Introduction
Community health promotion is a powerful mission that relies on organizations’ efforts to drive change by directly solving the issues the served population faces. Overall, the effectiveness of such endeavors is impacted by various factors and is shaped by the efficiency of resource usage by decision-makers. Moreover, for an organization to serve the community’s needs efficiently, it should employ relevant and reliable models, approaches, and health promotion techniques while engaging in sufficient partnerships with businesses and local organizations. A holistic approach that addresses external factors uses available resources and integrated properly determined models and approaches to ensure the achievement of organizational goals and the improvement of community life. For that matter, it is essential to analyze the organization’s performance within the framework of the abovementioned characteristics to identify benefits and possible areas for improvement.
Organization and Volunteer Role Overview
This case study is focused on the experience of working as a volunteer social worker at the Thames Life organization. It serves the Thames View, Barking Riverside, and Scrattons Farm community via numerous projects and collaborations aimed at eliminating social issues and improving residents’ well-being (“About us,” 2022). The mission of the organization is to “create positive spaces and opportunities for resident empowerment and well-being” (“About us,” 2022, para. 2). The vision of Thames Life is “a diverse and vibrant community where residents are driving change” (“About us,” 2022, para. 1). The participation as a volunteer involved working as a part of the Well-being Navigators project facilitating residents’ health and well-being (“TWCP annual report,” 2022). The responsibilities included residential visits with questionnaires inquiring about community members’ challenges with housing, healthcare, and community activities. Participation in the project allows for concluding the organization’s effectiveness in terms of its impact and facilitation of factors, resources, and partnerships. This case study will analyze the organization’s impact on the community from the perspective of the used models and approaches of health promotion and community engagement and change.
Contextual Factors Influencing Health Promotion in the Community
Thames Life’s performance is impacted by various factors that shape its responsibilities and opportunities. In particular, one of the important factors impacting the process of promoting health in the served community is the quality of the built environment. According to the organization’s website, the community resides in an area where the built environment is under continuous development (“About us,” 2022). Indeed, there are “10,800 housing units planned for the Riverside development and a Borough Corporate Plan (2018-2022) that seeks to build an additional 50,000 homes” (“About us,” 2022, para. 4). Thus, the lack of a completely built environment exposes the residents of the area to challenges associated with the access to essential services and facilities.
Furthermore, another significant factor is the socio-economic one, which is directly connected with people’s health-related experiences and opportunities. In particular, the community “is historically one of the most deprived in the Borough, ranking 13th of 17 wards, with some of the highest rates of childhood obesity and indices of deprivation in the country” (“Abous us,” 2022, para. 4). Thus, these issues coupled with the limited access of the population to proper healthcare and preventative services might complicate the effectiveness of health promotion practices.
In addition, the demographic situation is another contextual determinant influencing health promotion in the community. Indeed, the community is diverse and represents multiple races, ethnicities, ages, and genders. Moreover, the community’s population has doubled in a short period and is expected to increase further, which requires relevant solutions regarding the provision of necessary services and facilities to meet community needs (“About us,” 2022). Thus, when developing and implementing health promotion projects in the community, the organization faces difficulties in identifying and timely responding to the diverse needs of the residents. The difficulty of managing multiple stakeholders’ engagement and intersectionality implications of social issues addressed (Cicognani et al., 2020; Van den Broucke, 2020). In this regard, the organization collaborates with educational, housing, environmental, and other entities to respond to the community’s service demands.
Finally, the local political situation is a pivotal factor in the field of health promotion due to the legislative and national policy-based guidelines that regulate the funding and implementation of such initiatives. Thames Life develops and implements its projects under the national health promotion policy outlined in the Public Health England (PHE) strategy 2020-2025 (Public Health England, 2019). Among the priorities and opportunities within this strategy aimed at improving national health status is the development of healthy communities, which is directly addressed by Thames Life (Public Health England, 2019). Furthermore, the organization’s performance aligns with the National Planning Policy Framework, which holds that “planning has a role in helping to create healthy places” (Local Government Association, 2018, p. 4). In this regard, Thames Life complies with the political and policy-related regulations to plan and implement projects that bridge health inequalities and promote healthy communities.
Relevant Models, Approaches, Methods, and Techniques Used by the Organization
When initiating its health promotion projects, Thames Life uses various theoretical and practical tools to ensure holistic and evidence-based work with the community. Firstly, one should focus on analyzing the models implied in the decisions and initiatives characteristic of the organization. The first model of health promotion that might be observed in the work of Thames Life is Behavioral Change Model, which is defined “as a theoretical framework, considering individuals’ capabilities, opportunities and motivation, when delivering services” (Lawlor et al., 2020, p. 843). Indeed, this model aims to change the community’s lifestyle and health behaviors to ensure minimized threats, risks, and better accessibility of services. According to research, “behaviour change interventions and programmes should consider local needs and tailor services accordingly” (Lawlor et al., 2020, p. 844). Thus, projects aimed at changing behavior apply to communities to instill new patterns of behavior prioritizing healthy outcomes.
Within this model, several approaches to health promotion are used to meet community needs related to health and well-being. In particular, empowerment is an approaches that facilitates behavior change from a long-term perspective and allows for strengthening people’s resilience and connectivity (Halvorsen et al., 2020; Srivastavet al., 2020). Empowerment is viewed as an approach to health communication with the served community, during which the people are provided with the necessary means to access services and believe in their capabilities to overcome challenges (Nutbeam, 2019). In this regard, the empowerment of the residents of the areas served by Thames Life is articulated in the organization’s mission and vision. It demonstrates the organization’s commitment to long-term support of the residents on their path toward sustainable well-being (“About us,” 2022). Furthermore, according to research, community empowerment is viewed as a combination of communication and education when building public support for changes in public policy” (Nutbeam, 2019, p. 707). Thus, the empowerment approach is logically connected with other approaches used by the organization, which will be covered further in the report and demonstrate the holistic framework of health promotion used by Thames Life.
In addition, the educational approach is used to teach the community certain skills or disseminate important information. In this regard, health education is meant to raise public awareness about either concerns or opportunities related to their health outcomes and improve their capabilities to address challenges in the future (Nutbeam, 2019; Stellefson et al., 2020; Torani et al., 2019). The work of Thames Life in this direction is wholesome and deliberate, manifested through an array of educational projects and initiatives (“About us,” 2022). For example, the work conducted by the organization to combat social isolation in the borough includes workshops, art-therapy, and community educational sessions (“Tackling social isolation,” n. d.). Education of the community is one of the most effective elements in the behavior change model since it provides the opportunity for spreading information, inducing intrinsic motivation for change, and facilitating involvement in community activities.
The methods used for health promotion in the community served by Thames Life align with the approaches of empowerment and education and include the following. Firstly, information dissemination on health issues, preventative measures, and community-based interventions is implemented within such projects as Community Resilience Program, Barking Food Forest, Well-being Navigators, and others (“About us,” 2022; “TWCP annual report,” 2022). Furthermore, the organization engages in such empowerment-related health promotion methods as group meetings, advocacy, community negotiations, and networking (“TWCP annual report,” 2022). Thames Life is focused on developing leaders “by offering increased skills development, training and volunteering opportunities for residents” (“About us,” 2022, para. 3). In this regard, the support provided by the organization to the served community is essential in empowering behavioral change. Indeed, the techniques of leaflet dissemination, volunteer work, “signposting and referrals to community activities,” and partnerships with community groups to engage the served populations (“TWCP annual report,” 2022, p. 16). Thus, these techniques align well with the methods, approaches, and Behavioral Change Model, ultimately improving the health and well-being of the community.
The second model used by Thames Life is conceptually connected with the Health Behavior Change Model since it is aimed at working with established norms. This model is called the Social Norms Model; it entails that social norms play a significant role “in influencing behaviors that shape people’s ability to protect their health and achieve their life potential” (Cislaghi et al., 2019, p. 937). Alongside the Diffusion Theory, the Social Norms Model emphasizes community engagement in promoting policy changes and driving improvements locally with re-shaping of socially acceptable behaviors (Cislaghi et al., 2019; Edberg & Krieger, 2020). This model holds that for health and well-being improvements, the community’s attitudes toward particular practices, services, and issues should change. In this regard, raising awareness about the available services and events initiated by Thames Life illustrates the implementation of health promotion following this model. Indeed, the organization strives to “exert influences, develop leaders, and nurture relationships” in its attempt to improve the health outcomes of the whole community in the long-term perspective (“About us,” 2022, para. 3). Thus, the model implies community norms changes that drive policy improvements.
The approach relevant to the identified model is social change, which is implemented to shape new standards and demands of services, facilities, and guidelines to eliminate existing barriers to a healthy life. The core of this approach is the instilling of the long-term commitment of the involved stakeholders by generating norms and policies that establish requirements for the residents’ well-being (Nutbeam, 2019). In particular, Thames Life is committed to providing community residents with “a space for people to feel more comfortable and knowledgable to have a say at meetings where decisions are made around health services” (“TWCP annual report,” 2022, p. 24). Thus, the approach allows for engaging residents in decision-making, shaping new norms, and influencing policy-making procedures.
Within the social change approach, one might differentiate between several health promotion methods Thames Life uses. In particular, the organization utilizes the methods of health legislation shaping, organizational policy-making, relationship-forming, and partnerships. In particular, the official information from the organization’s website demonstrates that Thames Life facilitates relationships by establishing meaningful and sustainable connections “between residents and partnerships with the local authority, developers, NHS, schools and others” (“About us,” 2022, para. 3). In addition, the organization exerts influence by linking community members with policy- and decision-makers to instill improvements in the area (“About us,” 2022, para. 3). Thus, these methods allow for implementing the interventions implied in the Social Norms Models and the social change approach.
The abovementioned methods are accompanied by such techniques as meetings, forums, discussions, and other initiatives. The organization engages in volunteer work to facilitate the collaboration between the organization, residents, and decision-makers (“TWCP annual report,” 2022). The organization complies with the theoretical frameworks supporting health promotion initiatives and effectively serves tentative community needs via available resources. The variety of projects allows for positive change within housing, health services, economic support, and other areas essential for the community’s well-being.
Current Practices, Opportunities, and Challenges Related to Collaboration and Partnership
When serving the community to meet its needs, Thames Life engages in close collaborations and partnerships characterized by certain opportunities and challenges. Current practices aimed at forming collaborations manifest by involving at least one partner in each organizational project. For example, the Resident Planning Forum project implementation engaged in partnerships with UCL’s Barrlet School (“TWCP annual report,” 2022). Another example is the engagement of the British Red Cross as a partner in the Community Resilience Network Project (“TWCP annual report,” 2022). Thus, current practices are based on collaborations that benefit the organization and its partners by enhancing their promotional or educational goals.
One of the essential aspects of partnerships is the availability of funding. It is manifested via grant obtainment and collaboration with governmental organizations. The source of addressing socio-economic issues of such funding partnerships is the assumption that it is “more important to connect people together, than to ‘fix’ their problems” (“Barking and Dagenham, 2022, p. 3). Furthermore, the organization particularly focuses on the health benefits for the community residents, which is why it partners with hospitals and non-profit organizaitons to initiate community events. Such events include “yoga, visual arts classes, art therapy classes, a walking group, herbal medicine making, and litter picking” (“TWCP annual report,” 2022, p. 16). In addition, governmental institutions collaborate when it comes to the involvement of the residents in policy-making and local decision-making events.
As for the opportunities, the organization might extend the scope of its potential partners by engaging in collaborations with similar entities from other regions of the country. In such a manner, the exchange of experience and the identification of similarities in health-related issues might benefit the finding of alternative solutions to the existing problems (Nutbeam, 2019). It is recommended to increase private-public, academic, and research-practice partnerships to facilitate the stakeholder engagement of the community into the health promotion practices (Estabrooks et al., 2019; Joudyian et al., 2021; Sørensen et al., 2021; Spencer et al., 2019). Furthermore, the current challenge that the organization is facing is the shortage of funding that might be addressed by enhancing cooperation with local businesses (“About us,” 2022). Another challenge is the limited outreach to the community residents, which might be improved using more volunteer work or partnering with colleges majoring in social work.
Community Engagement and Change
To engage the community in the initiative and projects implemented by Thames Life, the organization facilitates the use of available resources to maximize involvement and awareness. One of the sources of facilitated engagement of the stakeholders is volunteer work, which focuses on involving residential and non-residential populations (“About us,” 2022). Community engagement is facilitated by surveys, questionnaires, forums, and media popularizing community events (“TWCP annual report,” 2022). Multiple residents are willing to be active participants or comprise a part of contact database to assist in community change (“Thames Life case study,” 2023). However, the engagement is hindered by limited resources that might be a barrier to a higher level of residents’ participation due to the lack of awareness about such opportunities. The volunteer work of residential visits was effective in attracting people’s attention to the initiatives and projects but might not be consistent without continuous volunteer work.
The consistency of community engagement, transparency of the organizational performance, and timely response to community demands allow the organization to instill positive change and maintain its impact over time. For a change to occur and to be available for evaluation, a certain period should pass. The history of already implemented projects demonstrates high achievements of the organizational impact on the community. Indeed, the feedback from partners and residents involved in the projects initiated by Thames Life demonstrates that the community obtains necessary information, a safe space to receive support, and an opportunity to articulate their concerns (“TWCP annual report,” 2022). However, for social change to be more durable and sustainable, more activities and higher levels of community involvement are needed. It is recommended that the organization makes a change via more empowerment and connectedness in the community by extending its partnership base (Adhikari et al., 2020; Heard et al., 2020; Majee et al., 2018; World Health Organization, 2020). Thames Life is working on extending its base of partnerships and connections to meet community needs based on the information collected via questionnaires and other means.
Conclusion
In summation, this report has presented an overview of Thames Life, the organization serving the residents of the Thames View, Barking Riverside, and Scrattons Farm communities. Participation in the project as a volunteer social worker visiting residents and conducting a questionnaire to detect their health and well-being challenges and inform them about community events and opportunities was an insightful experience. The analysis of the organization’s performance on the background of various contextual factors has revealed that health promotion practices and projects require compliance with multiple challenges within the economic, social, demographic, environmental, and political domains.
Furthermore, the experience of volunteer work allowed obtaining information about Thames Life’s use of health promotion models, approaches, methods, and techniques that enable it to make changes in the community’s health and well-being. The Behavioral Change Model and Social Norms Model are used by applying the approaches of empowerment, education, and social change. The organization initiates interventions of community dialogues, training, workshops, conferences, information dissemination, advocacy building, networking, and policy changing. Via close collaborations with non-governmental organizaitons, hospitals, schools, and businesses, Thames Life works effectively to engage the community and stakeholders and make changes in the well-being of the served residents.
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