Health and wellbeing is a combination of physical, mental and social factors.
Many things can influence health and wellbeing, including where you live, your income, education, lifestyle choices and interaction with your local community.
As a district council, we have a role to play in improving the health and wellbeing of our communities. We do this by providing essential services that directly impact factors that influence health, such as housing, planning, environmental health, leisure, parks and open spaces. We also have a role in influencing and helping other partners and members of our community to achieve outcomes that improve the health and wellbeing of our residents.
Through our Corporate Plan, we are striving to create the conditions where our communities can flourish and reach their full potential.
support joined-up health and social care to help people live well at home
drive economic growth, investment, jobs and opportunities across the district
provide quality leisure facilities, parks and open spaces
deliver environmental health services, including pollution control, food safety and emergency planning
strengthen the voluntary and community sector and work with police to create safer communities
collect household waste and increase recycling rates
prevent homelessness and promote safe, secure and energy-efficient private-rented housing
support public health campaigns that encourage healthier lifestyles
work with partners and communities to ensure residents can access the advice and support they need to live healthy, active and fulfilling lives.
Our Dover District Local Plan (opens in new tab) sets out the vision, objectives and strategy for the district's growth to 2040. A key theme of the plan is improving residents' health and wellbeing, enhancing quality of life, and reducing health inequalities.
Health and wellbeing support
Below, you'll find information on where to access support and advice on a number of health and wellbeing topics as well as webpages on living well, vaccinations and keeping safe in the summer and winter.
We are committed to improving awareness and understanding of dementia within our communities.
Dementia is a growing health and social care challenge across the country. Due to an ageing population, a dramatic increase in the numbers of people diagnosed with dementia is expected in the coming years.
People are living longer and although this increase can be seen as a public health success story, many of these additional years are spent in ill health.
Long-term health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disease, cancer, arthritis and dementia, affect many people. Some of these conditions are linked to lifestyle and behaviours that can be changed.
One of the major challenges across the country is how to enable our increasingly older population to continue to live active, independent and fulfilled lives. It is no different in the Dover district. We are already working through a range of services and partnerships to make improvements and be more responsive to older people’s needs.
Support in the district
There are many groups and organisations providing services, activities and support in the Dover district. Good sources of information include:
Timed Up and Go test (opens in new tab) A simple online test, from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, to see how someone gets in and out of a chair and walks. This can help indicate whether they need to improve their strength, gait and balance.
We all feel the effects of cold winter weather but it can be even more harmful for people with long-term ill-health or people aged 65 plus. The following resources offer advice on how to stay well in the cold weather.
Keeping healthy is something we all need to think about and take personal responsibility for.
There are benefits for everyone if we stay fit and healthy for longer. Healthy people generally have a better quality of life, are independent for longer, take an active part in their local community and have less need for health and social care support as they grow older.
Kent County Council has webpages which offer support and advice on health and social care for families, young people and adults, and elderly people.
If you would like information on health matters, such as stopping smoking, maintaining a healthy weight or getting a health check, visit the One You Kent website.
There are a number of resources for families and young people to help them lead healthy lives and access health and social care support. See below for helpful websites.
Call NHS 111 if you need medical help fast but it’s not a 999 emergency. You'll receive clinical advice, assessment and direction to the most appropriate services for treatment
The Dover District Health and Wellbeing Alliance is a partnership of organisations working together to improve the health and wellbeing of people who live and work in the district. We manage the alliance with Kent County Council's Public Health team.
Members include representatives from NHS organisations, Kent County Council, Dover District Council, town and parish councils, the Department for Work and Pensions, Kent Police, Kent Fire and Rescue Service, and voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations.
