We’ve summed up our vision and commitment to working together for Lambeth residents into a short video:
What is Lambeth Together?
Our partnership was established in 2017 to improve ways of working across our organisations and with our communities to meet health and care needs across our borough and to plan and coordinate services focused on our local population.
In the summer of 2022, we formally became a part of South East London Integrated Care System (ICS), which has been formed in response to the Government’s Health and Social Care Act 2022. This was an important milestone in our evolution as a partnership, as we continue to work together
to plan and manage the services for which we are responsible.
Working together, we coordinate care across our borough to remove unhelpful divides between hospital and community-based services, physical and mental health, and health and social care. Making services more joined up, easier to access and more consistent will help people get the right care and support in the right setting, as early as possible and help our population achieve better health in the decades to come.
Why Lambeth Together?
In the past, divisions between hospitals and family doctors, between physical and mental health and between NHS and council services have meant that too many people experience disjointed care. We think we can support people’s health and wellbeing and their experience of care. By joining together in an integrated care system locally, we can keep people well for longer and greatly improve outcomes for people who need support from health and care services.
Integrating care also makes sense for services that are facing growing pressures. We’re all living longer, so people are more likely to need help for illness, or several illnesses, over their lifetime. Lambeth also has a growing population, so it’s likely that more people will need to use health services in future.
Helping people with their own health and wellbeing, so they stay well for longer, is better for everyone. Ensuring people have easy access to care when they need it benefits patients, service users and carers. Having teams that work together across organisations to understand what matters most to people also transforms our staff’s experience, enabling them to focus on each individual in a unique way.
Who is Lambeth Together?
There are lots of different organisations involved. These include:
- community voices, like Healthwatch Lambeth, Black Thrive Lambeth and Patient and Public Voice Members of our Board
- voluntary and community services such as Age UK Lambeth, Thames Reach and Certitude
- and public bodies like Lambeth Council, NHS South East London Integrated Care Board, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and Lambeth GP practices
Our Lambeth Together Care Partnership Board brings together a borough-based director, GP members, local authority and lay members, and leaders from a wide range of partners.
Find out more about our partner organisations.
What does Lambeth Together do?
We have prioritised eight population groups and health issues where we will work together to improve health and wellbeing and the way that we plan and manage services. We call these our ‘Delivery Alliances’ and our Programmes.
Lambeth Together Delivery Alliances and Programmes focus on population groups and health issues where we will work together to improve health and wellbeing. They are responsible for bringing together partners and people with ‘lived experience’ to plan and manage programmes and projects that will join up services, improve health and address inequalities in health.
Our Delivery Alliances are:
- The Living Well Network Alliance – focused supporting adults in Lambeth who are experiencing mental illness or distress
- The Neighbourhood and Wellbeing Alliance – focused on improving the health and wellbeing of adults by working together in local neighbourhoods
- The Children and Young People Alliance – focus on supporting children and young people in Lambeth to grow up healthy and happy
Our Programmes of work are:
- Homeless Health Programme – focused on improving health outcomes for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, (including rough sleepers and refugees)
- Staying Healthy Programme – focused on promoting the health of the Lambeth population and supporting communities to maintain good health and wellbeing
- Learning Disabilities and Autism Programme – focused on improving health outcomes and support for people who are autistic or have a learning disability
- Substance Misuse Programme – focused on reducing the harms caused by substance misuse and supporting those using substances to access the right help to meet their needs
- Sexual Health Programme – focused on improving people’s sexual and reproductive health and enabling people with HIV to live and age well, across Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham
How does Lambeth Together work?
As we come from a diverse range of organisations, with different systems and workplace cultures, we recognise it’s important to work in a similar way as much as possible. So we’ve developed a vision and commitment to working together, which includes behaviours we call the ‘Lambeth Together Way’.
To find out more about our commitment to working together, read or watch a video of our pledge.
Find out more about our ways of working
How can I get involved?
We’re committed to working with communities to make sure the services we deliver work for the people they’re created for. If you’re a Lambeth resident who cares about health and care in your community and would like to shape how we work, we’d love to hear from you.
Find out more about the ways you can get involved in the work we do.