The Health Trainer service is a new initiative as proposed in the ‘Choosing Health’ white paper, the service will start to tackle health inequalities within disadvantaged areas, namely Winshill, Stapenhill, Eton Park, Anglesey and Shobnall. This a joint initiative between the East Staffordshire Citizens Advice Bureau and the South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust.
The Health Trainers will be recruited from the community which gives them the added benefit of having experience and understanding of what it means to live and be part of the community, the health trainers should reflect the diversity of the local area.
The Health Trainers will be located within the communities and will be accessible to local groups, they will be well placed to receive and access referrals from professionals and also direct people to appropriate services though their knowledge of the local area. The Health Trainers will also be accessible via a Health Trainer Advice Line which will be available from July 2007.
The Health Trainers will motivate and help people to set goals and plans, and provide support to reach their goals and activate the plans, they will also identify barriers to change.
East Staffordshire Citizens Advice Bureau (ESCAB) and the Health Trainer service will form a complementary and comprehensive partnership addressing the issues of health inequalities, the provision of a holistic service offering personalised health support and the ability to address the barriers to healthy lifestyles with CAB advisers being available to tackle some of the social and economic problems directly associated with health inequalities. A similar highly successful project delivered by Citizens Advice Bureaux in Wales created “Better Health Advice Points” which enabled the CAB service’s contribution, and that of the voluntary sector to be at their most effective.
The Governments White paper on Choosing Health can be seen here.