Introduction to Community Development and Health.

ICDH stands for Introduction to Community Development and Health.

It is a 15 weeks training course set up by local organisation such as a community forum or voluntary community group which operate in an area with the help of the Sheffield City Council and the NHS.

Taster Session

March 9th, 9.30am-2.30pm at Burngreave Vestry Hall, 2 Burngreave Road, Sheffield S3 9DD

Followed by weekly sessions

This course covers topics about personal development, health and wellbeing and community development. It is a way of starting off members of the community on a journey to understand themselves, their community and environment – how everybody can make small changes in their lives, prevent ill-health, increase well-being and participate in activities that make us feel good and valued.

What is its purpose?

• To encourage people to develop a deeper understanding of what health and well-being means to them, how everybody’s health and wellbeing influences community issues.

• To enable participants to analyse their own personal strengths and abilities, reflect on areas that they want to develop as well as identify their own ‘worth’ in the community.

• The programme empowers participants to make their own informed choices, access

services more appropriately and develop the skills and confidence to enable them to take advantage of opportunities which may become available.

How is it delivered?

The course is extremely creative using discussions, games, drawings and images to explore issues. Learners will be guided to reflect and analyse these issues in group discussions and journals. Learners will be doing individual work as well as group activities during the session. The course is delivered by people who have done the course themselves, made changes in their own personal lives and now have greater involvement in the area where they live.

Is this course for me?

Don’t worry if you have not been in education for sometime or have no formal qualifications.

Don’t worry if you don’t feel confident with reading, spelling or writing. You will be assisted by supportive tutors and there will be opportunity to discuss with tutors the pace or level that is comfortable for you or if the course suit your needs.

ICDH CONTENTS

By the end of the course, you will have discovered more about yourself and your community. The depth of your understanding will depend on your starting point and the amount of time and work you invest in learning and reflecting on your experiences.

You will be working on 5 topics or Units:

Unit 1 – What is Health?

• Explore your own view of health and well being and how your view developed.

• Analyse why people have different definitions of health and well being.

• Describe how people’s health and wellbeing is affected by individual, social and economic factors.

Unit 2 – Power and Powerlessness

• Explore personal power and powerlessness and how these vary in different contexts.

• Outline power and powerlessness within and between communities and relate this to groups that are discriminated against.

• Explain how power operates within society as a whole.

Unit 3 – Recognising and Building on the Strengths of Communities

• Recognise the resources and opportunities to improve health and wellbeing in your own community.

• Identify different approaches that are used when working within communities and the strengths and limitations of these approaches.

• Investigate the potential of collective action within and between communities.

Unit 4 – Achieving Change for Health

• Find out the aims, values and principles of Community Development and how this relates to Health Promotion.

• Discuss some of the ways in which Community Development might be used as a way of achieving change for health and wellbeing in your community.

• Examine the social and economic factors contributing to health inequalities and their effect on health.

Unit 5 – Developing Skills for Working with Others

• Recognise your own skills in relation to working in the community and those of other members of the community.

• Demonstrate effective, practical skills in working with others in ways that are consistent with the values and principles of Community Development.

• Demonstrate the ability to communicate with and involve your community.

What can I do after I have completed the course?

This course is not an accredited course, which means there is no formal qualification. You will receive a certificate of completion which includes a testimonial from your tutors regarding your skills and qualities. By the end of the course, you will acquire skills and knowledge which are considered essential if you wish to progress. You will be more ready to do other training, you will have the foundation knowledge for volunteering and you may improve on many aspects of your skills for employment. Many ICDH graduates go on to become Health Champions and later apply for job vacancies in the voluntary community sector and in health and social care.

For more info, contact Mai at the Community Development and Health Programme, 0114 293 0686 or email mai.mustaphanin@sheffield.gcsx.gov.uk

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