The latest annual report highlighting the work of Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership’s (HSCP) Health Improvement Team is now available.

The report provides an insight into the progress made by Health Improvement around improving health and wellbeing and reducing health inequalities during 2022 to 2023.

This year’s report reflects the increasingly important focus on poverty, mental health and inequality; the many partnerships across the city; and the role of staff, volunteers and modern apprentices in responding to the health and wellbeing needs of the population of Glasgow.  

Fiona Moss, our HSCP’s Head of Health Improvement and Equalities, said: “This report captures the broad range of our business with others in the HSCP, partners and communities, and the programmes delivered for the wider health board area give us much to be proud of. 

“The Cost of Living Crisis has challenged the health of our population in 2022 to 2023, and our Health Improvement staff have worked exceptionally hard to respond to and mitigate the impact across our City in order to support those most affected.

“Staff continue to show commitment, enthusiasm and flexibility to their work in order to meet the needs of local communities.”

Highlights are:

• The core Financial Inclusion Service supports community-based NHS staff to make direct referrals for patients who have money worries to a range of dedicated Money Advice providers. NHS staff referred 4,771 patients to money advice services across the city in 2022 to 2023. This resulted in almost £7.6million in financial gains and over £1.5million in debt managed.
• Health Improvement colleagues from across the city developed and implemented a series of co-production events around online harm in order to empower marginalised groups across Glasgow. This work included the development of a training programme to increase knowledge of online harm, its impact on mental health and effective strategies to promote positive usage of digital services.
• The commissioning of the ‘Connect and Flourish: Socially Connected Glasgow Strategy’, which was co-produced by Glasgow City HSCP, Impact Funding partners and those most affected by social isolation and loneliness. The strategy focuses on the importance of mental well-being in the recovery from the pandemic as a city and is aligned with our HSCP’s Maximising Independence approach. 
• Health Improvement welcomed four new Modern Apprentices into the workforce, three within the locality Health Improvement Teams and another within the Youth Health Service. New colleagues not only enhance the skills and diversity of the workforce, but also bring a youth voice and new ideas to Health Improvement work. One of the apprentices said: “Since starting my apprenticeship, I feel that I’ve come a long way as a person. It’s given me a lot more confidence and I’ve been given tasks to do that I would shy away from previously. I’ve really enjoyed working with my colleagues and they’ve been really helpful towards me if I was struggling.”

Health Improvement staff are proud to have achieved the following:

• Awards for Peer work in Prisons
• Glasgow City HSCP Volunteer of the Year Award 2022
• Public Health Volunteer of the Year Award 2022
• Excellence Award 2023 for Naloxone Peer Champions (Silver)
• Public Health Leader of the Year Award 2022 for the Health Improvement Practitioner who implemented the Programme
• Public Health overall winner for Prison Health Improvement Team and Naloxone Peer Champions 2023 and
• LGBT Bronze Charter status for Quit Your Way and the Youth Health Service.