farnortherners

farnorth www.farnortherners.net

Updated 8th August 2003

About the Designer

Public Health Practitioner

I am employed as the Public Health Practitioner for Caithness, East Sutherland & North West Sutherland Local Health Care Co-operatives ( their remit being to develop, provide and commission services to meet the health needs of our communities - being part of the National Health Service).

My role is to support our Local Health Care Co-operatives tackle the issues of

Local Health Inequalities
Health Improvement

Using New Public Health approaches and by trying out different ways of tackling the above two Public Health issues - creating local Recipes of Public Health.

Why a web site?

The geography of the Far North makes it challenging as a single person to try and address the health issues of the Far North. To attempt to address health issues requires a great deal of communication. Attempting to do this 'face-to-face' means spending a massive amount of time driving and very little time in 'face-to-face' contacts.

Telephones have their limitations as they limit the number of people to be communicated with to one and co-ordinating calls can be quite challenging for all involved.

Email restricts the amount of information available at any one time. Although it solves the challenge of communicating to more than one person at a time, it can be quite intrusive, demanding some kind of response - even if to delete an unread message!

The web site has the capacity to communicate to a lot of people either as individuals, or as groups. Furthermore, it is relatively easy to update and amend, making it quite a responsive means of communication. Finally and not least, it enables people to access information and become involved when and how they wish to.

The great limitation to a web site approach is that not everyone currently has access to the Internet, feels comfortable using it, or knows about the site. That is where word of mouth comes into it's own right and sharing of information and ideas with others who do not have direct access is actively encouraged!

What's your background?

My background professionally is that of a Registered Health Visitor with 6 years experience, including community health development. I have been in this post since September 2001. Prior to becoming a Health Visitor, I gained invaluable experience over 3 years as a Registered General Nurse (RGN) working in an active treatment Cancer Unit. Prior to that I undertook further training for a year to become an RGN developing my original Enrolled Nurse (General) qualification. As an Enrolled Nurse I have 18 months experience working in a community hospital in a relatively remote and rural part of Wales.

What do you think qualifies you to set up this site?

Although, currently I have no formal Web Design qualifications those I do hold are as follows:

Master of Arts (Nursing Studies) - specialising in New Public Health, including philosophy and post structuralism

Higher National Diploma - Community Health Studies

Within my M A Dissertation I utilised a methodology developed by Michel Foucault. This methodology was and currently continues to be used to form and develop www.farnortherners.net

September 2003 commence a Research Degree - New Public Health ,Post structuralism and the Internet - the utilisation of a web site as a community development tool in a remote & rural area.

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