Linking the CHIA to the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment
INTRODUCTION
We are introducing an approach to Local Plans and Health and Wellbeing Strategies that are designed by local authorities that centre community wealth building and the development of social capital through a health focused use of spatial assets.
The approach deepens our understanding of how place and health interact and informs how decisions can be made on the use of land. This tells the story of our collaboration with the Downham community in Lewisham, South East London through exploring the potential synergies of Community Health Impact Assessments and a local culture of community self-build and community-led green space enhancement. This includes a community-led asset based approach to maximise the health equity impact of green and blue assets through creation of a Heath Equity Parks Trust Partnership which develops a network of Healthy Living Centres.
The approach centres around the creation of a neighbourhood level database of lived experiences through integrating a Community Health Impact Assessment into the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, aligning data and services to be more inclusive, accurate and ethical. This will form a static picture and then help to identify and assess future interventions. This will involve strengthening the social capital of the neighbourhood through maximising the opportunities for community participation and community wealth building in 3 elements:
Problem definition - including the collection and analysis of both quantitative and qualitative social determinants of health data and health equity priorities for action.
Implementation of interventions to achieve health equity - integrating Lewisham’s community wealth building approach through maximising the resources invested and retained in the existing communities and rewarding voluntary resident contributions to the social capital of the neighbourhood.
Evaluation and Scrutiny of the impact of the interventions.
FURTHER READING
