Help & Care, in partnership with PramaLife and NHS Dorset, is pleased to announce the successful launch and impactful first month of the Access Wellbeing Poole pilot project. Established to improve mental health and wellbeing support in Dorset, Access Wellbeing Poole opened its doors on January 29 at The Dolphin Poole, and provides tailored support to local people over the age of 18. This support includes:
- mental health and emotional wellbeing
- social connections and activities
- bereavement and grief
- advice on issues such as work, money, and housing
- support for carers and family members
This is in response to feedback from people in our community who have told us that it is sometimes difficult to find the right help because different services offer similar services.
First Month Stats
In its first month of opening, Access Wellbeing Poole received 451 visitors, with 117 receiving personalised one-to-one support and a further 247 receiving advice and guidance from the hub’s trained and dedicated Wellbeing Coordinators.
Maja Gandurska, manager at the hub, has seen first-hand how the team have been helping local people. According to her,
We have had a huge number of questions and queries around mental health support ranging from dementia through to bereavement counselling and loneliness, but we’ve also been talking to people about more practical topics such as financial worries and housing.
Thanks in part to its location in The Dolphin Poole, the hub has been very successful since day one and has quickly demonstrated how it is a much-needed resource. From those who have used Access Wellbeing Poole, feedback has been extremely positive:
Further information
Access Wellbeing Poole is managed by Help & Care and PramaLife, working together with NHS Dorset, Dorset HealthCare, Community Action Network, Legal & General and BCP Council, as well as other charities and community groups. It is facilitated by The Dolphin Poole.
Access Wellbeing Poole is one of two pilot wellbeing hubs, with a second in Weymouth that will open to drop-in visitors over the coming months. The hubs are part of the wider Access Wellbeing programme of work, which sees organisations in Dorset working together to improve mental health and wellbeing support for the local community. This is supported by the NHS England Long-term Plan to transform community mental health services with a focus on people living the life that they wish to live in their community.
Figures show attendance from 29/01/24 – 29/02/24.
For more information on Access Wellbeing and its initiatives, visit: https://www.helpandcare.org.uk/services/access-wellbeing/
