Local Services
Community Services in the Southern Health and Social Services Board's Area
The term 'community care' covers a broad range of health and social care provision delivered outside of hospital. Three of the four Trusts in the Southern Board area are responsible for the provision of community services to the public - Craigavon and Banbridge Community Trust, Armagh and Dungannon Health and Social Services Trust and Newry and Mourne Health and Social Services Trust.
Community health and social care provision is generally delivered within 'programmes of care', that is, client groupings with similar needs. These are:
- Maternal and Child Health
- Family and Childcare
- Older People (including people with dementia)
- Mental Health
- Learning Disability
- Physical and Sensory Disability
- Health Promotion
- Primary Care
Maternal and Child Health
Services provided would include ante-natal and post-natal care in community settings, for example, services provided to mother and baby by District Nurses and Health Visitors. In addition, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, podiatry, speech and language therapy etc are provided to children within this programme.
Family and Childcare
Registration and training of childminders, day care provision for young children, playgroups, parent and toddler groups, after-school clubs etc. are all social services support provided within this programme. In addition, family and child care encompasses services relating to child protection, children in need including family support services and looked after children (eg. family placement, adoption, residential care etc), services to children with disabilities, women's hostels and shelter provision.
Older People/Adults with Mental Heath Problems, Learning Disabilities and/or Physical and Sensory Impairment
Residential and Nursing Home placements and services provided in the clients home such as home help, respite care, meals on wheels, etc are included. Day care provision, community nursing and therapy services (such as podiatry, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, dietetics, speech and language etc), are also provided within these adult programmes of care in various community settings. In addition, clinical psychology services, addiction services, aids and adaptations etc. are provided within the appropriate programme.
Intermediate Care
This is a fairly new term given to the often intensive rehabilitation care a patient receives between being discharged from hospital and returning to independent living in the community. Intermediate care crosses all adult programmes.
Health Promotion
The Board is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of the population and target 'good health' messages to all client groups across the Board's area. Activity in this programme includes smoking cessation services, family planning, pre-school and school child health surveillance delivered by community paediatricians, screening services, vaccination and immunisation programmes, community dental screening and prevention work.
Primary Care and Adult Community
Primary Care is considered the first point of contact in the community between the patient/client and the service. Quite often this contact is via the General Medical Practitioner (GP). Primary care services also include services (other than screening) provided by dentists, opticians/opthalmologists and pharmacists.
This is intended to be an example and not a definitive list of community services available in the Southern Board Area.
These services are delivered in a wide variety of settings - in the patient/client home, in residential/nursing home settings, in primary care practices, health centres and clinics, community hospitals, in general throughout the community as a whole. For more information you should contact the Headquarters of the Trust responsible for community services provision in your area.