About HAIRE
The expandable sections below provide an outline of HAIRE's purpose, its activities and the guidance that the project has generated for future users to consider when aiming to inspire community level innovation.
Origin of HAIRE
Healthy Ageing through Innovation in Rural Europe (HAIRE), led by the Social Innovation Group at the University of Exeter, was a project that ran from January 2020 – March 2023. HAIRE aimed to bring about social innovation and empowerment for older people. A toolkit was developed and tested in eight pilot sites in the UK, France, the Netherlands and Belgium.
What was the problem?
Older adults face many challenges in rural communities. Key issues include a lack of local support and facilities, out-migration of young people, reduced access to health and social care services, poor public transport links and isolation. These issues influence wellbeing negatively and HAIRE aimed to understand them at a community level by listening to the older adults in its eight pilot sites – and then along came the Covid-19 pandemic.
The pandemic brought a new perspective to the issues. The need to adapt face-to-face working approaches via digital support where appropriate and ensure the inclusion of older adults in local responses to social challenges became more apparent. The fragmented health and social care systems in HAIRE’s rural pilot sites added to the project’s challenges.
What did we achieve?
HAIRE introduced a new, systemic approach to understanding and responding to the challenges that older adults faced in rural communities – including loneliness and isolation. HAIRE created a toolkit that listened to communities and co-designed innovations with older adults, other local residents, volunteers, local authorities and health and social care providers.
Each community’s interests, preferences and local capabilities formed HAIRE’s innovations. These local innovations provided an inclusive culture that empowered pilot sites to voice and respond to issues.
The HAIRE toolkit in brief
HAIRE’s toolkit consisted of three tools: a Guided Conversation, Social Network Analysis and Neighbourhood Analysis. Users are encouraged to adapt the tools and the way that they are used according to their local circumstances.
All of HAIRE’s tools are designed to be administered in the community and guidance on how to approach training is provided in this Wiki. The use of HAIRE’s tools at a community level fosters a genuinely grass-roots approach to social innovation. The toolkit can bring together local people, local government, key agencies and organisations, and the voluntary sector to innovate in service design and delivery.
The Guided Conversation
HAIRE’s Guided Conversation is the core of its toolkit – allowing the individual and the community to be heard and act. The Guided Conversation was co-designed by the University of Exeter in conjunction with partners from the project’s pilot sites. A locally relevant version was created for each specific location.
The Guided Conversation is a customisable, person-centred tool that allows people to reflect on their own needs, desires, interests and aspirations. Reflections are supported by creative conversational prompts and an open approach to asking individuals questions about how their local area, experiences and current personal situation influence their wellbeing. People are encouraged to think about community and individual actions that can support in improving their wellbeing.
Use the following link to find out more about Guided Conversations:
Neighbourhood Analysis
The Neighbourhood Analysis tool is applied as a group activity. Individuals are invited to create a brainstorm of the resources that are available in their local area. Specific categories are used to organise and list resources. Locals are encouraged to think about connections between the resources and key information about accessing them. Informal, place-based based knowledges about a place's potential are revealed in this way.
Use the following link to find out more about Neighbourhood Analysis:
Social Network Analysis
Social Network Analysis is a survey-based tool. Individuals are invited to summarise organisations and/or individuals that they connect with over certain issues and/or topics. The survey considers the strength and importance of each individual’s social connections. Key information sources and social activity organisers that are accessed and used by individuals are also gathered.
Use the following link to find out more about Social Network Analysis:
Referenties
- Neighbourhood Analysis Guidance, HAIRE, 1 februari 2023.
- Guided Conversations Guidance, University of Exeter, University of Exeter, 23 februari 2023.
- Social Network Analysis Guidance, University of Exeter and University of Plymouth, University of Exeter and University of Plymouth, 23 februari 2023.