ICON Health Forum Tender Request
14 Jan 2008
Tender request to carry out a Community Consultation to asses the needs of the community in relation to the Summerhill Primary Health Care Facility and the services that are to be provided there.
Tasks
- Organise and host a series of consultations (circa. 10) in the community with the support of the Health Forum.
- Include the views of marginalised groups (e.g. homeless population, drugs users and ethnic minority groups) living in the area.
- Determine the health and service needs of the community in relation to the Primary Health Care Facility.
- Produce a final report with recommendations
- Use creative and participatory methodologies
Skills Required
- Proven track record in overseeing community-based consultations
- Knowledge and experience of community development
- Good communication, analytical and report writing skills
- Knowledge of the health service would be an advantage
- Knowledge of the area would be an advantage
Format of tender
- Name of person dealing with tender
- Information on body/organisation/individual submitting the tender
- C.V. and details of similar work undertaken in the past
- Proposed methods of consultation
- Details of how the data is to be analysed
- Cost/budget
Closing Date
Tender applications should be submitted no later than 5pm on Friday 1st February 2008.
ICON Health Action Forum
Community Consultation Summary Document
'The ICON Health Action Forum is comprised of local community organisations and individuals living and working in the north east inner city, who are exercising their right to participate in health and service development'
Context
The north east inner city is 'deprived' on a number of indicators. The SARHU index, a nationally accepted indicator of deprivation combines unemployment, low social class, car ownership, rental accommodation and over crowding. This index gives its' highest (i.e. worst) rating of 10 to all but one of the electoral divisions within the North East Inner City.
- The highest density of medical ownership in the North City is also in the North East with over 40% ownership in some electoral divisions.
- Deaths from all causes are 'geo-coded; so that they can be given per electoral division. The most recent data on mortality by electoral division is almost 10 years old. The NEIC contains the highest standardised mortality rates (SMR's) or death rates. Mountjoy A has the highest SMR, almost twice the rate of the Eastern Regional Health Authority, followed by Rotunda A and North Dock C, both over 70% higher than the ERHA as a whole.
- In 2006, 646 people on methadone had addresses in the NEIC. In Mountjoy A 6% of the population less than 15 years are on methadone.
- For example generally in Ireland there are 68 GPs for every 100,000 people. In the ICON there should be circa. 25 GPs working, but there are only 14 and only 2 of those offer methadone treatment.
On a range of indicators including health and deprivation, the North East Inner City contains some of the most deprived localities in the country. It has been recognised that electoral division level statistics however, mask the true deprivation in some areas. Practically all local authority housing estates are in the most disadvantaged categories. This requires greater emphasis on targeting those individuals, families and neighbourhoods that experience greatest need.
ICON Health Action Forum
ICON established a Health Action Forum with the following aims:
- To help the community improve their own health and services through raising awareness and creating dialogue on health matters among community groups and with health services.
- To positively influence the health of the population overtime through gathering relevant data and information.
- Enabling the community to make informed choices through access to appropriate health information and intelligence.
- Working with the statutory agencies in developing strategies to improve access to health services
- To ensure the right of the community to be consulted at local level through representative community groups regarding their health needs
- To ensure that services for the community are appropriate, responsive to their needs, accessible and delivered in a manner that respects their privacy, dignity and individuality.
- To facilitate the most appropriate delivery of the Primary Health Care Strategy for the ICON area.
Proposal
A primary Health Care Until is to be built on the Mountainview Court site in Summerhill. Existing services from the North Strand and Summerhill health centres will be relocated to the new site. This presents an opportunity for the community to say which services are needed in a primary health care facility.
The ICON Health Action Forum is seeking to host a series of community consultations in the north east inner city to asses the needs of the community in relation to the Primary Health Care Facility and the services that are to be provided there. The Forum particularly seeks to include the views of marginalised groups including the homeless population, drug users and ethnic minority groups living in the area.
A community facilitator will be hired, and using participatory methodologies, consult a range of different target groups on their health needs. The planning stages for the Primary Health Care Facility are underway in both Dublin City Council and the HSE and it is imperative that the consultation process is initiated quickly to ensure that the community can participate in identifying their own needs. This approach is in line with that stated in the Primary Care Strategy:
' the coverage composition and number of primary care teams in each health board area will be established on the basis of needs assessments consistent with a population health approach.......Needs assessments should specifically identify special needs or areas of disadvantage to ensure that primary care teams can be targeted to meet those needs'.
This consultation is the first phase of a two phase strategy to identify health needs in the north east inner city. The second phase will involve a detailed health needs assessment to build the participation of the community in Primary Care at a local level. It is hoped that the initial consultation will be useful in supporting the community in the process of determining primary care needs.
Expected Outcomes
- Increased awareness at community level of the new health facility
- Health being placed on the community agenda
- Increased information/knowledge regarding health concerns of community
- Increased capacity to participate in a health needs assessment in phase 2
Management
The project will be managed by a Steering Committee of the ICON Health Forum.
