Bridges research and development projects

Enhancing self-management support for people living with long-term conditions in Lewisham, London

A project funded by an Innovation Grant from the Health Innovation Network (HIN) and Health Education South London (HESL)

In this one-year project we worked with local people and five teams across community rehabilitation, enablement, social care and the voluntary sector in Lewisham, London. Together with local people who live with long-term conditions, we co-produced a new Bridges self-management book tailored to them. We worked with practitioners through 3-part interdisciplinary training to integrate and enhance their self-management support using Bridges principles and the Bridges book.

Over 80 practitioners attended the training and used Bridges in practice. Ten service users took part in a small qualitative outcome evaluation study. We take away many learning points from the project evaluation, many success stories and also some challenges in this particular context, which highlight opportunities to further develop Bridges and its implementation for people with long-term conditions.

"I have learned that when you start working in the self-management model, you are thinking or looking at how the person can take control of what is going on with them, even if it’s a small step or achieving a small goal" Enablement Officer

"They will make you feel good, give you that confidence that you are ill but you are able to do things, in a way" Service user after working with a Bridges practitioner