Date published: August 9, 2024
The breaking of a new dawn for social care
This week, in The MJ magazine a call is made for a ‘new dawn’ or vision for social care: Time for a new dawn (themj.co.uk).
The call, created by the Chief Executives of Shared Lives Plus, the National Development Team for Inclusion (NTDi) and Community Catalysts, argues that more support needs to be provided in local communities, but more importantly that models of care are available now that can facilitate this shift.
Better is possible and is possible now.
“…existing strategic levers, commissioning processes, individual funding and provider development can all be used differently. Used better. We need ambition and vision which is committed to backing a shift from residential provision through looking at the evidence, understanding what is possible and focusing investment into community and values-based approaches”.
How is better possible now?
Shared Lives Plus, Community Catalysts, and NTDi provide models of community-based care and support that are making a positive difference to people.
“…there is a need for communities to be at the heart of decisions about care. Communities are where we find the best ideas, passion for great lives and practical solutions – lets tap into these to solve the challenges we face together.”
Community Catalysts’ models
The community micro-enterprise development programme is changing the shape of care and support across the UK by helping people set up small micro-enterprises that provide creative care options to people in local communities. Across their projects, they have created 5,662 jobs and facilitated 3,000 volunteer opportunities. As an example, in partnership with Worcestershire County Council, they supported 165 local people to set up and run their own small community enterprises offering help to older or disabled people in their homes or through community-based opportunities. The community micro-enterprise programme also sees an increase in the uptake of direct payments. For example, In Somerset, the community micro-enterprise project helped to drive a 43.6% increase in uptake of direct payments.
Local Area Coordination is a strengths-based approach that helps people to find the right support for them, building on what’s strong in their lives and communities. It has prevented people falling into crisis and requiring more high-level support. Evaluations including Social Return on Investment (SROI) have shown it to generate at least £4 of social value for every £1 invested.
NTDi’s models
Community Led Support is a values-led, strengths-based and system-wide approach. Over 10 years 35 local areas have transformed how they deliver adult social care. There’s a growing body of evidence that it works and is making a difference to people, communities and organisations. Local authorities have seen on average a 53% reduction in the rate of conversion from initial request to assessment and support. Social care waiting lists on average are reduced from 13 weeks to nine days. In one area, 42% of people who took up a community option at an early stage did not need more formal support.
Small Supports is human rights, person-centred local support that helps people to live the life they choose. Over 2000 people with learning disabilities and autistic people are in in-patient mental health settings, often miles away from home, restrained, over medicated and denied contact with loved ones. This programme, funded by NHS England, supports small local organisations to set up and enable positive outcomes for people, their families and their local area.
Shared Lives Plus’ models
Shared Lives supports people to get safe, personal care and support, in a place which feels like home. Adults or young people who need short or long term support are matched with a carefully approved Shared Lives carer by their local Shared Lives scheme which are run or commissioned by a council’s adult social care services. There are currently around 145 schemes who assess and approve approximately 9,000 Shared Lives carers to support 10,000 people across the UK.
If all areas caught up with those who use Shared Lives the most, over 30,000 people would use it, improving outcomes for thousands of people, their families, and public services, and generating direct cost savings of well over £100m per annum.
Homeshare brings together people with spare rooms with people who are happy to chat and lend a hand around the house in return for affordable, sociable accommodation. There is a growing network of over 20 Homeshare providers.
If you are interested in hearing more, or in exploring the possibilities of these models, please get in touch:
info@communitycatalysts.co.uk
office@ndti.org.uk
info@sharedlivesplus.org.uk
