Poverty Proofing© Healthcare

We understand that minimising the impact of poverty on healthcare provision is key to breaking the link between an individual’s income and their opportunity to live a long, healthy life. From patient outcomes to workforce development, performance in healthcare settings is intimately aligned with the financial backgrounds of the individuals involved.

Our Poverty Proofing© team experts can support healthcare teams to listen to the experiences of their patients, staff and stakeholders on how poverty impacts them. We can then provide tailored guidance, built on evidence and tested methods, on what actions can support improvement in areas such as access, participation, experience and long-term engagement.

Our approach

Our team will complete a tailored Poverty Proofing auditbespoke to the type and size of the setting. The process is made up of five phases and includes staff training and consultations, patient and service user group consultations and a feedback session with the leadership team to identify pathways to change. Your organisation will receive a thorough written report and set of recommendations to help inform impactful change.

The final stage is a review visit, six to twelve months after the audit to look at impact, understand the challenges and to share the learning.

Our impact

Our Poverty Proofing© Healthcare service has helped organisations across the North East, Our S.T.A.R. partnership project, funded by NHS Charities Together, was shortlisted for

‘Most Impactful Project Addressing Health Inequalities’ at the HSJ Partnership Awards 2022, recognising their outstanding contribution to healthcare. The project was described as “visionary spirit and the demonstrable positive impact that their project has had on children, young people and their families living in some of the most deprived communities.”

Poverty Proofing© Standalone Staff Training

Grow your team’s understanding of how your organisation impacts those living in poverty. Our Poverty Proofing© Training Workshop can be delivered as a one-off, standalone session. It explores the patient experience of your organisation and its activities through a poverty lens. The session is intended to inform people about the diverse experiences of people living in poverty and to generate informed discussion about ways in which we may unintentionally promote stigma or limit an individual’s access to participation and opportunities.

See examples of our work

North East and North Cumbria Child Health and Wellbeing Network

In February 2020, Children North East was commissioned by the North East and North Cumbria Child Health and Wellbeing Network to consult with families about the key issues that are affecting their access to health services. The report, which was published in 2021, provides insight into the themes and outputs of a Poverty Proofing© Audit. Access it online to learn more about what we do.

Paediatric Diabetes Networks

Children North East worked with the Paediatric Diabetes Networks in the North East, North Cumbria, Yorkshire and Humber regions to ‘Poverty Proof’ three settings in Hull, Gateshead and Grimsby. This culminated in a series of Common Themes Conferences across the regions bringing together 280 practitioners to share the learning, as well as a written Common Themes Report and Workforce Guide.

Cruddas Park Surgery

Cruddas Park is situated in Elswick, which ranks in the top 1% of areas in the UK for deprivation, and was the first General Practice to take part in the Poverty Proofing© Health Settings. Dr Guy Pilkington, Partner shares, “We’re a practice working at the deep end, looking after communities with significant deprivation. Day to day, patients are presenting with challenges connected to their income, housing or employment.” Read the case study to learn more, or read an interview with one of their team.

Expert Blogs

The team often share their expertise and experience through third-party publishers. Highlights include Feel powerless about poverty? The NHS can do more than you think for NHS North East North Cumbria ICB and What are the things that make it difficult for families on low incomes to attend healthcare appointments? shared in summary on the NIRH Applied Research Collaboration website and in fully in the PLOS One Academic Journal.

Poverty Proofing© Healthcare

Why do healthcare teams use our Poverty Proofing© service?

Our approach

Our impact

Poverty Proofing© Standalone Staff Training

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See examples of our work

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