Pegasus Post: August 30, 2016

PEGASUS POST Tuesday August 30 2016 11
‘THE LOFT’
Unique Health and Wellbeing Centre
Opens as ‘The Loft’
A unique co-location of social, community and health services called
The Loft has opened on the first floor of Eastgate Shopping Centre.
The Loft is not just a physical space; it is
a partnership of social and health agencies
operating in a unique co-location with an
intention of better supporting children,
young people and families towards wellbeing.
The Loft aims to make access to multiple
services much easier, and enable staff across
services to work more closely together.
It comprises two key service delivery
centres. One is a growing hub of social and
community services that includes child
safety, microfinance, parenting support,
social work support and family and sexual
violence services. Beside them is Linwood
Medical Centre, home to a range of health
providers including general practice,
pharmacy, physiotherapy, midwifery, district
nursing, older person’s health and mental
health services.
Such a broad collection of services, seeking
to work in truly integrated ways in the
practical delivery of services is part of what
makes The Loft unique in Australasia. But
even more important is the way of working.
“As organisations that support members of
our community to achieve wellbeing, we
have made a commitment to offer more than
our business-as-usual services” says Darryn
Russell, Chair of Aviva (one of social service
providers located there). “We are developing
and adapting a range of key service processes,
such as seamless consent to the multiple
service agencies located in The Loft, to begin
making access to support easier.”
“Part of our vision is to
enable support seeking to
become easier for people”
Since opening on 4 July, over 35 people
have walked into The Loft social services
area to seek support from the agencies based
there, or to be linked with more appropriate
services elsewhere. Family Help Trust Chair
Lesley Campbell said “Part of our vision is
to enable support seeking to become easier
for people, and we’re already finding that
our availability within a retail centre is
making our services more visible and more
accessible.”
Linwood Medical Centre is also finding
The Loft has brought increased awareness of
the range of available services, and support
for the concept of multiple services in one
space. Having already each taken clients
through to each other for support, the social
and health service providers will continue
to work together to develop the whole of
person/whole of whanau approach which
shared accommodation fosters.
The Loft’s enormous potential for making
a significant difference in people’s lives is
echoed in its call to action - Ki te tihi – ‘to the
summit; rising higher and moving forward,
together.’
Mayor Lianne Dalziel and Prime Minister John
Key officially opened The Loft on 19 August.
Find out more at
theloftchristchurch.org.nz
Welcome to
Community & Social Services
Services:
• Anger management
• Budgeting advice
• Child health, parenting and
community support
• Community transport services
• Family violence services
• Sexual assault support for
men and women
Opening Hours: Mon — Fri: 9am–5pm
• Pathways to employment
• Small loans
(no interest and low interest)
• Social work support
• Social work support for unpaid
carers in the home
• Specialist peer support
• Whanau Ora navigation services
AVI/7464/PEG
Health Services
Services:
• General Practice
• Pharmacy
• Physiotherapy
• Midwifery care
• Mental health counselling
• District Nursing
• CDHB Older Persons Health
Opening Hours:
Mon — Thur: 8am–8pm | Fri: 8am–5pm | Sat — Sun: 10am–4pm
Funders:
Supporters:
the
WORKING
TOGETHER
MORE
fund
Kiwi
Office
Fitouts
Now open
Level 1, Eastgate Shopping Centre
www.theloftchristchurch.org.nz | 0800 TO LOFT (865 638)