Essex Sexual Health Network

Purpose

Objective: Improving the sexual health and wider wellbeing of Essex residents through collaboration with a range of community partners – developing improvements in prevention, education and access using the power of communities, partnerships and the public voice. Developing innovative partnership approaches to maximise the opportunities for positive sexual health intervention, both planned and reactive.

Scope: All residents of Essex with specific focus on groups that are underrepresented, marginalised and seldom heard. Considering opportunities across the spectrum of intervention proportionally and appropriately, maximising prevention, education and self-management and reducing dependency

Membership

Eligibility: Representatives from community groups and individuals and wider statutory and non – statutory organisations that have an interest in sexual health improvement within Essex.

Responsibilities: Regular attendance at quarterly meetings, active participation of developing projects including support an input outside of meeting schedule. Contribution to discussion and openness of view to support innovative partnerships and pathways

Structure and Governance

Facilitator: This person will be responsible for organising and leading the meeting and initially this will be the Essex Sexual Health System Lead

Secretariat: Provide CIC will supply the support for meeting coordination, notes taking and wider representative communication

Action/Working Groups : will be generated via this meeting to progress service and partnership developments and will link directly and be supported by the Essex Sexual Health Service Operational Development Group as appropriate

Scope: All residents of Essex with specific focus on groups that are underrepresented, marginalised and seldom heard. Considering opportunities across the spectrum of intervention proportionally and appropriately, maximising prevention, education and self-management and reducing dependency

Meetings

Frequency: Quarterly

Location: Alternating virtual and face to face with physical venue initially identified as Kestral House, Chelmsford, CM2 5PF

Agenda Setting: Decided by facilitator following consideration by group

Decision-Making: Consensus approach with recommendations following action being escalated to wider decision making governance bodies (depending on area of focus and partners involve ie health, education, housing)

Roles and Responsibilities

Facilitator: Lead meetings, ensure agenda is followed, and facilitate discussions.

Members: Participate in meetings, share relevant information, and contribute to collective actions, actively listen and contribute ideas and options for partnership development. To share information about funding opportunities to support meeting objectives

Secretariat: Prepare meeting agendas, distribute materials, take minutes, and support communication and reminders of follow-up actions.

Communication

Internal Communication: Primarily e-mail and MS Teams, with dedicated area on Provides Community Platform.

External Communication: Project updates, reports and video/ text blogs on ESHS website, and social media, linking wider online communication networks for example Essex County Council website.

Reporting: The activities development and output will be monitored via the ESHS Operational Development Group

Resources

Funding: The group will maintain necessary review of funding opportunities to link with partnership proposals. All participants will engage with business development and other avaible resources to highlight funding opportunities.

Commercial opportunities that may arise form the group are to be addressed by interested particopants and their supping business development colleagues outside of the meeting.

Shared Resources: All members will adopt a partnership approach and seek ways of using resources in a shared way to maximise outcomes as appropriate, not withstanding awareness of commercial sensitivity and regulation.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Performance Indicators:

Initial performance indicator :

  • Range of representation
  • Partnership developments


Review Process:
Activity will be revied bi monthly at the ESHS operational Group and the Terms of Reference will be reviewed annually by the Essex Sexual Health Improvement Network as a group lead by the Facilitator

Feedback Mechanism: Feedback area on community platform – linked to service users and wider participants linked to group representatives

Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest

Confidentiality: Seek some guidance about confidentiality expectation in groups of both professionals and the wider public ie not using PID

Conflict of Interest: All asked to declare any existing of new conflict of interest at the start of every meeting

Commercial opportunities that may arise form the group are to be addressed by interested particopants and their supping business development colleagues outside of the meeting.

Shared Resources: All members will adopt a partnership approach and seek ways of using resources in a shared way to maximise outcomes as appropriate, not withstanding awareness of commercial sensitivity and regulation.

Events

Our launch event is taking place on 29 November 2024. To book your space, click here.

Healthy Living Partnership manage a group of approximately 80 pharmacies and retailers who provide access to sexual health services from their premises.

This includes information, chlamydia testing & treatment, emergency contraception and free condoms through our eC-card scheme.

Due to staffing we are not currently able to see patients at the Rectory Lane clinic in Loughton.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.