Develop a summary community health profile of a community living in a local authority area in England (SPELTHORNE) using secondary (desktop) data sources

Introduction (100 or so words)

Briefly set out briefly what your essay will be about (what will be discussed in your essay and in what order) e.g. which local authority area, what key definitions you will discuss and what key sources of community health and wellbeing data you have used. Do not summarise the learning outcomes.

Background (400 or so words, sources and evidence must be cited)

• Describe briefly what a community health needs assessment is and why it is used.
• Describe briefly what a community health profile is and how it relates to community health needs assessment.
• Describe briefly what monitoring and surveillance is and how it relates to community health needs assessment.

Community health profile (1100 or so words, sources and evidence must be cited)

Summarise and discuss the two main health profiles from Public Health England (‘short’ and ‘long’ profiles are attached email):

• Mention that population health indicators (measures) are in four broad categories: demographic, deprivation, determinants and health status.
• Key demographic characteristics.
• Key measures of deprivation (inequalities)
• Key measures of the determinants of health e.g. education, family, neighbourhood (focus on the red indicators first).
• Key measures of the health status of the community (Focus on the red indicators first).

Implications of the findings of the profile (700 or so words, sources and evidence must be cited)

Summarise and discuss:

• What the profile tells us are the priority public health needs of the community (see bottom of first page of short profile).
• What the profile tells us about who the vulnerable and disadvantaged groups are (this is likely to be the groups affected by the priority public health needs).

• Briefly discuss how theories of health need (describe need and Bradshaw’s taxonomy of need) and theories of population trends and transitions (demographic, epidemiological and nutrition transitions) can inform how we interpret a community profile.
• Briefly, define what community assets as defined by community-based asset development approach (ABCD) is (the ‘what do people have’ their ‘personal skills and knowledge’ model of community and how it is different from focusing on need ‘what is lacking’ model of community) and why this should be added to future community profiles and community health needs assessments.

Conclusion (200 or so words, sources and evidence should be cited if appropriate)

• A brief conclusion (wrap-up) on the limitations of the profile.
• From you review of the two main community profiles what other information would you like to know to better understand local health needs.

Do not re-summarise your community profile summary.