GM's annual Personalised Care Workforce Survey for 2024 is still open, and we have extended the deadline until Friday, 10 January 2025.

This survey is an important opportunity for you to share your insights into the roles, challenges, and development needs of Greater Manchester’s Personalised Care workforce.

By completing the survey, you’ll directly influence how we improve training, skill-building, and overall workforce support and your input will also be shared across the wider system.

As a reminder, the survey is anonymous, and while locality data is captured to provide targeted feedback, no other personal information is collected. The survey should take only a few minutes to complete.

To participate, please click on the link: Survey Link: https://forms.office.com/e/2u7T7sf3FJ

Thank you again for taking the time to provide your feedback. Should you have any questions or require further information, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

National and local leaders recently visited the largest bike library in Greater Manchester (GM) as part of a refreshed commitment to tackle health inequalities through movement. Leigh Bike Library has loaned out more than 200 bikes since its launch in April 2023 with 45% of bikes being purchased by users at the end of their loan period.

Prior to the pandemic inactivity was very low across GM and falling faster than the national rate. Since then independent research found that devolution was leading to broad improvements in health outcomes. Improvements have also been made thanks to the GM Moving in Action strategy with clear signs recovery is heading towards the national average and inactivity rates stabilising.

Earlier this year NHS GM committed to the delivery of the strategy by extending their partnership with GM Moving with a £2 million investment over the next three years. The impact of GM Moving is giving local leaders increasing confidence in the region’s approach to delivering better health through designing movement and physical activity back into life.

To find out more about the movement and how the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership strategy is supporting physical activity as part of a social model for health click here.

In November, nearly 500 people from across Greater Manchester came together to talk about growing community power and decision making at the third event in the Live Well movement building series.

The event harnessed the strength and creativity of the GM Live Well movement as public services move towards a powerful ambition to further transform neighbourhood working towards prevention.

With 12 breakout sessions, panel debates, lightning talks, a choir, youth band, walking tours, legislative theatre, a power map and community reporting, even the living room themed furniture was community-powered (thanks to Mustard Tree).

Elephants Trail's team of community reporters defined community power as ‘finding ways to make things happen’. They saw people coming together and shifting things for the better and created a film called ‘Able’. Greater Manchester leaders highlighted their collective call for the devolution of power out of Westminster, across our systems and into the hands of neighbourhoods and communities.

Liz Kendall, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions said: “You’re pioneering in Greater Manchester. We want to learn and unleash the huge potential.” 

A five minute video summary of the event is available on YouTube.

Be Well is leading on a research piece on Natural England's behalf, looking in to barriers which young people (aged 13-25) face in accessing high quality green spaces in Hulme, Moss Side and Longsight.

The project will be running until June 2025 with the potential to be repeated in other areas of England. Data will be collected from various sources such as clients, youth centres, schools and other green projects to find out why young people may not use green spaces, and whether we can help boost green space usage.

The aim is to start putting on taster sessions by Spring 2025 for young participants with the help of Sow the City, and aim to produce a research document by June 2025.

Please reach out to genna.spiteri@thebiglifegroup.com if you have a group of young people that would like to share their voice and get involved.

Working with organisations from across the city-region, Greater Manchester Combined Authority has developed a new Plan for Nature – the Greater Manchester Local Nature Recovery Strategy.

Anyone can help shape this plan. The public consultation is open now until January 31 2025. You can respond by clicking this link.

To hear more about the strategy, you can attend a public drop-in session or GMCA’s community event. 

Walking With The Wounded empowers veterans by reigniting their sense of purpose, enabling them to make a positive contribution to their communities and lead independent lives.

Whether mentally, physically or socially wounded, ex-service personnel and their families are supported with personalised employment support, mental health and well-being support, and support care coordination.

They also have teams embedded in the NHS Op Courage team which provides wrap around mental health support to veterans. Military veterans' services: Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust

You can refer people here: wwtw.my.salesforce-sites.com/case/WWTWReferralForm

For any veteran clients there is a call back team answering calls 9-5 Monday to Friday on 0330 058 5800.

GM Mature Minds Matter is looking for people who have lived experience of accessing, or supporting someone who has used mental health support in mid to later life (50+), to join their growing network, to make a difference to mental health support across Greater Manchester.

They are here to use their combined knowledge to have their voices heard, connect peers, reduce stigma and represent older people across Greater Manchester, and they welcome individuals and groups who want to be a part of a trailblazing and supportive network.

Members can attend regular meetings and workshops, and they are also happy to discuss flexible involvement. They also support members with their transport needs if necessary.  

If you would like to know more, contact GMOPN@macc.org.uk / 0161 834 9823. You can also find out more online.

NASP has reported that The Impact of Social Prescribing on Health Service Use and Costs: Examples of local evaluations in practice suggests that there is strong and growing evidence that social prescribing services can lead to substantial reductions in avoidable GP appointments, hospital admissions and A&E attendances. 

Looking at data from nine areas of England, its findings include:  

• 42.2% reduction in GP appointments among 1,751 patients who accessed social prescribing in Tameside and Glossop.  
• 15.4%–23.6% reduction in A&E attendances among 5,908 patients who accessed social prescribing in Kent.  
• In Kirklees and Rotherham, frequent users of healthcare services saw GP visits and A&E attendances reduce substantially following social prescribing interventions.

The report also suggested that social prescribing can have a positive economic impact. NASP is recommending that social prescribing continues to be expanded so it is available to patients across a wider range of NHS care and treatment services.