Health Creation in the Wirral

(Manifesto for Health Creation | The Health Creation Alliance)

This Manifesto for Health Creation calls for: The adoption of health creating practices: by health and care systems – in collaboration with all local partners working in communities – to embrace wellness as a way of working, to adopt health creating strategies and practices and to enable others to do the same. System reforms to support health creation: by all those who can enable and empower frontline staff and service providers to work differently. They need to be aligned behind the primary purpose of creating health. Enhanced education: for all those involved in health and care to embed health creation in their thinking and subsequent practice.

The 3Cs of health creation

The 3Cs of health creation control contact confidence health creation is built on control, contact and confidence. When people feel a sense of control over the circumstances of their own life (rather than being dependent upon services), and when they have meaningful and purposeful social contact and activity, and the avoidance of social isolation, they can gain the confidence to take responsibility, and to deliver actions that have a positive impact on a person´s own life, and on the lives of those around them.

The five features of health creating practice

·         Listening and responding: Effective, genuine listening to the reality of people’s and communities’ lives is essential. As is acting differently upon what is heard, and not just reverting to the established systems. Listening can also enable truth-telling if people feel safe to open up about matters, they might be hiding.

·         Truth-telling: When people and practitioners face the truth, and own up to what holds them back from creating health, rather than treating illness, they can start to get to the root causes of problems.

·         Strengths focus: Health creation happens when attention is paid to what people can do for themselves or others. Building on people´s strengths unlocks their potential and builds confidence for creating health.

·         Self-organising: Health creating practice enables people to work out what they need for themselves. When people start to rely on themselves and each other, they become less reliant on health and care services.

·         Power-shifting: Lasting health creation happens when the features above result in a power shift from practitioners to people and communities. When they are the experts, they can make decisions about things that affect them and their environment. Services can then adapt and respond.