Dave Sweeney appointed as Chair of Liverpool & Sefton Health Partnership

Dave Sweeney, Associate Director of Partnerships and Sustainability at NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, has been appointed as the new Chair of the Liverpool LIFT Company, Liverpool & Sefton Health Partnership (LSHP).

LSHP, a long-term public private partnership, works together with NHS and local authority partners across Liverpool and Sefton to transform the primary and community care health estate. Over the past 20 years LSHP has delivered 15 new high quality integrated health and wellbeing hubs, representing a capital investment of over £150 million in Liverpool and Sefton. Dave Sweeny takes over from outgoing Chair Humphrey Claxton, who has led LSHP since it’s formation.

Andy Muir, Community Health Partnerships Regional Director and LSHP Board member commented:

“I’d like to thank Humphrey for his dedication and hard work over the past two decades. Under his leadership LSHP have delivered a lasting legacy for local communities and contributed significantly to the regeneration of local areas, whilst tackling health inequalities.

I am delighted that Dave is joining the Board as Chair, driving LSHP forward in continuing to support NHS recovery plans and forge a collective approach as we build strong and effective Integrated Care Systems that are equipped to tackle existing and upcoming challenges such as shifting more activity out of hospital into local communities.”

Dave commented:

“During my long career in the NHS, I have always been interested in how we maximise our assets to ensure we meet the needs of our communities. Ease of access, reducing health inequalities and utilising our estate to establish iconic community settings. With that in mind I am both honoured and humbled to be named as the new Chair for Liverpool and Sefton Health Partnership’s Board.

I look forward to bringing my connections, expertise, and knowledge of the local strategic commitments I intend to steer the Board into a place that is both in tune with the National vision but also the ‘go to’ local Partner that can be a solution, fleet of foot, and vital part of the future success.

We live in difficult times, and we therefore need to be flexible and utilise any opportunity to improve the lives of the communities we serve. Having big shoes to fill I would like to thank Humphrey Claxton for his commitment and drive to the Board. Humphrey has left a fantastic legacy to build on and wish him all the best in his new endeavours.”

Liverpool Through Our Lens

Liverpool Through Our Lens is a unique photography programme delivered in partnership between Community Integrated Care and Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool’s leading photographic arts organisation. The programme has enabled people to enjoy special adapted photography lessons in Liverpool City Centre and at the photography club base, Kensington Neighbourhood Health Centre.

Liverpool & Sefton Health Partnership (LSHP) are proud to have funded the programme and also to have provided space at Kensington Health Neighbourhood Centre for the Photography Groups, supported by colleagues at Community Health Partnerships.

The programme is attended by volunteers from Community Integrated Care's Inclusive Volunteering Programme, each supported by a support worker/ carer to ensure they are best supported for their individual learning or disability needs. With plans for their works to be displayed at public events, including the Word Gymnastics Championship.

With the nurturing support of Sam Batley, the expert tutor from Open Eye, the group have created powerful images that bring to life their views and experiences of Liverpool. Their stunning photographs of the city are being gifted as presents to visiting gymnasts as postcards and have featured in a special exhibition in the World Gymnastics Championships Fan Zone. These talents highlight Liverpool as the cultured, inclusive and beloved city that it truly is. This is Liverpool through their lens.

This project has achieved an incredible impact – encouraging people who access social care to enjoy all that their amazing city offers, and inspiring new passions and skills. With the project set to continue long after the event. John Hughes, Director of Partnerships and Communities at Community Integrated Care said,

“Much more than learning how to use a camera, the project inspires independence, encouraging people to go out and visit their city and share their photography experiences with the group.

Often, you’re not a tourist in your own city. Sometimes we take for granted the amazing places we live in. People we support should go out, be active and have fun in this amazing city that they live in.

This is not a one off experience either – we hope that people we support have discovered this passion and will want to carry this skill on for the rest of their lives. Community Integrated Care exists to support people to live their best life possible – and you can’t live your best life without being part of a community.”

Nuria Rovira Terradas, Assistant Creative Producer at Open Eye Gallery said,

“It’s been great to see the volunteers grow in their confidence as they learn more skills and share their photographs and experiences with other people. Every photograph tells a powerful story, but it’s the stories behind the lens that have the greatest impact.”

Watch the full video here:

Liverpool event strengthens commitment to serving communities

On Tuesday 15 November, LSHP welcomed Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor for Liverpool City Region, to an event hosted at the iconic Kensington Neighbourhood Health Centre.

Chaired by Gideon Ben-Tovim, the event considered how we can work together to best utilise the existing primary and community care estate across Liverpool to support the NHS and Local Authorities to deliver improved health outcomes for local communities.

Steve Rotherham delivered an inspiring keynote speech followed by Andy Muir, Community Health Partnerships Regional Director and Gary Naylor, gbpartnerships Managing Director. Andy reflected on the long an successful partnerships that have been nurtured across Liverpool through the LIFT Programme, and how at a time of significant pressures on the NHS, moving selected services out of hospital settings and into community-based Primary Care facilities such as Kensington Neighbourhood Health Centre offers clear advantages, both in alleviating the strain on major hospitals and the acute sector and in allowing local residents to access important health and social care on their doorstep.

Gary spoke about LSHP’s long history of making a significant contribution to supporting communities in the local area and integrating their services into the estate, commenting:

“We are probably in one of the best examples of cultivating strong community interfaces and this forms part of how we bring even more of these community services in moving forward.”

Incoming LSHP Chair, Dave Sweeney, Director of Partnerships at NHS Cheshire, and Merseyside, hosted a lively panel discussion with Michele McGee, Associate Director of Estates and Facilities at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, Ian Tayler, BBGI / LSHP Board member and Samantha McCumiskey, gbpartnerships Director joining Steve, Gideon, and Andy on the panel.

Given the current significant challenges we are facing across the UK, particularly in communities like Kensington, the event provided a timely reminder of the issues and how rapid change can be delivered, as was shown through the pandemic. The meeting ended with a shared commitment to focus on maintaining the level of urgency to drive change.

Sea Cadets were also represented at the event. The charity was supported by LSHP with funding for the ‘On The Water’ programme over the summer, which provided fully funded opportunities for young people from under-privileged backgrounds to take part in a series of water-based activities.

Photos produced by a Photography Club based at Kensington Health Centre were also on display. The Club is run by photography facilitators, Open Eye Gallery, and attended by volunteers from Community Integrated Care's Inclusive Volunteering Programme, each supported by a support worker / carer to ensure they are best supported for their individual learning or disability needs. With plans for their works to be displayed at public events, including the Word Gymnastics Championship.

On behalf of LSHP, we’d like to thank everyone joined us at the event, the speakers, and panellists. Also, thanks to the event sponsors, Integral.

Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor, Liverpool City Region

Incoming LSHP Chair, Dave Sweeney, Director of Partnerships at NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, hosting the panel discussion.