Healthy Surrey:

Healthy Surrey

Local Area Co-ordinators

The team working in neighbourhoods providing early accessible support to address health inequalities.

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What is a Local Area Co-ordinator?

Local Area Co-ordinators work within key neighbourhoods across Surrey, to support the independence of residents, providing early accessible support that prevents problems escalating and addresses health inequalities. Their role is to walk alongside people and support them to achieve their vision of a good life.

A Local Area Co-ordinator is an accessible point of contact who works at a hyper local level in areas with populations of eight to ten thousand people. They are employed by Surrey County Council but are recruited in partnership with the local NHS, borough and district councils and the communities they serve. There are currently eight Local Area Co-ordinators working in targeted key neighbourhoods Surrey.

What are key neighbourhoods?

There are 21 key neighbourhoods in Surrey where health and wellbeing outcomes and prospects are currently poorest. The 21 key neighbourhoods have been highlighted as communities of identity and geography which are often overlooked and currently most at risk of experiencing poor health outcomes (as identified by the COVID Community Impact Assessment and Rapid Needs Assessments and the 2019 Index of Multiple Deprivation's rankings for the Lower Super Output Areas in Surrey that these wards encompass).

How to get in touch with Local Area Co-ordinators

People are introduced rather than formally referred to Local Area Co-ordinators. This can happen in a number of ways:

  • By another professional from any agency or voluntary, community and social enterprise organisation
  • Through family and friends
  • Meeting a Local Area Co-ordinator whilst out and about in the community
  • Emailing or calling the Local Area Co-ordinator direct

What the Local Area Co-ordinators do

A Local Area Co-ordinator will explore options and solutions to any issues a person might be facing. Building their confidence and connecting them to people who can help. Working with the person to help them work towards their future goal of what a good life looks like for them.

They do this by working with people

  • Personalised support: Local Area Co-ordinators are instrumental in helping people access personalised information and short-term support within their local area, ensuring tailored assistance to meet unique needs.
  • Long-term relationship building: Local Area Co-ordinators go beyond immediate needs, fostering longer-term relationships with people facing complex life challenges
  • Improvements to health and well-being outcomes: Local Area Co-ordinators are positively contributing to people's health and well-being over the longer term
  • Innovative solutions: Local Area Co-ordinators are helping people find innovative solutions to address complex problems in real-time.

They do this by working at a community level

  • Local champions: Local Area Co-ordinators serve as integral members of their communities, possessing a deep understanding of unique local community challenges. They adeptly identify local needs, address community issues, and target support towards those most in need
  • Enhancing community activities: Local Area Co-ordinators are having a positive impact on existing community activities, demonstrating notable effectiveness amongst community partners and the local NHS
  • Building community capacity: the model is cultivating robust partnerships with community members, groups, agencies, and services, contributing to local community capacity building and fostering closer collaboration
  • Community integration: Local Area Co-ordinators are actively helping residents integrate within their communities. This involves not only addressing immediate concerns but also creating pathways for sustained community engagement

What residents have to say about their experiences

"She's just encouraging, I told her a bit about my life and she's really good at listening and suggesting things such as going to the hub."

"The consistency of one person I can contact is very important. I was an outpatient at a clinic and there are various agencies I've been in contact with and the one thing that used to frustrate me was the lack of continuity with the same person, and I'm aware that she (coordinator) isn't a nurse but the consistency of one person I can contact is very important."

"I was so reluctant to tell our story to another person, and for them to go 'I don't know how to help you', it took the lady from church a while to tell me to get in touch with her (coordinator) but it was the best thing."

Where are they?

Local Area Co-ordinators are currently operating in the following neighbourhoods:

  • Maybury and Sheerwater in Woking
  • Goldsworth Park in Woking
  • Bellfields and Slyfield in Guildford
  • Stanwell in Spelthorne
  • Hurst Green in Tandridge
  • Old Dean and St Michaels in Surrey Heath
  • Farnham Heath End (Upper Hale) in Waverley

How to find out more

If you think you or someone you know would benefit from Local Area Co-ordinator support and you live in any of the areas above. Please contact the Local Area Co-ordination Team Manager by emailing charlotte.austinvisser@surreycc.gov.uk