Table 1 The Joint Community Participation in Primary Care Initiative (summarised from [30])

The Joint Community Participation in Primary Care Initiative funded and supported 19 demonstration projects in rural or urban areas of disadvantage across Ireland between September 2009 and April 2010 to work together and plan for the participation of excluded communities and groups in primary health care including their participation in local newly established PCTs and networks.

Two of the 19 projects focused on specific target groups (Travellers^ia and the minority ethnic community). Each project site was managed by two principal applicants (PAs). One was a community representative, usually from a non-governmental organisation, and the other was an HSE representative. The PAs had joint ownership and management of the projects. The 19 projects were supported by two project co-ordinators who reported quarterly to the National Joint Initiative Steering Group.

The lead community partners represented community organisations from organisational groupings such as Community Development Projects, Community and Voluntary Forums and other community organisations with a focus on health or that represented community members who have specific experiences of health inequalities (i.e. Travellers and minority ethnic groups).

All 19 projects established Steering Groups. There were variations in the membership of the Steering Groups, with some limited to membership of the project partners, while others had a broader community and inter-agency membership. Project activities engaged a wide range of organisations and agencies charged with tackling social exclusion and local regeneration, including:

• key stakeholders in the implementation of PCTs (e.g. PCT members, Transformation Development Officers/Primary Care Managers)

• HSE personnel (e.g. Community Workers, Social Inclusion Officers Health Promotion Officers

• non-statutory agencies (e.g. Community Development Projects Community & Voluntary Forums, Family Resource Centres.

Some projects had a history of community participation with strong networks and relationships and enjoyed the continuing supportive involvement of significant people, while for others this was a new way of working. The most common activities that took place within the 19 projects included:

• Developing and supporting a community representative infrastructure to feed into PCTs/networks

• Developing joint plans between the HSE and community groups to support community participation on PCTs/networks

• Training and support for PCTs on community participation.