Across the county, Oxfordshire County Council, city and district councils, the NHS, voluntary and community organisations, and local residents are building on existing approaches and supporting new initiatives to improve health and wellbeing.
The Director of Public Health annual report in 2019/20 set out what needed to change. It recognised that no single organisation can tackle the complex reasons for poor health outcomes on its own – much more can be achieved when everyone works together.
The foundations for a new way of working
The report provided the foundations for a new way of working. It is the reason for many of the initiatives that now change lives in Oxfordshire. From community‑led insight gathering, to physical activity pathways, to targeted grants and support embedded within neighbourhoods – organisations working in partnership with communities and alongside them are delivering real, local results.
Community insight has been central to a cultural shift
The community insights programme is so much more than insight. It has meant a cultural shift in how organisations think about how they work with communities across the county. It ensures that understanding local need comes first so that while support remains available for everyone, extra help can be directed to those who need it most.
How additional playworkers were funded to support SOAP
SOAP was able to recruit two young people as playworkers to support with activities over the summer in 2025 - this benefited not only the charity, but also the young people through the experience that they gained.
Encouraging signs of progress
The Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) for Oxfordshire bring together information on income, employment, education and skills, health, crime, housing and access to services, and the local environment to give each area a combined deprivation score and rank. In some of Oxfordshire’s most deprived areas, things are improving.
What comes next
Find out more about how community insight profiles could help you.