Our strategy

Personal Health, Public Health

A summary of our strategy 2012/2016

The years ahead

The next few years will see a period characterised by increasing numbers of people diagnosed with HIV and increasing life expectancy for the majority of these, increasing levels of poverty for some PWHIV as a consequence of changes to the benefit system and increasing numbers of older PWHIV, continuing levels of sexual health need, major reform in public health policy with a new philosophy and greater focus on outcomes, major changes in the role of prevention and information technologies, radical change in the commissioning of HIV and sexual health and a real term reduction in State funding for these. 

Challenges

This presents both major challenge and opportunity for us. We view our purpose and societal contribution during this period of unprecedented change as: 

• being the 365 day a year long term condition management partner of
  choice for all PWHIV and a tireless individual and class advocate for
  those PWHIV in poverty 
• delivering innovative and effective HIV and sexual health public health
  services to drive down the level of undiagnosed and late diagnosed HIV
  infections, and limit the numbers of people affected by HIV and poor
  sexual health 
• being the principal champion for HIV and sexual health in the fields of
  media, policy, politics and public opinion, promoting individual rights,
  tackling stigma and discrimination, and working to ensure the UK
  response to HIV and sexual health is effective and properly resourced 
• increasing charitable giving to HIV and sexual health through us
• In addition to these it is proposed that we work to ensure that it
  remains sustainable throughout the period for both current and future
  beneficiaries. This will require it to be creative, as well as fully embed
  and optimise the benefits of the ‘Think Charity’ programme.

HIV long term condition management

We intend to do the following: 

• Develop myHIV as the foundation for our HIV service delivery, so it is
  the first port of call for people with HIV, and to better link this to THT Direct 
• Develop a charity wide financial hardship programme, accessible to all people with HIV (PWHIV) in financial hardship. 
• Develop THT Direct to provide both an alternative route into our services for those people who do not have internet access, and to provide a more intensive service than myHIV
• The delivery, where sufficient local funds are available, of our current portfolio of face to face long term condition management (LTCM) services for people in greatest need 
• Developing stronger links between our LTCM services and HIV clinical services
• A greater level of HIV service provision being peer delivered by PWHIV.

HIV Prevention and Sexual Health Promotion

We intend to: 

• Be a high outcome, value for money provider of HIV prevention and sexual health promotion services requiring us to redesign our HIV prevention services
• Become the provider of choice for the delivery of HIV prevention and sexual health promotion behaviour change social marketing campaigns 
• Increase involvement of beneficiary communities in our health promotion work
• Harness new technology to enhance the provision of second line behaviour change services through the development of one-to-once counselling and group work services.

Clinical services

We intend to:

• Establish a strong sexually transmitted infections web presence
• Develop a Level 1 integrated sexual health service for hard to reach
  groups 
• Develop the integrated Level 1 and 2 contraception and sexual health
  service.

Campaigning and building support

We intend to:

• To position itself as the UK’s independent authority on HIV and sexual health, to reduce sexual ill health and tackle injustice and inequality
• To improve public understanding of HIV and sexual health, including the personal experiences of those living with HIV
• To increase engagement and involvement of beneficiary communities, especially people with HIV, in our policy, campaigns and communications
• To lead national and local public debate on HIV and sexual health, and shape other appropriate debates in areas such as broader public health, or service/benefit reform
• To increase our local influencing to maximise access to and resourcing for HIV and sexual health services.

Ensuring our sustainability

We intend to remain sustainable throughout the period by ensuring that it is financially responsible and maintains its financial health, and by ensuring it maintains strong governance, management and organisational health.

Download a PDF of our 2012-2016 strategy.