Agenda item

This report summarises the work undertaken so far by the Health and Wellbeing Board and partners to develop a strategy and action plan to address social isolation and loneliness in Hammersmith and Fulham.

Julien Danero-Iglesias provided an update on work undertaken on Social Isolation and Loneliness (SIL). A Board priority since November 2017, this initiative would consider ways of developing a community asset-based solution to reduce SIL in the Borough. Officers had met with different groups and stakeholders to improve their understanding of the impact of SIL on residents, mapping existing provision and identifying gaps.

A workshop had been held on 12 June at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith facilitated by We Coproduce, a local charity. 70 representatives from various organisations based or operating in the borough attended. It was agreed that SIL affected everyone and that building connected communities was key. The next step was to create a core group of volunteers to determine how to progress the work within the community. Feedback from the workshop was very positive, welcoming the drive to address SIL and the opportunity to network. Approximately 20 people from the workshop had volunteered to be on the proposed core group. The Board was asked to endorse this and facilitate future work.

Councillor Coleman said the office of Tracy Crouch MP, Minister for Loneliness in the DCMS (Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport) had shown interest in the Board’s community asset-based approach and was minded to use H&F as a good practice case study for their new strategy to be published in the autumn.

Councillor Coleman asked whether the HWB should do as the government and truncate the phrase “social isolation and loneliness” to “loneliness”. While there was a need to be inclusive, there were two distinct issues. Isolation was not necessarily negative but loneliness was.

Members felt that the two matters combined could have a severe impact and it was worth considering the different ways in which both social isolation and loneliness could be addressed.

SIL had a different impact on BAME (Black and Minority Ethnic) groups, for example. Somali women were already isolated from existing support structures. SIL experienced by people with mental health problems would also be different as their conditions acted as a barrier that could prevent them from accessing support. Councillor Quigley said that research conducted for the Disabled People’s Commission (DPC) suggested that one barrier was the individual’s state of mind and a perception that a person felt alone, regardless of their actual circumstances. Councillor Coleman suggested this be discussed further with the government and the Campaign to End Loneliness.

Councillor Coleman welcomed Ruth Redfern, the council’s Community Engagement Lead, who had been appointed to develop ward working in the Borough. A prototype pilot project was planned in four wards. This would take an inclusive and diverse approach, working with existing partnerships. 

Members felt that the SIL core group should have a clear structure to shape aims and objectives and retain a tight focus e.g., by setting three key priorities. It was agreed that before contacting those who were interested in forming a core group the form, the structure and remit of the group be further considered.

RESOLVED

That the Director of Public Health, Director of Social Care and Community Engagement Lead meet with the HWB Chair to discuss the structure and remit of the proposed SIL core group.