Support Plus
What is the service?
Our Support Plus service offers a one-to-one support service to help you overcome wider social issues that have an impact on your health and wellbeing.
What does the service do?
Our frontline support workers, often called a “Buddy”, are recruited from the local community, to ensure they hold a deep understanding of local issues and culture.
You receive one-to-one sessions with a buddy, to provide you access to appropriate information supporting you through benefits, debt, housing, employment, voluntary opportunities or other social issues
How it can help?
Our service can provide you with easy access to the information you need to control your social circumstances. Support plus can help build your confidence and self-motivation. You will be encouraged to take part in appropriate activities to reduce your stress, which in turn can improve your physical and mental well being.
Who is it for?
This service is available to you if aged 18+ and registered with a heart of Birmingham GP.
Case Study
Gita* was suffering from moderately severe depression, brought on by fear and stress due to domestic abuse and an urgent need for housing. Her GP referred her to the Support Plus Programme, where she was buddied with Razia.
“I came to Razia very disturbed and depressed. She talked to me in a very friendly way making me feel I want to tell her all my problems.” Razia was able to connect Gita to Birmingham and Solihulls Women’s Aid for advice about domestic abuse. Now, with help from council housing, Gita is living with her children in her own flat, where she is free from stress and fear. This, in turn, has had a positive effect on her health, namely her depression which is now minimal.
“She (Razia) has always been with me through my time of distress. I am very happy now. I wish she will keep up with the good work and help many more like me”.
“Having the support plus service attached to our practice has helped the practice tremendously. The Doctors sign post the patients to a Buddy who then sorts out their problems. This has cut down on appointments that can be appropriately used for non clinical purpose. Non clinical problems take up lot of the Doctors time therefore this service has been very useful and much needed for our population” – Shabnam Khan; Practice Manager
*Name changed for confidentiality
