Our Partnership is made up of organisations working closely together to plan services and address the challenges facing health and care services across the area.
In this section you will find links to useful information and publications about our partnership.
We are committed to meaningful conversations with people, on the right issues at the right time. We believe this is an important part of the way we work.
Engagement gives people an opportunity to have their say on services. By gathering people's views, it helps us understand what matters to people.
In this section you will find all Freedom of Information (FOI) requests made to our Partnership. You can also ask a question of your own.
"We aspire to become a global leader in responding to the climate emergency through increased mitigation, investment and culture change throughout our system" - from the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership Five Year Plan.
"We aspire to become a global leader in responding to the climate emergency through increased mitigation, investment and culture change throughout our system"
- from the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership Five Year Plan.
A warm welcome from the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership’s Climate Change team.
We are leading the delivery of the Integrated Care system’s ambition on Climate change, working collaboratively across and beyond the system to ensure everyone plays their part on this most-urgent agenda.
Frank works as the climate change lead for the Partnership two days a week. The rest of the time he is a Consultant Anaesthetist at Airedale Hospital. Frank has an MSc in Strategic Leadership Towards Sustainability and volunteers as a Trustee for Sustrans.
Email: Frank.swinton@nhs.net
Josie is the Climate Change and Improving Population Health Project Manager. She leads work on the built and natural environment, which includes housing, greenspace and the sustainable food system.
Email: josephine.ozols-riding@nhs.net
John is acting assistant director for improving population health, focussing on a number of work strands including our climate change ambition. He holds an MSc in Public Policy & Management and has broad leadership experience in the Public, Private and VCSE sectors. He works for the partnership 2 days a week.
Email: john.ebo@leeds.gov.uk
Caroline is acting assistant director for improving population health, focusing on a number of work strands including our climate change ambition and has formed a Pharmacy Network on Sustainability and the Environment. She works for the partnership 2 days a week.
email: caroline.dada@nhs.net
Verity is the Programme Support Officer for the Partnership’s Improving Population Health Programme. She provides support across all work streams, and Verity’s MSc in Biodiversity and Conservation gives her added insight when supporting climate change projects.
Email: verity.phillips3@nhs.net
Jeanette provides engagement support and advice across the Partnership as part of the Communication and Engagement Team. She is the Partnership Engagement Manager for WY&H HCP and the Climate Change Programme is just one of the projects she works with - but one of her most enjoyable ones.
Email: jeanette.miller@nhs.net
Our work focuses on two main themes:
A healthy, equitable and environmentally sustainable society
Reduce impact of residual healthcare via a high quality, equitable and environmentally sustainable health and care system
Within these themes are pieces of work on transport and air quality, housing, health inequalities, inclusive and green economy, insight and analysis (metrics), estates (buildings, energy, waste), travel (staff, patients, visitors, business), technology and innovation, clinical care (including anaesthetic gases, inhalers and green social prescribing), engaging the whole workforce, and social care.
Read our full strategy (a working document which is frequently amended).
One of West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership’s big ambitions is to become a global leader in responding to the climate emergency through increased mitigation, investment and culture change. Supporting people to access nature is a key part of that ambition. New and enhanced green spaces can deliver benefits for biodiversity, temperature regulation, and natural flood management, amongst other environmental benefits. Spending time in nature is also really important for the health and wellbeing of our communities.
We have therefore recently funded ten green social prescribing projects, which help connect people to nature to improve their mental and physical health. The projects vary from a “pocket park” to a state-of-the-art urban food growing farm — and involve hospitals, GPs, local authorities, community groups, mental health and nature-based charities. All of the projects focus on communities who typically face inequalities in access to nature. They were selected in anticipation that they would have a long-term impact in their communities, inspiring others to follow suit and creating a step change across the region.
We want to ensure that green social prescribing becomes fully embedded within our health and social care system, as well as encourage further investment in greenspace. We hope to achieve this by:
Better Lives, Bradford District Care Foundation Trust
Better Lives, a charity that is part of Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust is creating an allotment for their 100+ Early Interventions in Psychosis service users. People will learn how to grow their own food and cook healthy meals, making use of the facilities at nearby Keighley Healthy Living Centre. A therapeutic seating area will be created and used for meetings, group and individual therapy sessions and outdoor mindfulness (all following social distancing guidance). It’s the first allotment of its kind at the Trust and they aspire to make it available to more people accessing support, using it as a proof of concept for further investment in allotments across the city. The project will be service user-led, promoting empowerment, with staff facilitating.
“We can’t wait to get started on our first allotment as we know a previous study on people’s mental health reported that the service users described a feeling of enhanced mood and improved concentration, a feeling of ‘being away’ and absorbed in the environment. This new allotment will allow us to focus on people’s aspirations and skills and also supports our wider Green Plan objectives. Improved access to and use of green spaces for nature-based projects for mental health is a key strand of our sustainability plans over the next few years. More information on the Green Plan can be found on the BDCFT website. Elizabeth Dickinson, Early Intervention Worker Psychiatry and Emma Clarke, Energy, Waste and Sustainability Manager, Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust.
CATCH Leeds
CATCH is a charity based in Leeds. Their “Grow Together” project aims to provide young people with the skills and training to make a positive environmental impact. Grow Together will be realised by building a state-of-the-art urban farm for food growing, as well as constructing a wellbeing and wildlife area for improving young people’s mental health. The Grow Together project will address entrenched social and health-related inequities in Harehills. By empowering and upskilling young people, the farm will provide for generations to come. The project will be supported by Dr Ian Shaw from the University of Leeds.
Groundwork Yorkshire
Groundwork Yorkshire is creating a self-sustaining allotment in Beeston for people with additional support needs, such as mental health conditions, physical disabilities or frailty. The project will teach people how to grow their own food, manage and maintain an allotment and prepare healthy meals using the onsite kitchen, with any surplus food distributed to local food banks. To support the sustainability of the project, Groundwork will help the group to grow by applying for additional allotments.
Incredible Edible Wakefield
Incredible Edible Wakefield is creating a new green space for food growing on Fieldhead Hospital, Wakefield. The project has been developed in partnership with the Mid Yorkshire Hospital NHS Trust, South West Yorkshire NHS Foundation Trust and its linked Charity Creative Minds. The caring garden project will be developed and managed by a user group made up of service users, staff and carers. A trained horticultural therapist will run weekly sessions which can be accessed as part of service users' recovery pathways. The project also involves training NHS staff to give them the confidence to use the space to support patients in the long term.
'We are really delighted to be expanding our partnership with Incredible Edible in Wakefield. This latest development will build on the great work we have been doing and enable our green space to be much more accessible and enjoyed by more people.” Phil Walters the Strategic lead for the NHS South West Yorkshire Partnership’s Creative Minds
'Incredible Edible Wakefield has so far established more than 100 community mini allotments and supports 12 edible and therapeutic gardening clubs throughout Wakefield district. We are delighted to receive the Green Social Prescribing funding. As a social enterprise, we work with individuals, community groups, schools, businesses, housing associations and public bodies across the district to inspire and support local communities in transforming overgrown and under-used pieces of land from unloved spaces into food growing places. We hope this will be the first of many such collaborations with the NHS allowing us to bring the many health benefits of gardening and growing your own food to a wider audience.' Mr Andy Austerfield, the Chief Executive of Incredible Edible Wakefield.
The Basement Project
The Basement Project is regenerating a disused and neglected piece of land in an area of deprivation into a food growing area, garden and wood workshop for its service users who are in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction and the wider community. The workshop space will be used to host green woodworking classes for their users and local residents from the surrounding community who are looking to gain new skills and connect with people after time spent in social isolation with large periods of inactivity. The project aspires to develop the wood workshop element to further enhance the outdoor space, through additions like bird tables, benches and other outdoor structures.
Well Bradford
Well Bradford is developing a community-led pocket park in Girlington, encouraging local residents to spend time outdoors by providing a space for food growing, relaxation, exercise, gardening and play. The pocket park will encourage wildlife and biodiversity and create a community hub and a resting point on the Girlington GreenLine Mile. The project is a great example of what is possible through collaboration - it involves the local community, the private sector landowner, Bradford Council, local GP practices, schools and number of other voluntary and private sector partners. We hope that is seen as a model of best practice for delivering greenspace in urban areas.
Yorkshire Ambulance Service
Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust is working with local schools, communities and the council to transform and create green spaces in Harehills and Gipton, encouraging residents to be more active, derive benefits from being amongst nature and improve their local environment. The project also involves developing an innovative ‘Follow the Hare’ QR code walking trail, with an interactive map and signs in key locations. The walks will take in the green planting sites, local artwork and historical information in the area. A key part of the project is about connecting community organisations together including schools, healthcare groups in the area like the ambulance service, GPs, St James’s Hospital, Compton Centre, neighbourhood policing and faith workers.
‘Mental health is critical for all of us and the impact and benefit of green spaces has never been so key to communities, especially in the past year. Within the health service, we recognise the importance of green spaces as a space to escape and reflect and so we are keen to work with our local communities to improve and implement spaces for all to enjoy. Our Green Social Prescribing work will work with areas of Leeds that need a bit of green sprucing and working with the communities to get green and colourful spaces in and around their homes,’ Alexis Percival, Environmental and Sustainability Manager, Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Skipton Step into Action
"Ground Yourself in Green" is an inclusive programme of nature-based activities for adults delivered by Skipton Step into Action in conjunction with Yorkshire Yoga and Incredible Edible Skipton. The project will be linked to social prescribing teams and will bring together three community organisations with a shared passion and drawing on their individual expertise, enabling participants to tailor their activity programme to their own interests.
Feedback from the Living Well Coordinator about Skipton Step into Action:
“The impact that SSIA has had on some of the individuals I have worked with has been such a positive (and significant) one. A key point which stands out for me is the sense of a personal touch/connection. Those I have worked with tell me that “XX came round today”, “XX called me just the other day”. They don’t tell me that someone from SSIA called, but instead name a person. This sense of personal connection feels so valuable and is clearly a testament to the way in which volunteers bring themselves and genuine care to those they support.
I recently worked with a gentleman who struggled with social anxiety. He also advised he struggled to connect to people, because of his autism.
He was able to list a long line of services and provisions, which didn’t work, or hadn’t helped. One thing that had worked though was your service/offering. He often sang the praise of the volunteer supporting him and the way she was able to connect with him, listen, and understand. He told me that he didn’t feel like a service was doing things to him, but instead a person was helping him and they were supported by (a part of) SSIA. This echoes this sense of community and genuine connection your volunteers are able to bring to such a large number of residents in Skipton.
Another individual talked about how much she enjoyed her shopping being delivered. It was a social experience where the volunteer took the time to engage with her and talk to her. Again she named a person delivering her shopping. It wasn’t a service or company delivering her food, but an individual.
I can honestly say I have only ever heard positive comments about the volunteers and SSIA on the whole.
I want to say a HUGE thank you to all the volunteers at SSIA. You are making a huge difference and having such a significant impact on the lives of those you work with”
Invictus Wellbeing
Invictus Wellbeing will be working in partnership with EdShift and Wellbeings to deliver a varied programme of nature-based activities and workshops in Calderdale, which will include creative activities, sports, and activities with a therapeutic purpose. The project is focused on children and young people who are struggling with their mental health from at risk groups. The sessions will focus on building resilience, improving emotional wellbeing and developing confidence.
Greenhead Family Doctors
Greenhead Family Doctors is working with its neighbour Friends of Highfields Community Orchard to offer nature-based activities to its patients. The project involves providing a community support worker and adding facilities to make the site more accessible. As a designated open space, the wider community will also see real benefits from the enhanced facilities.
Academic Partners
The Partnership are keen to inspire others to invest in greenspace projects by helping to build the evidence base to demonstrate that nature-based projects are both good for public health and an important climate change intervention.
Academics from the University of York and the University of Central Lancashire will be supporting the Partnership to evaluate the projects. The universities will be considering the benefits to health and wellbeing, alongside potential benefits to the environment, for example for biodiversity and natural flood management. The resulting evaluation framework will be made available to others working on greenspace projects in the region and include an estimate of social return on investment. Another important strand of the evaluation will be looking at the barriers facing different groups when accessing nature and how we can use this knowledge to support more equitable access.
We will fund 100 spaces on a Centre for Sustainable Healthcare course for people working in West Yorkshire and Harrogate health and care.
Link to courses offered by the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare
This includes the following courses:
To register for one of these funded spaces, please email verity.phillips3@nhs.net. You will need to secure the time from your manager to attend.
City Connect promotes walking and cycling in West Yorkshire. Link to City Connect.
The Travel Plan Network is a free membership scheme for any employer in West Yorkshire who is committed to encouraging their staff to travel to work sustainably. They offer significant benefits and discounts on a range of travel modalities. Link to the Travel Plan Network.
The Energy Saving Trust has a huge amount of information available to organisations and individuals. Link to Engergy Saving Trust. They offer free fleet reviews for public and private sector organisations. Link to fleet review information.
The White Rose Forest is one of four community forests in the north of England working together to create the larger Northern Forest that will stretch from Merseyside across Manchester and Yorkshire. They have trees to plant but are looking for land. Link to the White Rose Forest.
The NHS Forest is also looking for planting opportunities. Link to the NHS Forest.
There are a great many resources available online. We have listed some below that we feel will be most useful to organisations and individuals working in health and social care in West Yorkshire and Harrogate. If you are looking for something which is not listed, please do get in touch and we will try to signpost you.
Link to general newsletter March 2021
We are currently hosting an engagement process which should feed back to us in mid 2021. As part of this process, we would love to hear your thoughts on some aspects of our work. Please take five minutes to fill out the survey.
We have lay representation on our Steering Committee and we welcome comments from the public using the “contact us” form below
In early 2021, we asked people to tell us about their relationship with their local environment, looking at issues such as access to green spaces and nature-based activities.
In October 2020 we hosted a two day sustainable healthcare summit.
It was very well received according to the participant feedback and we wanted to share some of the content with you:
This page last updated Tuesday 9th March 2021
