Definition

Community capacity building means working with local people, in groups and on a one-to-one basis, to develop skills and abilities that allow them to take control of issues affecting them, their families and their communities. It means offering support, guidance and encouragement for local people to recognise the skills they have or would like to develop, and designing and delivering formal and informal training programmes to foster learning.

Dundee Healthy Living Initiative uses a community development approach, which centres on a belief in the following values and principles:

• Local People identifying their own health needs and solutions
• A social model of health
• Reducing health inequalities
• Sustainability
• Building capacity to make healthy choices
• Partnership working
• Collective action

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Health Discussion Groups

These groups give local people an opportunity to come together to discuss issues important to their health and take part in practical sessions to address these. The groups are friendly and informal, take place in accessible local venues, and participants devise their own programmes relevant to their own needs and priorities.

These can include anything from the following or more:

• Healthy eating sessions
• Stress management
• Community safety
• Food and Mood
• Cancer prevention
• Sun safety
• Weight management
• Assertiveness
• Physical activity
• Smoking
• Social issues
• Mental wellbeing

Group members not only devise their own programmes, but with support from the DHLI Community Health Workers, take responsibility for planning, organising and delivering sessions. This helps build the confidence of participants and fosters a sense of group ownership. DHLI staff also support the groups to constitute, which enables them to bid for funding to sustain their programmes over the longer term.

DHLI staff or group members help introduce new members into the group setting.

Health Issues in the Community Course

Dundee Healthy Living Initiative has a long history of joint working with CHEX (Community Health Exchange), which is funded by NHS Health Scotland. The role of CHEX is to support the practice development of community health initiatives, provide opportunities for networking and ensure that experiences and priorities are reflected in national policies.

The accredited Health Issues in the Community training is aimed at local people, adopts the community development approach and focuses on experiential learning, capacity building, critical awareness and collective action.

The pack comprises of 2 parts, each with 8 units, with topics such as:

• What affects my health?
• Different ways of thinking about health
• Poverty, Inequality and Health
• Making Democracy Work
• Participation and Power
• Private troubles, public issues

3 Accredited courses have been delivered. Health issues students have presented their drama at a number of national conferences.

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Volunteer Development

Since 2007, the DHLI has formally used local people as volunteers to help deliver and sustain a wide range of project activities. All DHLI staff have a role to play in supporting local people to identify interests, develop new skills and put these into practice within their own areas. In addition, the DHLI has a part time Volunteer Development Worker, whose key responsibility is to develop and implement a volunteer framework, including a more formal induction, training and support programme.

Formal Training Opportunities Informal Training Opportunities Walk Leader Committee skills Jog Leader Group Work and Facilitation Risk assessment Developing a Constitution Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation Presentation Skills Exercise to Music Fundraising Cooksafe Completing Application Forms Food Handling and Hygiene Publicity and Promotion Food and Health Understanding the Policy Maze.