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Border communities are set to benefit from a €34.6 million investment from the EU’s PEACEPLUS Programme for four cross-border health and social care projects. This funding, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), will enhance services in mental health, frailty, and obesity across the region by 2027.
Neil Guckian, Director General of CAWT and Chief Executive of the Western Health and Social Care Trust, welcomed the funding, saying, “This EU PEACEPLUS funding is a fantastic additional investment at a time of considerable pressure on our health and social care services.”
The projects will focus on early intervention, reducing health inequalities, and partnering with the community and voluntary sectors. CAWT’s partnership, established in 1992, has been delivering EU-funded projects, benefitting over 100,000 patients in the border areas.
Dr Maria O’Kane, CEO of Southern Health and Social Care Trust, added, “This EU funding is a welcome boost and will bring real, tangible benefits to families, children and communities across the border region.”
The CAWT Partnership aims to continue enhancing cross-border healthcare and social care services, supporting ongoing reforms and improving access for border populations.
The Projects
Adult mental health: ‘Community Connection and Well-being Project’
The ‘Community Connection and Well-being Project’ will develop four cross border delivery sites to facilitate statutory, voluntary and community/NGO agencies, working collaboratively, to support people with mild and/or emerging mental health difficulties by enabling access to early intervention programmes and support in the areas of:
- low intensity psychological support;
- psychosocial mental health and wellbeing programmes; and
- psychosocial activities and community support programmes.
Children/young people’s mental health: ‘Early Intervention Support Youth Hubs’
This ‘Early Intervention Support Youth Hubs’ project will provide early intervention support services for families with children and young people presenting with social, emotional or behavioural issues, consistent with a neurodevelopmental-type presentation, in the following three areas:
- one to one consultation with parents, offering initial assessment and meaningful/therapeutic conversation, leading to provision of support and guidance, signposting/navigation and introductory workshop;
- suite of workshops & parenting programmes tailored to individual need; and
- bespoke individualised support, promoting citizenship and social opportunities.
Frailty: ‘Early Frailty Intervention Project’
The ‘Early Frailty Intervention Project’ will establish local community based teams, in cross border localities, to identify people living with (or at risk of developing) frailty earlier. The ‘Early Frailty Intervention Project’ will provide frailty assessment and consultation, after which a programme of care will be identified from the following areas:
- Frailty screening including one to one session(s) with a specialist health professional e.g. nurse/physiotherapist.
- Frailty education programmes delivered in community by specialist staff.
- Community co-ordination sessions to identify and introduce older people to community locally based support and networks.
Obesity: ‘Healthier Futures Project’
The ‘Healthier Futures Project’ will develop and implement a cross border and cross community model of support for all age ranges, comprising:
- early intervention prevention programmes to help prevent obesity; and
- weight management programmes
Statutory, community / NGO / voluntary agencies, working collaboratively, will provide support and care to families/adults living with overweight/obesity. The project will develop new adult weight management programmes in Northern Ireland and new childhood weight management programmes in Ireland.
