Local communities in Calderdale are full of hidden gems – perhaps a business which provides a particularly good service or a local resident who has particular skills. Calderdale Council is now seeking the help of residents to unearth these talents to benefit local people.
These talents or skills are also known as community assets. Members of the Council’s Adults, Health and Social Care team will be visiting Todmorden Market on Thursday 15 and Saturday 17 October, to try and discover what community assets there are in Todmorden.
The team will have a map of Todmorden and are inviting people to come along and add their known asset to the map.
It could be a hairdresser who is good with people with dementia, someone who has particular skills like cooking, or something as simple as a person who helps a neighbour with shopping or puts their bin out.
This work will enable health and social care services to gain an understanding directly from local people about what the community already has, what is working well and what it needs.
Staff will also be on hand with questionnaires for people to get people’s feedback on their experience of health and social care. This is part of the wider Care Closer to Home initiative, which aims to help people stay healthy and live independent lives for longer.Calderdale has become one of 29 ‘vanguard’ sites in England to take a national lead in transforming health and social care as part of NHS England’s New Models of Care programme.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Social Care, Cllr Bob Metcalfe, said:
“We all know someone in our neighbourhood who has a particular talent or skill – skills that other people may find valuable. This event will enable Todmorden residents to share their local knowledge to help others in the town.
“There will also be an opportunity to let us know about your own experience of health and social care. This will help us to see what the community already has to offer, and also shape the future of health services in the town, to best meet the needs of local people.”
The team will be at Todmorden Market from 9am until 4pm on Thursday 15 and Saturday 17 October.