Integrated Health and Care Review

To gain a greater understanding of the progress of physical activity integration with the Greater Manchester health and care system, GM Moving commissioned Substance to investigate.

Between September 2022 and March 2023, they conducted research to support GM Moving with an insight-led approach to position and further integrate physical activity across the wider health and care system.

The findings, covering influencers (referred to as sparkplugs) and their agency/commitment, are available in the summary and the full report (see links, right).

The report produced eight practical recommendations on:

1. Data and insight

Use existing data and insight highlighting inequality of access or uptake of physical activity opportunities to ensure no communities are excluded going forward. 

2. Relatable comms

Create co-produced messaging/resources that speaks to all levels of the system and help them shape and influence their respective audiences in identifiable terms and with messages that resonate.

3. Community champions and trusted transmitters

Continue to identify community champions/trusted transmitters in localities to act as conduits and translators of physical activity messaging and their promotion in the hyper-local systems.

4. Signposting, resources and training

There are fantastic training opportunities and resources available. Not necessarily a need to recreate more resources, but ensure all layers of the system have access to time and resources to understand the opportunities and benefits of physical activity. 

5. Strategic leverage across the system

Capitalise on GM Moving as an established brand for physical activity. Use this to push more challenging discussions a strategic level to realise the priorities within GM Moving in Action.

6. Physical activity as a core priority

Position physical activity as centre stage for all health and social care agendas, move this into all strategic priorities to ensure it is a collective goal.

7. Safe-space community of practice - Create and enable safe spaces for the narrative of physical activity in health and social care to evolve and, where needed, disrupt existing systems. Facilitate and convene conversations which bridge gaps and start new movements of change.

8. Authentic strategic enabling collective leadership - Strategic leaders/sparkplugs continue to be catalysts of system change through their own practice and evident authentic interest and personal belief systems.