Creative Health Update: Autumn 2024
Our Creative Health Lead, Gemma Alldred, shares her research, learnings and resources from September.
Autumn has most definitely arrived, although those long Summer days feel like only yesterday. September has been a busy month for Creative Health.
Monthly Social Prescribers Meeting
On my first day back, I attended the monthly social prescribers meeting, hosted by Central Bournemouth Primary Care Network (PCN).
It was a delight to share the work we do in Dorset and the benefits it can bring. We talked about challenges for social prescribers and health coaches, and how we work more closely together.
I’ve arranged a return visit in December to deliver a session to more staff about Creative Health and its benefits, which I hope will contribute to increasing awareness, and confidence in making referrals.
I also spoke with their digital lead, and asked about the ‘SNOMED’ code for Creative Activity.
SNOMED CODE for Creative Health Activities
The SNOMED Code* for ‘Creative Activity’ is 1577001000000106.
If you work with Primary Care Networks, make sure they know the code and encourage them to use it when referring patients to Creative Health activities, to help us all better understand where the work is happening.
*SNOMED codes are used in Primary Care (GPs etc) and are used to make a record of where a patient was advised to go next on their health journey.
Future NHS
As a Creative Health hub for Dorset, we are also helping share information with the NHS through the FutureNHS workspace. This digital intranet allows us to share information, and spark discussion for anyone working in the NHS. It’s a great place to signpost health colleagues for more information and resources.
Across the month I’ve had some great discussions with senior NHS staff, especially around how we start to understand the potential of Creative Health in addressing health inequalities.
Creative Health and Wellbeing Working Group
I was delighted to bring together staff from Dorset organisations involved in Creative Health (including BSO, Dorchester Arts, PDSW, TOSH, Arts in Hospitals, Lighthouse Poole, and Dorset Council Music Service) to open conversations around how we can work better together to support everyone - if you represent an organisation that has a commitment to Creative Health, and have capacity to get involved in supporting the sector for everyone, contact me for more information. We’ll meet again in December.
Dorset’s Creative Health and Wellbeing Forum
The Forum meetings restarted after the summer break, continuing as a welcoming, pressure-free space focused on discussion and information sharing. Come to discuss opportunities, issues, to share projects, events and resources. It’s open to anyone with an interest in creative health, at any level from the Dorset and BCP area.
How to join: Sign-up to the Facebook Group. or email Gemma Alldred: gemma.alldred@theartsdevelopmentcompany.org.uk
Meetings take place monthly in-person and online, and updates will be posted in the Facebook Group.
November meeting: 4th November 3:30- 4:30pm, Online
December meeting: 2nd December 3:30- 4:30pm, Online
Creative Health Conversations
The first of three Creative Health Conversations was held at Pavilion Dance South West, on behalf of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole’s Cultural Compact. This well attended event was hosted by Alex Coulter, Director of National Centre for Creative Health (NCCH), and we heard from Jayne Howard (NCCH Creative Health Associate Programme Manager, and Director of Arts Well) about the work happening in Cornwall.
As a group we mapped the work we do in BCP, as well as thinking about who or what was missing.
Dorset’s Creative Health Strategy
The event also offered a chance to introduce our work with NHS Dorset, to develop a Creative Health Strategy for Dorset. A strategy will help guide how we develop our work in collaboration with NHS, and Public Health, it will offer an agreed framework for things we feel are important, and want we want to achieve. A strategy can help influence the wider systems we work within.
We believe a useful and workable strategy, is one that that is developed collaboratively, with a diverse range of voices, and informed by the people who deliver the work.
How Creative Health Supports the NHS
To round off the month, I prepared a presentation on what we’re doing in Dorset for the NCCH event ‘How Creative Health supports the NHS Long Term Plan - A South West view’. The event was recorded and the presentation slides are available here.
National News
Applications for the Culture Health & Wellbeing Alliance 2025 Awards are now open
ACE support for Manchester’s ambitions to be a Creative Health City
Reports and Resources
Recently published London Arts and Health Report is a great read, and gives some good background on the history of Creative Health
Baring Foundation have a great series of reports called ‘Creatively Minded’ focusing on arts and mental health