Exeter Health & Wellbeing Board | Exeter Wellbeing Hub at Wat Tyler House

Meeting of Exeter Health and Wellbeing Board, Tuesday 02 September 2015 (Item 40)

Exeter Wellbeing Hub at Wat Tyler House

Minutes:
Simon Bowkett, the Chief Executive of Exeter CVS, spoke on the background, philosophy and development of the new Hub.

Exeter CVS had with Devon Doctors (delivering local NHS primary care services to vulnerable groups) and Working Links (delivering Community Rehabilitation under the Transforming Rehabilitation Programme) secured £440,000 from Public Health England’s Recovery Capital Fund to transform Wat Tyler House into the Exeter Engagement Hub. It now also had a 20 year lease from the City Council.

A recovery-focused, co-located and integrated health and well being hub for people with a range of needs and capacities, based around a specialist GP surgery would be created. It would also cover substance misuse, mental health and offender management services integrated with adult learning, volunteering programmes, housing advice, personal finance and debt management, participation and citizenship to create a ”wraparound” offer to clients.

Services included the Clock Tower GP service, the probation service, substance misuse support, SHOT,Eddystone (HIV/STD etc.), Bicton College and Julian House (street homeless). These bodies were represented on a Management Steering Group including representatives of the City and County Councils.

Ivan Jordan, the architect, had designed the building based on (and shaped like) a river reflecting a life’s journey from potentially chaotic beginnings to more placid and settled futures. One end of the building focused on crisis management and, moving through the building, advice and guidance was provided on housing, training, education and skills etc. to help build better futures. The physical layout of the interior promoted connectivity between the agencies with shared meeting spaces to facilitate the exchange of information. There was no reception desk, everyone entering the building being greeted by an individual, usually a volunteer, to ensure the individual is re-assured and helped immediately as well as providing some security for the building and staff. Other examples of assistance included John Lewis which had committed staff to train volunteers in customers care skills.

A core assumption was that support with life events through personal transition was the main catalyst for growing recovery capital and was needed in different forms whether a person was in crisis, in treatment, in recovery, in transition, sustaining health and well being or moving towards training and employment.

Simon referred to connectivity with the local community including the Methodist Church, the St. Sidwells Centre, the Mosque and the St James Neigbourhood Forum. He highlighted the latter’s project in developing a community garden which would dovetail with two similar projects clearing and upgrading waste land and involving clients in this exercise. He confirmed that steps were being taken with the City Council to design out the existing problem area in the alleyway to the side of the St. Sidwells Centre which was currently a meeting point for street drinkers, drug taking etc.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

Exeter Health & Wellbeing Board | Progress report on Making Every Adult Matter

Meeting of Exeter Health and Wellbeing Board, Tuesday 07 July 2015 (Item 31)

Progress report on Making Every Adult Matter

Minutes:
Nicola Glassbrook updated the Board on progress with the MEAM national pilot in Devon which was seeking to secure transformational change in people with complex needs;, poor physical or  mental health, substance misuse, criminal/, anti-social behaviour. A principle aim was to secure organisational change across agencies to ensure a joined up approach. It complemented the work of ICE. She introduced Tess Sadatian, recently engaged as the local co-ordinator.

Her work to date has involved liaison with all Devon agencies, volunteer organisations and GP’s to map their involvement with people with complex needs across Exeter, Mid and East Devon and Teignbridge. Torbay had recently appointed its own co-ordinator. To date, seven clients have  been identified with a target of 40 by March 2016.  Individuals with at least three of the above characteristics were assessed through a person centred/appreciative inquiry process to determine eligibility in order to simplify the referral process and improve well-being.

The first operational group had been held in the previous week to discuss clients and address barriers with reports on clients being considered by the strategic group. She would also evaluate project costs.

 

Simon Bowkett emphasised the scale of the culture change required in organisations to meet the model especially in view of recent deaths.

 

RESOLVED that Tess Sadatian speak on this project to the Community Safety Partnership.

Exeter Health & Wellbeing Board | Rough Sleepers

Meeting of Exeter Health and Wellbeing Board, Tuesday 07 July 2015 (Item 25.)

Rough Sleepers (Min No. 21 refers)

Minutes:
Robert Norley reported that the City Council had established a Task and Finish Group to examine homelessness and rough sleeping which included Members, Officers and representatives of outside agencies. In addition, the SHOT contract was to be re-tendered.

Simon Bowkett reported the creation of a health and well being hub at Watt Tyler House utilising a £440,000 grant from Public Health England to be completed by October. It would accommodate the Clocktower surgery, Community Rehabilitation Scheme, Devon Partnership Trust Mental Health Outreach Team, SHOT, the Edison Trust (HIV and Sexual Health) and the Community Housing Association.

Responding to Councillor Edwards, he confirmed that the hub would also act as a point of discharge for offenders released from Exeter prison, the hub providing release funds as well as housing and benefit assessment and health and well being advice.

RESOLVED that a presentation on the Wat Tyler House Hub project be made to the September Board meeting.