Breckland Health and Wellbeing Partnership

Our vision is to transform the way in which people access the right opportunities to improve their health and wellbeing. We will do this through collaborative working, building resilient communities and by taking an evidence-based approach to the delivery of our priorities.

The Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care System (ICS) launched in July 2022, bringing together partners from local authority, NHS, and wider partners to improve health and care outcomes. The ICS priorities include driving integration, addressing inequalities, prioritising prevention, and enabling resilient communities.

In addition to the ICS, Health and Wellbeing Partnerships (HWP) were launched to work at a place level with a prevention led focus to improving health and aligning priorities. They feed up to the Norfolk and Waveney Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) and Integrated Care Partnership (ICP). Breckland HWP is one of eight within the Norfolk and Waveney ICS and covers the same geographical footprint as the district council.

The Breckland Health and Wellbeing Partnership brings together colleagues from district and county council, as well as health services, wider and local VCSE sector organisations and other partners involved in the improvement to the health and wellbeing of Breckland residents, to make a positive impact to people's lives. The partnership will enhance integrated approaches and collaborative behaviours at every level. It will promote an ethos of partnership and co-production, working with communities and organisations addressing health and wellbeing challenges that no single organisation can address alone.

View our Health and Wellbeing Strategy (PDF, 415 KB)(opens new window)

Over the last 18 months the Health and Wellbeing Partnership has funded the following:

PitStop, Menscraft

Funded the provision of 6 PitStops in total, 3 in each area. Currently Breckland has a PitStop in Thetford, Watton, Swaffham and Dereham (3 of these will continue). Menscraft provide support to men that are at risk of suicide or have made an attempt on their live, the funding has provided sustainable provision across Breckland.

Private Sector Housing Role

This is to help Rogue Landlord Project, which not only brings in extra capital into Breckland, but also keeps those properties which are thought to be HMOs with poor quality and safety higher standard and within regulation. This impacts health and homes.  

Community Network Funding

Enables Breckland Council to show VCSE organisations they value them coming to workshops and developing the VCSE sector across Breckland.

Integrated Health Post (half funded)

Health & Communities Integration Lead 

Reduce the Strength

A voluntary scheme for off-licenses to limit the sale of high strength beers, lagers, and ciders to 5.5% ABV or less, across the Thetford area.

Community Health Workers continuation of funding

Funding enables the project to expand to more areas and complete a detailed evaluation, enabling the development of a Norfolk & Waveney blueprint of the CHWW project, which can then be shared across the ICS footprint. 

Breckland Council has set up a 'Community Alcohol Partnership' (CAP) in Thetford and Dereham based on local intelligence these areas are most at risk, with the view to set up CAP's in all the market towns across Breckland.

Each CAP project will devise an action plan that is uniquely tailored to local need with the overarching aims to protect children and young people from alcohol harm, enhance their health and wellbeing and improve local communities.

All action plans are based on three key pillars namely:

•  Alcohol education
•  Provision of positive activities
•  Responsible retail strategies

Since 2017, we have also encouraged CAPs to include an objective around moderate/safe drinking for 18-25 year olds.

Alcohol education

Schools in CAP areas are encouraged to take part in a wide variety of alcohol education programmes including but not limited to the Alcohol Education Trust's Talk about Alcohol programme, Smashed- an interactive drama-based programme - and the Royal Society of Public Health's Young Health Champions programme.
We also encourage schools to use interactive, innovative ways of teaching about alcohol including school action days involving a range of local agencies, competitions to encourage pupils to present team-based creative solutions to reducing alcohol harm and visiting speakers with special expertise or knowledge.

Responsible retail strategies

CAPs work closely with retailers, providing support, training and publicity materials and helping them build positive relationships with local police, trading standards and licensing officers. Before COVID, independent retailers were offered additional support and training from supermarket partners. This was not possible during COVID restrictions, and we also realised it was sometimes difficult for independent retailers to leave their shops to attend external training. So, we came up with a free online training course for retailers to help them prevent underage sales and proxy purchase (where adults buy alcohol on behalf of children).

Provision of positive activities

CAP encourages local partnerships to assess leisure activities for young people in their area, to talk to them about what they would like to do and look at ways to increase choice and accessibility. Most CAPs work closely with existing leisure and sports facilities, using youth clubs, youth buses and local cafés to provide opportunities for young people to drop in and meet in a supervised, safe environment. As well as enhancing their confidence, health and wellbeing, these activities are also an excellent opportunity to deliver alcohol education in an informal setting.