Sláintecare Healthy Communities

The aim of Sláintecare Healthy Communities is to promote and improve health and wellbeing in communities where there are more health and wellbeing risk factors. Local authorities will work closely with the HSE and community groups to provide services that will deliver lasting improvements in health and wellbeing.  

Healthy Communities initiatives

The Sláintecare Healthy Communities initiatives includes a wide range of activities aimed at enhancing the health and wellbeing of people in the selected communities, providing better access to services and support to promote healthier lifestyle behaviours. 

This includes:

• QUIT smoking services – Dedicated one-to-one Stop Smoking Advisors will be available to provide support to people in the community who want to quit smoking, and We Can Quit groups will provide peer support over a 12-week programme to encourage people to stop smoking.
• Parenting Programmes – Parenting programmes will provide families with support for the mental health of parents and for healthy child development. 
• Healthy Food Made Easy – The Healthy Food Made Easy programme provides nutrition and cookery courses to help people follow a healthier diet and plan meals.
• Mental health and wellbeing – Social Prescribing link workers will be available to work with individuals who need support for their mental health and wellbeing, linking them into community activities and services.
• Alcohol services – Integrated alcohol services are being rolled out in Healthy Community settings to provide support to people with harmful alcohol use and their families. Community based teams are made up of four counsellors, a nurse, and project worker, and they will work closely with Alcohol Liaison Nurses in hospitals to ensure there is a joined-up approach between the community and hospital setting.
• Making Every Contact Count – The Healthy Communities initiative will also support local health professionals to make the most of their contact with people in the community by giving them the tools they need to speak to patients about healthy behaviours.

Healthy Community Local Development Officers

Each local authority taking part in Sláintecare Healthy Communities has a Healthy Community Local Development Officer to coordinate and support the programme. This officer supports the local authority to integrate the health and wellbeing agenda into the wider agenda of the local authority, with a focus on addressing health inequalities.  

Where are the Sláintecare Healthy Communities?

There are currently 19 Sláintecare Healthy Communities across Ireland:

• Cavan Town & County (Cavan) 
• Gaeltacht (Donegal) 
• Inishowen (Donegal)
• West Mayo (Mayo)
• Limerick City (Limerick)
•  Clonmel (Tipperary)
• North Cork City (Cork)
• Enniscorthy & Wexford Town (Wexford) 
• Waterford City (Waterford)
• Bray (Wicklow)
• Athy (Kildare) 
• Cherry Orchard (Dublin) 
• Clondalkin (Dublin) 
• Tallaght (Dublin)
• Athlone & Mullingar (Westmeath) 
• Longford Town (Longford)
• Ballymun (Dublin) 
• Finglas & Cabra (Dublin) 
• Kilmore & Priorswood (Dublin)

Find out more about Sláintecare Healthy Communities on the HSE website.