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" Community Profile : Barking & Dagenham "
In addition to other local organisations already mentioned , there is the statutory 'Barking & Havering Family Health Services Authority' who have legal responsibility for GPs, dentists, opticians and pharmacists , and the commissioning of child health and community nursing services. In conjunction with Barking & Havering Health Authority - services for the elderly and disabled are provided. Residential , day care and support services for the elderly are by far the most expensive drain on health care financial resources in the borough. Barking & Dagenham have the highest proportion of pensioner households in London and the highest proportion of lone pensioner households in outer London.
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Voluntary and independent organisations provide an invaluable contribution to overall provision of community care services in Barking & Dagenham. The Council for Voluntary Service is a registered charity and limited company that coordinates work of several hundred bodies , ranging from small amateur self-help groups to formal professional organisations and the branches of national societies. Their work includes pioneering new groups and meeting needs where there are gaps in the provision of statutory or other organisations. Training, information and advice are made readily available , and additional funding is channelled through borough financed grant aid. One independent sector agency which I have visited ( at 39 Axe Street on 25th July placement ) is that of the 'Daybreak Drug Abuse Project' which works in close cooperation with the 'Community Drug Advisory Service' and 'Needle Exchange' . A service is provided for all of Barking & Dagenham , and during 1994 there were 3320 telephone enquiries and ~ 2500 personal advice or counselling sessions. CDAS had an active caseload of 140 people , and there were 80 regular service users of the needle exchange. 'Daybreak' clients were 94% white, 73% male , and over half reported heroin / methadone use. BHB Health Promotion Unit together with CDAS will continue to implement a programme of outreach to schools as part of their 'Community Concern for Young People' project.
In 1995 B&D Council in collaboration with local health authorities published a five year health strategy plan. In this there is commitment to directing more effort to prevention of ill health and to explaining for people what is being done and why _ and so gaining further popular support. All individuals should know how to get the services to which they are entitled, and there should be demonstrable value and effectiveness in what is planned and done. The strategy identifies seven key action areas : (1) Housing and its impact on health , (2) Environmental considerations , (3) The contribution of lifestyle to health , (4) Building supportive communities , (5) Progressing community care , (6) Developing primary health care (7) The future of medical care . Effective integration of NHS continuing health care with the social care services means that health and social care staff should jointly assess people's needs . In the event of citizens being unfairly treated in consequence of maladministration by their borough council - they have the right to send a complaint for investigation to the regional ombudsman, either directly or via a local councillor.
It therefore appears that a community profile of locality 7 must necessarily include an awareness both of facilities in nearby wards which are also drawn upon by residents of this locality, as well as knowledge of centralised borough and regionally organised services that may be equally available to this and neighbouring localities. In ~ 2000 words it is possible to no more than briefly touch upon a few of the many fascinating characteristics of the area , its people and environment. A vast wealth of additional information has been gathered both on subjects above mentioned as well as on a much wider range of topics of local communal interest that could not be adequately summarised within the assigned word limit. references page---->