Wellbeing service makes a huge difference in Mid Sussex

PR2478/PT/MF - 18/11/2022

Mid Sussex District Council has reported a dramatic increase in the number of people benefitting from wellbeing support across the District.

Councillors met on Wednesday 16 November to consider the annual performance of the Mid Sussex Wellbeing service at a Scrutiny Committee meeting for Community, Leisure, and Parking. The Covid-19 pandemic restricted in person services, such as health checks and weight off workshops, which caused a drop in referrals, but the service manged a full recovery in 2021/22, with referrals up by 40% on the previous year.

Funded by Public Health and West Sussex County Council, the Mid Sussex Wellbeing team provides a wide range of support services to help local people lead healthier lifestyles. The friendly team provides workshops and support sessions in venues across Mid Sussex, which help local people to access services in their local community.

Weight Off Workshops focus on motivation and help people to make behavioural changes that mean, when they lose weight, it stays off for good. Courses cover topics such as portion sizes, sugars, food labels, recommended levels of physical activity and the psychological triggers for eating. Eleven courses were held in 2021/22 generating 100% positive feedback and helping 62% of participants to lose 3% of their body weight over the period of the course.

Stop smoking services provide face-to-face and virtual support to people who are trying to kick the habit. It can be extremely hard for people to quit on their own, but the expert advice and encouragement provided by the Wellbeing team gives local people the best possible chance of giving up for good. In 2021/22 a total of 69 clients engaged with the intensive smoking service, of which 44 set successful quit dates.

Wellbalanced courses help people who are at risk of having a fall to improve their strength and balance, significantly reducing the chance of them having an accident.

Health checks help people get on the right path to a healthy future by spotting any potential health problems at an early stage. The sessions are run by trained health professionals for people aged between 40 and 74 years old. Everybody who takes part receives a blood pressure check, a cholesterol measurement, and a BMI (Body Mass Index) calculation by measuring height and weight. After the health check there is an opportunity to discuss the results with a trained Wellbeing Advisor, who provides personalised advice on how to lower the risk of future problems and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The Mid Sussex Wellbeing Hub www.midsussex.westsussexwellbeing.org.uk/ also provides a ‘one stop shop’ for local health and wellbeing services, signposting people to the many health support services available in the District.

Councillor Norman Webster, Cabinet Member for Community said:

“Our Wellbeing team do a fantastic job of helping our residents make the changes they need to live healthier and happier lives. They make a huge difference to the health and wellbeing of so many local people.

“By providing a single point of contact, the Wellbeing team makes it easy for local people to find the support and information they need. Contacting them is much less formal than visiting the doctor or a hospital and that means people often feel more comfortable about reaching out for support.

“If you live in Mid Sussex and would like to improve your health and wellbeing then please give them a call.”

For more information about the Mid Sussex Wellbeing team or an informal chat about how they can help with health and wellbeing support call 01444 477191 or email wellbeing@midsussex.gov.uk.

ENDS