A Stroke Health and Wellbeing Service Pilot brought agility, lived experience, and community connection to transform a service from within. The service was co-delivered by Here (a social enterprise which exists to collaboratively tackle tackle the big challenges in delivering healthcare) as a lead partner, working with the Stroke Association, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and people with lived experience of stroke (our Health Builders). It was delivered from January 2023 to March 2024 in Brighton & Hove and High Weald, Lewes and Havens and supported stroke survivors and their families, focusing on long-term wellbeing beyond the acute clinical phase. “It’s been really exciting working with Here on the Stroke Health and Wellbeing project. Their co-design approach, coupled with the team’s energy and passion, has made a real difference to stroke survivors’ lives.” Emma Jupp, Sussex Integrated Stroke Delivery Network Manager (commissioner) The challenge: traditional stroke care often stops at discharge Survivors and their carers are left without holistic support, leading to poor recovery outcomes, social isolation, and avoidable health crises. As a social enterprise, Here recognised the gap and was able to act with agility, partnership working, and a person-centred mindset to design a more responsive model. Here’s structure allowed it to work across boundaries, build trust, and test new ideas quickly. Co-designing the service with stroke survivors Here co-designed the service with stroke survivors, who became trained Health Builders supporting their peers. Together, they: Created a multidisciplinary model combining clinical expertise, stroke support workers, and voluntary sector input Focused on “What matters to you” conversations and structured follow-up at key milestones Prioritised continuity, emotional wellbeing, and practical recovery — often neglected in standard care As a social enterprise, Here could lead this work with flexibility, trust, and responsiveness, fostering innovation in partnership with commissioners, clinicians, and communities. “From the very start, Health Builders have been equal partners in our planning workshops and a key part of the decision-making process…the value of their efforts in supporting fellow stroke survivors to live their best life is immeasurable.” Norman Webster, Lead Health Builder at Here Scroll down for more about the service, its impact and scalability. Contracts and funding The pilot service was funded through NHS England’s SQuIRe catalyst programme. It was delivered over a 15-month period as a pilot to test and evaluate an integrated model of post-stroke care. Innovation in people-focused service delivery The service: Embedded people with lived experience as equal partners (Health Builders), designing and delivering the service Used a non-hierarchical, values-led approach to unite partners and remove organisational silos Introduced non-clinical roles to extend the reach and personalisation of care Crucially, Here’s social enterprise structure enabled it to move fast, iterate, and align the work directly with community need. Impact metrics and comments 92% of participants felt supported to return to their interests and activities Clinical staff and other professionals gave positive feedback, noting the service freed-up clinical time and improved staff satisfaction There was strong engagement and retention of Health Builders, showing value for both service users and peer supporters “The support Health Builders and Stroke Support Workers have been able to offer stroke survivors, and their loved ones has freed up clinicians to do the work only they can. This has saved clinical time at the same time as improving experience and better meeting care needs.” Dr. Ingrid Kane, a Consultant Stroke Physician involved in the Stroke Health and Wellbeing Service Pilot Alignment with NHS and government priorities This service (and Here’s approach) supports multiple missions: Integrated, person-centred care Reducing health inequalities Workforce innovation, including community-led and non-clinical roles Efficient public service delivery by freeing up clinical resources How can this innovation be scaled up? Recognition and funding for peer-led and non-clinical support models Integrated commissioning across health and community services Support for agile delivery models like social enterprises to act as system connectors and innovation incubators Policymakers, take note: Social enterprises like Here make innovation in public services possible. Here brought agility, lived experience, and community connection to transform this service from within. Working beyond silos, Here shows the impact of co-designing care that works and proves that better, more human services are possible within public systems. This pilot also shows how social enterprises can create meaningful roles for people with lived experience, supporting recovery and rebuilding identity after major health events. The pilot demonstrated that involving stroke survivors in service delivery not only benefits patients but also provides meaningful roles for the Health Builders themselves, fostering a sense of purpose and community engagement. This reciprocal model enhances the overall resilience and responsiveness of healthcare services. What next? • More case studies of social enterprise innovation
A Stroke Health and Wellbeing Service Pilot brought agility, lived experience, and community connection to transform a service from within. The service was co-delivered by Here (a social enterprise which exists to collaboratively tackle tackle the big challenges in delivering healthcare) as a lead partner, working with the Stroke Association, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and people with lived experience of stroke (our Health Builders). It was delivered from January 2023 to March 2024 in Brighton & Hove and High Weald, Lewes and Havens and supported stroke survivors and their families, focusing on long-term wellbeing beyond the acute clinical phase. “It’s been really exciting working with Here on the Stroke Health and Wellbeing project. Their co-design approach, coupled with the team’s energy and passion, has made a real difference to stroke survivors’ lives.” Emma Jupp, Sussex Integrated Stroke Delivery Network Manager (commissioner) The challenge: traditional stroke care often stops at discharge Survivors and their carers are left without holistic support, leading to poor recovery outcomes, social isolation, and avoidable health crises. As a social enterprise, Here recognised the gap and was able to act with agility, partnership working, and a person-centred mindset to design a more responsive model. Here’s structure allowed it to work across boundaries, build trust, and test new ideas quickly. Co-designing the service with stroke survivors Here co-designed the service with stroke survivors, who became trained Health Builders supporting their peers. Together, they: Created a multidisciplinary model combining clinical expertise, stroke support workers, and voluntary sector input Focused on “What matters to you” conversations and structured follow-up at key milestones Prioritised continuity, emotional wellbeing, and practical recovery — often neglected in standard care As a social enterprise, Here could lead this work with flexibility, trust, and responsiveness, fostering innovation in partnership with commissioners, clinicians, and communities. “From the very start, Health Builders have been equal partners in our planning workshops and a key part of the decision-making process…the value of their efforts in supporting fellow stroke survivors to live their best life is immeasurable.” Norman Webster, Lead Health Builder at Here Scroll down for more about the service, its impact and scalability. Contracts and funding The pilot service was funded through NHS England’s SQuIRe catalyst programme. It was delivered over a 15-month period as a pilot to test and evaluate an integrated model of post-stroke care. Innovation in people-focused service delivery The service: Embedded people with lived experience as equal partners (Health Builders), designing and delivering the service Used a non-hierarchical, values-led approach to unite partners and remove organisational silos Introduced non-clinical roles to extend the reach and personalisation of care Crucially, Here’s social enterprise structure enabled it to move fast, iterate, and align the work directly with community need. Impact metrics and comments 92% of participants felt supported to return to their interests and activities Clinical staff and other professionals gave positive feedback, noting the service freed-up clinical time and improved staff satisfaction There was strong engagement and retention of Health Builders, showing value for both service users and peer supporters “The support Health Builders and Stroke Support Workers have been able to offer stroke survivors, and their loved ones has freed up clinicians to do the work only they can. This has saved clinical time at the same time as improving experience and better meeting care needs.” Dr. Ingrid Kane, a Consultant Stroke Physician involved in the Stroke Health and Wellbeing Service Pilot Alignment with NHS and government priorities This service (and Here’s approach) supports multiple missions: Integrated, person-centred care Reducing health inequalities Workforce innovation, including community-led and non-clinical roles Efficient public service delivery by freeing up clinical resources How can this innovation be scaled up? Recognition and funding for peer-led and non-clinical support models Integrated commissioning across health and community services Support for agile delivery models like social enterprises to act as system connectors and innovation incubators Policymakers, take note: Social enterprises like Here make innovation in public services possible. Here brought agility, lived experience, and community connection to transform this service from within. Working beyond silos, Here shows the impact of co-designing care that works and proves that better, more human services are possible within public systems. This pilot also shows how social enterprises can create meaningful roles for people with lived experience, supporting recovery and rebuilding identity after major health events. The pilot demonstrated that involving stroke survivors in service delivery not only benefits patients but also provides meaningful roles for the Health Builders themselves, fostering a sense of purpose and community engagement. This reciprocal model enhances the overall resilience and responsiveness of healthcare services. What next? • More case studies of social enterprise innovation