We’re delighted to announce that five new local areas have joined the MEAM Approach Network this month. They join the 26 current MEAM Approach areas, enlarging the network to 31 areas.
The new areas are: Calderdale, Durham, Newham, North Devon and Peterborough.
Each local area is committed to using the MEAM Approach to explore and embed change within their local systems for people facing multiple disadvantage. The work of the partnerships will be co-produced, incorporating the voice of lived experience, and the MEAM Local Networks Team will provide support and advice. Each area will take a ‘place-based’ approach, but many have also identified a specific aspect of multiple disadvantage to focus on, based on the needs of local people.
Calderdale is committed to building on the work of WY-FI, the West Yorkshire Fulfilling Lives project, to reduce harm associated with street-based activity, and addressing the needs of women and the BAME community.
Durham will focus on the social determinants of health, including improvements in the local environment, housing, education, income, crime and social capital, working in one specific place in the county.
Newham intends to use the MEAM Approach framework to design and deliver better coordinated services around people who are sex workers.
North Devon seeks to build on already existing health and wellbeing partnership work to tackle problems like unsuitable housing, poor employment prospects and social isolation, to improve health outcomes.
Peterborough will develop from the already established work in Cambridgeshire, one of the earliest MEAM Approach areas, to make improvements for people facing a combination of homelessness, substance misuse, mental health problems and contact with the criminal justice system.
We welcome the new areas to the network and look forward to working with them over the coming months.