that we provide in the NHS.”
