Spotlight, Poplar HARCA's award-winning youth service, has today, Tuesday 7th April 2020, launched Health Spot: a new in-house GP surgery for young people aged 11-19, living in Tower Hamlets.
Spotlight works with young people to support them in all aspects of their development. The team runs a variety of award winning programmes across its six centres and has engaged over 10,000 young people since opening in 2015.
The new Health Spot service will be available every Tuesday, between 4-8pm. Young people will be able to have a 15-30 minute consultation with a GP, over the phone or via video, about unmet health needs they may be experiencing.
The service will function as a specialist extended GP hub, part of the Tower Hamlets GP Care Group. The service approach recognises that early intervention and prevention are effective ways of tackling youth violence. Young people need to be supported in ways that are accessible, embedded in their lives and relevant to their experiences.
Health Spot will work in partnership with other local services such as Docklands Outreach and Safe East to deliver comprehensive, holistic support. This will in turn be complemented by Spotlight's rich programme of activities for young people, streamlining medical and social prescribing principles. Young people will be able to safely access confidential advice on all aspects of their physical and mental wellbeing, including mental health, sexual health and drug or alcohol misuse. Each step of the referral and consultation process will be supported by a trusted youth worker and underpinned by Spotlight's rigorous safeguarding procedure.
Young people do not need to be a Spotlight member to use the service. To learn more, including how to make a referral, please get in touch with Spotlight Youth Services Manager Khadija ([javascript protected email address]) or Spotlight Youth Worker Treaser ([javascript protected email address]).
This resource is intended for non-Covid-19 cases. Anyone who has suspected Covid-19 symptoms should follow government protocol and seek advice from NHS 111 Online.
Please get in touch with Spotlight's Youth Services Manager, Khadija, should you have any questions or queries about the service.
Visit the Health Spot webpage.
