Press release
Ministers for Health welcome publication of Sláintecare Healthy Communities Progress Report
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly and Minister of State for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy Hildegarde Naughton have today welcomed the publication of the Sláintecare Healthy Communities Progress Report.
The Sláintecare Healthy Communities (SHC) Programme is a Healthy Ireland initiative to reduce health inequalities in Ireland. Launched in 2021, the Programme provides health and wellbeing services and community development initiatives in 19 community areas across Ireland where health inequalities are most evident.
Welcoming the publication of the report, Minister Donnelly said:
“Our ambition as a Government is to do everything we can to improve the health and wellbeing of the population, Sláintecare Healthy Communities does this by empowering those who are most marginalised to achieve their own health and wellbeing goals.”
“Good population health and wellbeing involves more than just delivering health services. The conditions in which we are born, grow, work, live and age can influence our health more than healthcare or lifestyle choices. To address these social determinants of health, the Sláintecare Healthy Communities Programme takes a life course and place-based approach where these factors are created, building communities where people can thrive.”
Sláintecare Healthy Communities takes an evidence-based approach to address local needs, building on existing health and wellbeing programmes. The Programme is led by the Department of Health and implemented at a local level by the Local Authority, the HSE and a wide range of community partners. The Programme creates a platform for multiple agencies and government departments to work together to improve the long-term health and wellbeing of communities.
Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton said:
“The key to the success of Sláintecare Healthy Communities so far is the collaborative and place-based approach, delivered by working through existing community and local authority structures. Local partners have the relationships and trust of the community and know better than anyone else the strengths of their community, as well as the challenges faced. The Sláintecare Healthy Communities Programme provides the mechanism for the local authority, the HSE and local partnerships to work together collaboratively.
“This Progress Report demonstrates how this cross-sectoral and place-based approach can effectively support the delivery of the Sláintecare policy objectives and improve the health and wellbeing of our community members.”
The Sláintecare Healthy Communities Progress Report outlines the Programme’s achievements in 2022. A core group of health promotion services have been established in each area, including Quit Smoking services, parenting programmes, and healthy cooking programmes. A range of local enhancement initiatives have also been completed, for example the transformation of Ballyfermot People’s Park from an empty green space to a beautiful park with meeting and performance spaces, a vegetable patch, bee sanctuary and a market space, and the development of the Le Chéile Community Hub in Cootehill, Cavan, where a former bank building has been transformed into a valuable community space. Through these community development initiatives, the Sláintecare Healthy Communities Programme aims to reduce health inequalities in Ireland, creating healthy communities where everyone can thrive.
Chief Medical Officer Professor Breda Smyth said:
“Health inequality impacts on life expectancy, the risk of chronic disease and the general health of a person. We know that health inequalities are not caused by one single issue but a complex mix of environmental and social factors. Tackling complex problems requires an integrated approach.
“While the programme is led by the Department of Health, it is implemented at a local level by the local authority, the HSE and a wide range of community partners. The Sláintecare Healthy Communities is all about working better together to improve the long-term health and wellbeing of the most disadvantaged communities in Ireland.”
The Sláintecare Healthy Communities Progress Report is available here.
Sláintecare Healthy Communities
Sláintecare Healthy Communities is a cross-Government initiative to deliver increased health and wellbeing services to 19 community areas across Ireland. This programme is being delivered locally in partnership with the HSE, local authorities, statutory, voluntary and community groups as well as the local community. The programme has funded new posts including staff working at community level within the local authorities and the HSE to engage, support and coordinate services to the community in an effective manner.
The Healthy Communities programme is supporting not only the physical and mental health of the people of living in the Sláintecare Healthy Communities; but will also support improvement in the wider determinants of health such as in education, social support and the built environment.
To ensure the 19 areas have access to the full enhanced health and wellbeing programme, a core group of services have been established and operated by the HSE. These services include Stop Smoking Advisors, QUIT smoking services, Parenting Programmes, Healthy Food Made Easy, Social Prescribing, and Make Every Contact Count (MECC). Better access to this range of services will help improve and promote healthier lifestyle behaviours with the aim of supporting the community’s wellbeing.
The 19 Healthy community are all Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) areas and the Department of Health worked alongside the HSE Health Intelligence Unit with their expertise in the development of Health Atlas Ireland in choosing the communities. The 19 communities span 14 local authorities and are a mix of urban and rural areas.
The 19 communities chosen are:
Funding
The Programme has a budget of €13million per annum. This is being used to provide health and wellbeing services via community-based teams employed by the HSE, and through Local Development Companies and Family Resource Centres (FRCs). In addition to these health supports, the Department of Health has put in place Service Level Agreements with each of the 14 Local Authorities in which the communities are located to employ a Local Development Officer, with Seed Funding to implement initiatives that address some of the social determinants of health.
To establish the Programme, a once-off Enhancement Fund of €250,000 was allocated to each of the 19 SHC areas, via the Local Authorities, to support improvements to the built environment. Local Authorities identified projects which could positively impact on the health and wellbeing of community members and provide added value from a social determinants of health perspective.
The additional Seed Fund of €75,000 was allocated to each SHC area in 2022, via the Local Authorities, to support the work of the Local Development Officer and to fund projects identified by the community that will support health and wellbeing. The Local Development Officer oversees the expenditure of both the Enhancement Fund and the Seed Fund.