community


Total Wellbeing Luton works with over 100 partners to deliver an integrated service


and activities like health walks, Nordic walking, table tennis, Zumba, yoga, walking football and running for beginners are also available. Everyone referred into the programme receives


a voucher giving them access to 12 sessions for £24 in the gym, pool, mainstream group fitness classes or health and wellbeing sessions. “More than 50 per cent of users come from


the most deprived wards in Luton. The 12 sessions for £24 offer is designed to encourage engagement with activity and create good habits. From there we can transition service users to our Go4Less card which gives the holder discounts on visiting the gym, group fitness classes or swimming. We also have a Go4Less Advantage card which allows access to activities during off peak times for only £2 per session for those receiving benefits or on a low income,” explains Corder. “Many of our activities are on the doorstep


because access as well as finance can be a barrier. Linking people to wider community assets is at the heart of the service. We know that to support people to make sustainable changes they need to have social networks and access to ongoing activities and support. They may also need broad support such as access to debt advice, housing support etc., which we will facilitate them to access through signposting.” To date, Total Wellbeing Luton has supported


over 4,500 local residents to improve their physical and emotional health and wellbeing. It also helped to cut the waiting list for those accessing talking therapies in Luton by 75 per cent within the first six months of the service. “When we started the contract in April we inherited a large waiting list for the Talking


12 pactfacilities.co.uk


Therapies services. To address this we have increased service opening times and introduced a range of new groups and courses, which can help people to manage low mood, learn how thoughts, feelings and behaviours are connected and deal with negative thoughts. We have introduced an online structured self-help therapy programme which people can access from home. Team members from across Total Wellbeing have also been able to work with people to identify what activities or groups they could get involved with to improve both their physical and emotional wellbeing such as stop smoking support, weight management, community groups, arts projects, social events, voluntary work, training programmes, gardening, walking groups and much more,” says Devon Kerwood, integrated wellbeing manager for the service. This March, in conjunction with the University


of Bedfordshire, Total Wellbeing Luton is jointly funding a three year PHD student to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the service to identify improvements, learn from service users and continuously improve the service for users, staff, organisations, local stakeholders and commissioners. A report by the King’s Fund last year highlighted


Total Wellbeing Luton as an example of integrated working and the service has elicited interest from other local authorities intending to go down the same route of offering integrated services. Looking ahead, Active Luton is adding new


programmes to address frailty and a social prescription offer specifically for young people. Its pool-based exercise programme – Hydra


Health – expanded over the last year to five sessions per week and it is working with schools to raise awareness among students and staff of the offer, from health checks for over 40s to exercise referral and healthy lifestyles programmes for both adults and children. “We are really pleased with how Total


Wellbeing has started. Our aim is to provide prevention and intervention services for everyone who needs it in Luton. Our work so far is just the tip of the iceberg. Activity levels and obesity in children and young people are a huge focus for us - we want to work and support them today in order to encourage behaviour change in families and prevent acute, long term difficulties in adulthood. “The team has been excellent supporting


service users with a personal and tailored approach in the first eight months of Total Wellbeing and we will continue to grow and develop them in order to provide the best possible service for Luton,” concludes Corder.


www.totalwellbeingluton.org/


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