Self Management

Self Management is about assisting people with chronic health issues taking control of their own lives, the third step on our spiral.

We do this by running a programme of self management and healthy moves courses in the London Boroughs of Hackney and Tower Hamlets. They are aimed at people with long term conditions such as arthritis, asthma, cardio-vascular disease, depression, diabetes or just simply pain. Courses are taught by local people who themselves either live with or care for someone with a long term health condition. They are delivered in English, Bengali, Somali, Urdu/Hindi, Gujerati and Turkish.

To read a PDF version of our Self Management leaflet, please click here.



Our Self Management courses are based on the Lorig model developed by Stanford University and typically run over six weeks. The courses provide generic training for people with a mix of chronic conditions on how to take care of these. They focus on managing specific symptoms as well as improving the participants’ overall coping skills, confidence and well-being. In our experience, the participants quickly become more confident in themselves and in managing their chronic conditions.

The Healthy Moves Project is building up the capacity to run culturally sensitive body-oriented courses on health and wellbeing. The courses, which last between eight and ten weeks, are run by local people in mother-tongue and aim to give participants the knowledge, skills and attitude needed to trust their own body.  Social networks are built up as participants tell each other their stories, using movement.

SAfH has now developed an exiting new programme, derived from the above Lorig self management model, but with a special focus on diabetes prevention. This is aimed at people who are at risk of developing this condition. There will be a strong focus on exercise and the courses will offer one-to-one mentoring on life style adjustments. The programme is being evaluated by Queen Mary University.


We work in close partnership with the Expert Patients Programme. Please click here for a link to their website.



In 2007-8 in the first three quarters we ran 41 self management courses. To date Social Action for Health has facilitated the training of over 50 local people as self management tutors and approximately 1200 people have participated in a course.

In 2007-08 we have provided 12 Healthy Moves courses for 414 people. Over the years we have run courses for well over 2000 people.

These courses not only strengthen the individual participants but also help to nurture their social networks!

“When people manage their condition themselves, it has far greater impact than a symptomatic solution, such as a nurse telling you how to use your inhaler. One woman didn’t feel able to get a bus to her course; so we had to send a minicab each week. Bu the last week she felt confident enough to get the bus by herself. She just felt better about herself and her skills.” Tina Patel, Project Manager

For more information please contact Pauline Facey at paulinef@safh.org.uk