Securing HIV Community’s Future
posted: 10/02/2011
The future for both people with HIV, community and council HIV services is threatened and unstable now because of the government’s responses to the economic situation. Despite the negative outlook, HIV organisations must focus on making the most of what opportunities there are.
A new report, Securing Our Future, makes eight action point recommendations for the HIV community sector, based on the views of people with HIV, findings from an online survey, and the views of HIV organisations.
Securing our Future was the work of three London-based HIV organisations - Naz Project London, Positive East and Positively UK (formerly Positively Women), working together as the Counterpoint Policy Alliance.
8 Community Actions
As a result of all the feedback received from the surveys, focus groups and stakeholders, the Counterpoint Policy Alliance identifies eight key action points or recommendations for the HIV charity sector:
- Maximise the role of people living with HIV working as peers to address their needs and change perceptions about HIV
- Ensure the sustainability especially of peer-based personal support services (one-to-one, mentoring and support groups), and mental health counselling for people living with HIV and their families
- Facilitate a process among people living with HIV to build a shared vision of what the HIV charity sector would look like in 5 years, in 2016
- Increase innovative sharing and use of peer volunteers across HIV charities
- Build a unified and strong advocacy voice across HIV charities
- Initiate a mentoring programme where larger HIV charities are available to assist smaller ones as / if needed, e.g., to understand the changing economic and social environment, and analytical skills to accurately identify what the implications are for the organisation and how best to respond
- Encourage more partnerships among HIV charities that share back
office and service delivery functions
- Explore merger options among HIV charities that avoid homogenisation, and maintain community relationships as well as the ability to target and tailor for specific needs and sub-populations.
As the report tells us “We are moving into an era of radical revamping of the NHS and how health and social care services are provided.
"It is vital that we maximise opportunities to ensure that the needs, views and experiences of people and communities affected by HIV are at the centre of public policy and development.
"In order to achieve this and take forward the above eight recommendations, there will need to be increasing levels of collaboration across the HIV charity sector.”
Securing our Future
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