HABIT IMPACT Approach
Integrated Community Health Care Approach Based on Engagement in Meaningful Activities
The IMPACT Approach is an integrated community care framework developed within the HABIT project. It places meaningful participation at the centre of health and wellbeing and connects the person, the community and the support system.
Rather than focusing only on health conditions or individual needs, the IMPACT Approach starts from people’s everyday lives: what matters to them, what activities give meaning and purpose to their lives, what relationships and places are important to them, and what may prevent them from participating.
Its aim is to enable sustained participation in meaningful activities through coordinated community support.
Three dimensions at the centre of the IMPACT Approach
From services to participation
People may experience reduced participation or become disconnected from activities, relationships and community spaces that previously gave structure and meaning to their everyday lives. These difficulties can be influenced by many factors, including fragmented services, limited coordination between health and social care, lack of knowledge about community resources, mobility difficulties, digital exclusion, stigma, rural isolation, language barriers, economic constraints or weak referral pathways. The IMPACT Approach responds to these challenges by bringing together health, social, educational and community actors around a shared participation goal.
Meaningful participation is the starting point and the outcome
The IMPACT Approach does not treat community activities simply as services or activities to which people can be referred. An activity becomes meaningful when it connects with what matters to the person and contributes to identity, autonomy, belonging, recognition and wellbeing. The approach therefore moves beyond referral and signposting towards exploration, connection, accompaniment and follow-up. It also moves beyond fragmented support towards coordinated community care, bringing different actors together around the person’s goals and context.
A flexible approach for different communities
The IMPACT Approach is not a single intervention, programme or referral mechanism. It is a shared way of working that can be adapted to different local contexts. Its scope includes identifying people at risk of disconnection, exploring meaningful activities, mapping and activating community resources, creating coordinated participation pathways and providing the support needed to maintain engagement over time. The approach recognises that local contexts differ. Community resources, access conditions, professional roles and care systems vary between territories. IMPACT therefore provides a common framework while allowing participation pathways to be adapted to local circumstances.
