Locality Project – CI Mike Adamson (Lancashire Constabulary)
Pathways – Phil Gooden (ICWS)
Minutes:
Further to information provided in the agenda pack, overviews of the following projects were provided:
Locality Project
CI Mike Adamson advised that further to the last meeting work has progressed to establish a project team on locality working across services in Chorley. Locations considered have included the existing spaces at Chorley Fire Station, Chorley Council Civic Offices and the LCC Library Building which now has a space available for integrated team working. IT support including use of Refernet and an Early Help Module are also part of this project, and services involved have been confirmed.
The model presented will be an all age service, open to all services in Chorley, supporting the most vulnerable children, fanmilies and adults in the district. The model will be supported through a dedicated co-ordinator, and the Executive confirmed the commitment to support this post. Financial contributions have been confirmed from Chorley Council, Lancashire Constabulary and also Lancashire Care Foundation Trust, with non-chargeable building assets available from Lancashire Fire and Rescue and Lancashire County Council.
The benefits of the model will be:
· Having a “fixed point” through multi agency meetings/shared spaces enables the ability to work more closely across services, reducing duplication of activity required with residents/patients;
· Provides a holistic approach in case management in terms of interventions available, supporting people both stepping out of crisis, as well as preventing situations escalating;
· Networks have been developed supporting awareness of interventions and services available which is understood more widely across the whole local area; and
· Improved responses in terms of positive outcomes, ensuring the right team give the right support at the right time.
Observations included:
· Understanding the issues on the current backlog in the safeguarding process (MASH referrals), and that the integrated services are seen as a way of supporting these referrals;
· Support for cases including Mental Health; Domestic Abuse; substance misuse; debt and anti-social behavior, all of which can be referred into the hub for support if services need help to progress;
· Capacity of the teams, and to ensure it doesn’t duplicate activity which should be provided by specific services; and
· Engagement from services and raising awareness. It was noted that the CCG can help support with awareness. Sarah James to provide contacts with GPs and Hospitals.
It was agreed that as part of the project, communications to raise awareness of the hub will be planned in including links with GPs in the area. Actions to progress the logistics of the services utilising the space in the LCC Library Building and IT development with a view to being in place early October 2018 will also be taken, and progressed by the Locality Project Team.
Pathways
Phil Gooden from the Chorley Integrated Community Wellbeing Service (ICWS), provided an overview of the pathways activity which involved areas concerning mental health, housing and employability. The three pathways were selected because they:
· could reach a high number clients/received high volumes of referrals;
· have the ability to reduce demand and crisis situations if managed well; and
· can facilitate the most significant benefit at the earliest opportunity.
Phil advised that on the mental health activity, a focus has been on the early offer to people referring into the service, which has integrated a number of teams who can help support (including Mindsmatter, Health and Wellbeing, Lancashire Wellbeing Service. 400 people had accessed the service by the end of May, and the findings from this will now be considered as part of the next phase, which will consult with the people involved in the pathway, gaining patient experience and feedback, and how to improve matching up service users with relevant interventions.
The housing work has been focused on the issue of people who present homeless and have more severe mental health needs, which often lead to housing which is not conducive to recovery, which then perpetuates their condition and increasing risk of higher housing needs. This pathway will look to involve care co-ordination and a fast track process to support better accommodation. This will also look to have the Housing Solutions Team as a trusted assessor to help with appropriate accommodation and mental health support.
Employability pathway has established that there is significant support available across a range of services from needing co-ordination support to helping people upskill from existing jobs. Further engagement with DWP managers, and having a common approach across organisations will help establish this pathway as a consistent approach to help people get work ready, support them into work, and also upskill to other opportunities.
This work will continue to be progressed through the Integrated Community Wellbeing Service.