Breaking Barriers Innovations is leading a series of pilot projects on place and the social determinants of health across England
Breaking Barriers Innovations are leading a series of pilot projects on place and the social determinants of health across England. The pilots have been supported along the way by local and national partners, including Health Education England (HEE), and seek to provide a facilitated and comprehensive approach to the place-based development and delivery of health and social care services that can address the social determinants of health and wellbeing.
The playbook methodology was originally devised following a programme with West Lancashire CCG. The CCG had identified a problem that was well beyond its responsibilities within its part of the system but which nevertheless demanded a whole-system approach to tackling: the impact of housing on the health of the area’s inhabitants. BBI brought together local stakeholders as well as outside sponsorship to explore possible system-based solutions and this culminated in a national HOMES Summit in 2018.
The Playbook Methodology established via this project provides a template based on four building blocks for addressing the social determinants of health, so that NHS, Local Authorities, and other partner organisations can work alongside residents in communities to create solutions in localities across the country. These building blocks are:
- strategic alignment
- resident and community engagement and co-design
- building professional skills, competence and the right culture
- service integration and innovation.
Addressing an agreed issue provides a clear demonstrable value in a place-based approach and leave a clear proof of concept of how it was done for future champions of “Place” to follow.
The BBI Playbook programme is in line with the NHS Long Term Plan, which outlined the need to transform models of care over the next five years to provide more co-ordinated, proactive and personalised care and better health outcomes. BBI has so far undertaken playbook programmes in five locations – Cornwall, Solent, Somerset, Essex and Kent.