Community Health and Wellbeing Workers (CHWWs) represent an innovative and growing presence within Cornwall’s healthcare landscape, working with households set within specific areas defined by postcode. The model draws inspiration from Brazil’s Family Health Strategy, a programme that has employed CHWWs since 1994. Brazil currently has around 275,000 of these workers operating nationwide, supporting roughly 40,000 primary care teams — and the results have been remarkable across all demographics and health conditions.

Following the Brazilian approach, Cornwall’s CHWWs are hired from within the communities they serve. Working full or part-time, they offer consistent, ongoing health and social support to every household within small local areas of approximately 120 homes. While they form part of the primary care team, they are also connected to the broader health and social care network, allowing them to spot and refer any issues or emerging needs quickly and effectively. Cornwall currently has around 34 CHWWs and the programme is growing due to its positive reception.

At Trelya, we currently have three Community Health & Wellbeing Workers: Lindsay, who works full-time, and Linda and Lisa who work part-time.