Free Poverty Awareness Training Launched for Health and Social Care Staff Across Cheshire and Merseyside
Health and social care professionals across Cheshire and Merseyside are being encouraged to take part in free Poverty Awareness Training designed to strengthen support for individuals and families experiencing financial hardship.
Poverty is one of the biggest drivers of health inequalities. People living in poverty are more likely to experience chronic conditions, mental health challenges and poorer health outcomes. Research by The Centre for Health Economics has found that the cost of poverty to hospital inpatient care alone is £4.8 billion per year for the NHS.
The latest data from a rapid situational analysis of child and family poverty in Cheshire and Merseyside shows that 111,793 children are living in poverty across the subregion, with 64 per cent coming from working households.
The training aims to equip health and social care professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to support people struggling financially and to tackle poverty within the health and social care system.
During the session, attendees will learn about what poverty is and how it affects individuals and communities across Cheshire and Merseyside. The training will also cover best practice when offering support to people facing financial difficulties, practical tools and resources that can be used in frontline roles, and the impact of poverty on the local health system. Participants will explore how strategic and policy responses can be designed to address poverty, with time built in for discussion and questions.
The training is delivered by Resolve Poverty, which has already supported more than 1,500 professionals through similar sessions. Feedback shows that attendees leave with increased confidence in how to support people struggling financially.
Organisers say health and social care professionals play a crucial role in identifying and supporting those experiencing financial hardship and are encouraging teams across Cheshire and Merseyside to book onto a session.