Developing Community Wellbeing across Dorset in Partnership with NHS Dorset

There are increasing stresses impacting our daily lives and a growing mental health crisis in our country. Sometimes we may feel isolated, overwhelmed, stressed, or mentally unwell and need additional support in order to manage what is happening in our lives.

The Collaboration

We are working in collaboration with communities, the voluntary and community sector (VCS), NHS and local authority partners, to develop community wellbeing support across Dorset. It’s about connection and partnerships so that together, we can provide a comprehensive offer of support.

We are connecting and learning from communities and local organisations to understand what is already happening in their area, what is working well, understand the gaps in support and develop a vision for wellbeing support in their community.  

Investing in the VCS

In Dorset, we are lucky enough to have a skilled and vibrant voluntary and community sector that already has a positive impact on people’s lives. They provide a breadth of professional support, in a timely way, whatever that support may be.

So, we will be investing in the voluntary and community sector, enabling them to continue and expand the fantastic work that they are already doing. We will also work together with them, to develop innovative solutions where gaps may exist.

Connecting People to Information, Support and Guidance

Whilst we know that there is a vast offer of support available in Dorset, we are incredibly aware that many people do not know what is out there. This is a vital part of our work. We will be investing our time and energy into developing the best ways to connect people to the information they need, in order to access the information, support and guidance they require.

We know that some people will be confident to use a laptop, tablet or phone to find their own support and connection. For others, they want to talk to someone who can help them with this. We will be developing choices in how people connect to the information they need.

We have started gathering information and will continue to do so, by connecting with a wide range of partners who know their communities well.  We want to understand what spaces people are already visiting and where they go to have a conversation or to access information, guidance and support. In some communities, these places will be well established and thriving, with people fully aware of them. In other communities, these spaces may be less established and there is less awareness they exist.

We are developing a digital space that will hold all this information and could be used by individuals to find something for themselves or by professionals that can support individuals to find what people need.

Ultimately, we want people to know where to go and how to access what they need, whenever the need arises.

What’s Next?

We will continue to update this page with our progress and outline how you can get involved … so watch this space!