Julie Pollard
Cornwall Operational Team Manager – Community Health and Wellbeing Workers Service
Volunteer Cornwall (VC)
About Me
I was born in Cornwall and returned to the county in 1997. I now live in Truro with my partner and our rescue cat, Sushi. I have one adult daughter who also lives and works locally. Since 2018, I have worked for Volunteer Cornwall (VC), a medium-sized charity based in Truro. At Volunteer Cornwall we are proud to be the lead partner for the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Community Health and Wellbeing Workers (CHWW) service.
My Career Journey
My working life began in the 1980s in administration, personnel, and training roles across both the NHS and commercial companies. I made a move in 1990 to the Careers Service, (then part of Devon County Council), in North Devon where I trained as a Careers Adviser and achieved a Postgraduate Diploma in Careers Education and Guidance at the University of the West of England.
Over the following 23 years, I worked across schools, colleges, and community settings in both Devon and Cornwall, supporting young people and adults to make informed decisions about their futures. For the final 10 years, I served as a Team Manager within the service. This work included achieving a Level 6 Chartered Management Institute – Leadership and Management qualification.
I was delighted to join Volunteer Cornwall in 2018 to coordinate and introduce the Social Prescribing Link Worker Service as part of a pilot initiative funded by the Department of Health and Social Care and Public Health (Cornwall Council).
It was very much a partnership arrangement working with six local charities. My role at Volunteer Cornwall was responsible for collaboratively recruiting, training, developing and supporting a team of 10 Social Prescribers (SP) embedded in GP surgeries and Primary Care Networks. In 2022/23, I had the honour of becoming the Cornwall SP Champion for the National Association of Social Prescribers. Due to the success of the pilot, and others around the country, in 2019/20, Social Prescribing went on to be rolled out by NHS England – a very proud moment!
“It’s a privilege to work on such a wonderful programme, that it doesn’t actually feel like work!”
Introducing the CHWW Programme in Cornwall
Following the success of social prescribing I was appointed to introduce, manage, and develop the Community Health and Wellbeing Worker programme in Cornwall. This innovative model, originally developed in Brazil, was already being delivered in Westminster in partnership with Imperial College London.
Working alongside our London colleagues and the local Central Integrated Care Area (ICA) team, we launched the Cornwall pilot. It was an exciting and collaborative effort filled with energy and purpose.
Leadership and Further Development in Cornwall
In February 2023, following a robust induction programme and supported by five partner organisations, our first team of 10 CHWWs started their journey in Central Cornwall.
Following the success of the pilot, we now have 59 CHWWs working across 9 areas of Cornwall, supported by 12 partner organisations.
Locally, our Health Inequalities Team at Volunteer Cornwall has also grown. We now have area coordinators for the West, and North and East teams, a project support officer, and a part-time VCSE Research Assistant working with the University of Plymouth to evaluate the programme’s impact. Another new venture for us.
Training and Development
Training a development is very close to my heart and I work hard to ensure that my VC team and the CHWW teams have the right tools for the job!
It is very important to me to ensure that CHWWs gain qualifications with us during their training such as Information Advice and Guidance Level 3, Mental Health First Aid, Asist Suicide training and Level 3 Safeguarding. This enhances their skills and expertise for the future as well as gaining experience. There is also some career progression, with a couple of our original CHWWs, now working as Team Leads.
To provide a safe and supportive space for our workers, we have monthly Community of Practice sessions, for the exchange of peer learning and professional development.
It’s been wonderful to witness the passion, enthusiasm, and growth of our CHWWs—feedback from the communities they serve is a powerful reminder of the impact they’re making every day.
Awards and Recognition
Recently we have been awarded the South West Integrated Personalised Care Award for Health Equity, and we were shortlisted for the programme at the HSJ Awards in London.
A further cous followed, with a full page Telegraph article, Independent and Guardian coverage as also followed in the last few weeks, demonstrating the effects this work with residents in communities is achieving.
Read the case study from Cornwall which explains the types of support the CHWWs can give
