Preventative Services - practice examples
Supported housing can make an important contribution to the care pathway and improve outcomes for people living with neurological conditions, but with the many different models of provision and range of different client groups, it is recognised that there is a need for greater understanding about the role that supported housing can play in delivering the NSF. These presentations give an insight into two very different models of supported housing provision, how they deliver improved outcomes for vulnerable people, and how they can be replicated elsewhere.
Stephen Crisp, Marketing and Development Manager, Shaw Healthcare discusses a range of services which give service users an exceptional level of flexibility and choice - a model of delivery central to the aims of the NSF.
Gillian Bewick, Area Manager, Norcare discusses how Norcare provides supported housing and community based services to disadvantaged and vulnerable people, particularly those who are offenders or at risk of offending.
Grace Court Housing and Care Development, South Tyneside.
A partnership between South Tyneside MBC and Places for People has developed an innovative scheme to provide an independent living option, with support and a personal care package for 5 learning disabled adults, who were previously supported and cared for by now ageing relatives in the family home. The carers in some cases had become too old and infirm to continue providing support.
The support is being provided in the form of staff input to assist in the development of personal living skills, backed up by a range of assisted technology options that can be tailored to individual need to promote independence, personal safety and piece of mind for the family carers.
Meeting the needs of the client group
The project is designed to marry the required levels of care and support to the innovative use of 'Assistive Technology' as a means of allowing service users to become more socially independent whilst remaining safe and secure. The project enables people with learning disabilities to live an independent life within the local community, moving on from the family home. Use of equipment such as touch-screen video communication links between clients and their relatives/carers; automated fire safety shut-offs for kitchen appliances and 'keyless' door locks are just some of the features of the homes in which they live, as well as the installation of the Tunstall overlay system, allowing the incorporating of other devices on a personal needs basis.
All the properties are generously proportioned 2-bedroomed homes. - 3 houses and 2 wheelchair accessible bungalows. Despite the technology they contain they are have been designed to blend in with the surrounding houses, with no distinguishing features that would label them as special needs.
Layout, use of space and a flexible building/wiring infrastructure mean that modifications can be made to the dwellings to accommodate either the changing needs of one resident or the varying needs of a succession of different tenants. (Examples being wiring provision in most rooms for door, window and curtain controls or specially constructed walls between bedroom and bathroom to allow rapid retro-fitting of a tracking hoist).
All of the properties are being offered on an assured tenancy basis, with support being offered around the legal implications of this.
Integrating the service users are integrated into the local community
Integration of the customers into the local community has been one of the central considerations through out the design and implementation of this project, and has been addressed in the following ways.
- Scheme design
The scheme consists of 5 units of accommodation, designed, as previously stated to blend into the surrounding housing stock. All have been built with two bedrooms to accommodate the changing needs of the tenants.
- Promotion of independence
The ethos of the scheme is built around facilitating independence. When selecting the site for the development the location in relation to local facilities and existing relationships with the residents forum were important considerations.
- Staff support
The supporting people team have been important members of the project group, and they have funded a project worker for this service for an initial 12 month period. The roll of the support worker will include, as well as assistance with tenancy management and life skills, helping the customers to integrate into the local community.
Assistance with accessing local shops and services, transport links and leisure facilities all form part of the packages of support to be offered.
Places for People are currently trialing an additional item of technology which will offer our customers a 'safety net' whilst they are encouraged to undertake their new independent lifestyle. It is a unit based around a mobile telephone and allows them to call for assistance, and if required, by use of GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) Technology, can be located if lost or in potential danger.
Involving the the client group in the design, development or management of the scheme
It was recognised at the outset that for this project to succeed we needed to have the input and detailed contribution of the proposed customers and their family carers.
Prior to the submission to the DoH for funding to develop the scheme meetings were held with both carer and service user forums within the Borough. These were facilitated by our partners in the project, South Tyneside Council and the Health Trust.
These meetings confirmed a high level of interest in the possibility of the new provision, and two family carers were nominated, and accepted onto the project board. Since June 2005 they have continued to serve on the board, and have been party to all decisions pertaining to the design and development of the service.
The Chair of the local Partnership Board, a service user herself, has also served on the project board.
Individual meetings have been held with the identified tenants and their families, the nominated social worker and the Assistive Technology Co-ordinator for Places for People to design and select the assistive technology aids they need, and to begin to develop their own support plans.
Valuable insight has also been gained from service users of partner schemes managed by Places for People, including a service for adults with disabilities in North Tyneside who also contributed to the design and layout of the scheme.
Customers and their families have been instrumental in shaping the service, and their contributions, both formal and informal, have helped to make it what it is today.
A presentation made to a regional LIN event provides further information.
Contact: John.Burns@placesforpeople.co.uk
Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt announced on Wednesday 23rd May, new sites that will use hi-tech home healthcare to help older people, and those with long term conditions, to lead more independent lives - helping to prevent emergency or unexpected admissions to hospital.
Teams in Kent, Newham and Cornwall have been awarded funding to look at how best these services can be implemented. 12m in 2007/08 is supporting the sites locally and the provision of project management and other implementation support. The Department of Health is commissioning a major independent evaluation through its Policy Research Programme. The evaluation will capture the lessons from the Demonstrators and determine the best options for wider implementation of whole systems programmes to meet the needs of people with long term conditions. undefined
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The pilot sites, Kent, Newham and Cornwall will be working with patients with chronic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or type II diabetes and frail older people with complex health and social care needs.
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Created by the Care Services Imporvement Partnership this schedule highlights some of the innovation and best practice from the POPP programme i.e. the interventions which are most innovative and appear to be producing effective outcomes for older people.