Successful bid to be a wave one implementer for CORE20PLUS Connectors Programme

Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, in partnership with Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Local Authorities, were successful in their bid to be selected as one of 11 sites across the country to become a wave one site to design and implement the NHSE Health Inequalities Core20PLUS Core Connectors programme.

Core Connectors are people who are part of communities who are often not well supported by existing services, who experience health inequalities, and who then help change these services to support their community better.

This will help health service providers and decision makers understand the perception of services and messages about healthcare from the perspective of those we wish to access our services. Most importantly, it’s about understanding how we can improve this. In Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, we will be specifically working to increase cancer screening uptake and symptom awareness by recruiting and empowering local, influential Cancer Champions (Community Connectors) from within areas with poorer access and health outcomes, to improve health and reduce inequalities.

You can find more details about the programme here.

Watch back our Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Cancer Champions Webinar.

We discussed the detail behind Core20PLUS5, what we’re doing locally and why we chose to focus on cancer inequalities.

Last year, Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin (STW), in partnership with Local Authorities and Community Partners, Lingen Davies and Qube, were successful in their bid to be a wave one implementer for NHS England’s CORE20PLUS Connectors Programme.

The programme aims to support the reduction of health inequalities at both a national and system level through the recruitment and support of Community Connectors; people who are part of those communities who are often not well supported by existing services, experience health inequalities, and who then help change these services to support their community better.

In August 2022, the Cancer Champions Team held an introductory webinar to introduce the programme and the work they planned to do locally through the empowerment of influential Cancer Champions. One year on from initial launch, the team held another webinar to share the progress made over the last 12 months, as well as some of the pivotal insights, feedback and learning shared with by Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin’s Cancer Champions.

For more information about Cancer Champions, or, if you or someone you know are interested in becoming a Cancer Champions, please visit www.cancerchampions.co.uk

You can find more details about the Core20PLUS Connectors Programme here: https://www.scwcsu.nhs.uk/work-for-us/early-careers/articles/health-inequalities/core20plus-connectors

You can watch the full introductory webinar from August 2022 here: https://www.shropshiretelfordandwrekin.nhs.uk/successful-bid-to-be-a-wave-one-implementer-for-core20plus-connectors-programme/