Eight organisations are working together to give more people access to digital health coaching: Age UK Trafford, Empower You, Liva Healthcare, Manchester Deaf Centre, Pakistani Resource Centre, Trafford Council, Trafford Housing Trust and Voice of BME.
Trafford Council, Trafford Housing Trust, and global health tech company, Liva Healthcare, have announced a collaboration with Age UK Trafford and four other charities to provide the most vulnerable groups with health coaching and lifestyle intervention in Stretford, Old Trafford, Partington and other areas in Trafford. The new partnership marks the first time Trafford Council and Trafford Housing Trust have engaged with a digital healthcare provider.
Supporting more vulnerable groups
Over the course of three years, the programme will help almost 1,000 patients. Representatives from each organisation will receive a taster session so they know exactly what kind of help their clients will receive. The collaboration aims to support people from disadvantaged communities and hard to reach groups, including people from ethnic minorities and patients with learning difficulties or sensory impairments.
According to the Runnymede Trust, some ethnic minorities, particularly Pakistani and Bangladeshi groups, have poorer health in the UK than other ethnicities . This partnership aims to tackle this health gap across communities, bringing digital health plans and coaching to more at-risk groups.
Local people will be given access to a six-month programme of regular health coaching sessions with a dedicated health coach. Anybody going through the programme will receive professional guidance, support, and empathy, to help patients tackle or prevent chronic conditions through sustainable lifestyle and behaviour changes. The programme will assist people with pre-diabetes or Type 2 diabetes, and those at risk of heart disease and obesity. The programme is kick-started by an initial meeting between a coach and patient through a live video chat, followed by 18 personal coaching sessions over the course of six months.
The third-sector together
Patients will be referred into the Liva programme by the five partnership charity organisations. The Liva programme will be working with the charities to make sure everybody who’s in need, is aware that it is available at no cost to the patients.
The organisations offering volunteers on this programme are; Age UK Trafford, Empower You, Manchester Deaf Centre, Pakistani Resource Centre, and Voice of BME.
Setting up for the future
The outcomes from this project will be studied closely and the results will feed into the decision to extend past the initial three-year period.
Memuna Adam, partnerships director at Liva Healthcare says: “Supporting all members of society is something close to my heart. Everybody should have access to the most innovative technology and health advice.
“Vulnerable people and those from ethnic minorities have historically found difficulty in receiving treatment or digital advice due to accessibility or cultural barriers. We are here to change this. This first of its kind partnership will be the first step in giving everybody in Trafford access to this programme”.
Jane Slater, executive for health wellbeing and equality at Trafford Council says: “I am incredibly excited for this project to begin. Trafford’s new ‘Healthy Lifestyles’ offer will help us address some of the key health inequalities and lead to positive outcomes for those who most need the support. Having a digital offer was already a key next step for Trafford, but given the current situation, it will now play an even more crucial role in promoting healthy lifestyles in the area”.
Ann Marie Jones, chief executive at AGE UK Trafford says: “This is such a great opportunity for our community and for people over the age of 50 who may be struggling with making healthy lifestyle changes. We are excited to be part of this project and to be involved in this innovative way of working”.
People can be referred into the programme from the 1st of May.
