Strategic partner updates for March 2014

Tue,4 March 2014
News Health & Social Care

Health and Social Care update from our work as Strategic Partner (SP) to the Department of Health, NHS England and Public Health England.

This month’s update includes reflections on Disability Rights UK’s events and workplan (lead on commissioning), and on how this will support local user-led organisations and finally news and insights on a new initiative and fund on ‘patient-centred outcomes data’ (PCOMs) and social investment data.

 http://disabilityrightsuk.org/policy-campaigns/health-and-social-care-reforms 

The Strategic Partners last met on 11 February:

There was a presentation from Public Health England, and while there are general concerns about resources being (potentially) shifted away towards prevention, we also think that prevention (behavioural) approaches have much to pick up from disabled people’s lived experience and insight. In order to contribute to public health approaches and the integration agenda in particular we will have a meeting with Public Health England in early March. One of our key aims is to create the right funding streams and incentives for community development and peer support to come into place which do not necessarily depend on traditional services and provider contracts. 

We have also agreed to support this year’s EXPO on 3rd and 4th March in Manchester – which is a big event addressed at 10,000 stakeholders in health and social care. Our contribution there will focus on community development and the ways that inclusive local communities help people and how stakeholders can access insights for innovation better.

We have also followed up on a presentation from NHS England on a new initiative on ‘Patient Centred Outcome Measures’ (PCOMs) – partly this ties in with our existing work on making patient-reported outcome and experience measures (PROMs/PREMs) far more user-defined. We have also pushed for a new fund (of £1m-2m) to support service users working on shaping collective insights and deriving PCOMs directly from this. After all, we have the answers on ‘what makes me feel better?’ and on how this input can be recognised and rewarded appropriately. System changes can then benefit people from seldom heard groups with particular disadvantages. This approach ties in with our work on user-driven commissioning which is all about learning from people about what works and tying in commissioning resources accordingly. We will keep you posted about what is happening with this fund around spring time. 

Better care for mental health crisis

A new agreement between police and the NHS seeks to improve mental health crisis care. Emergency support for people in mental health crisis is set to see ‘dramatic improvements across the country’ as part of a far-reaching new agreement between police, mental health trusts and paramedics.

For further information, go to: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/better-care-for-mental-health-crisis

Rescare's campaign on funding for social care (residential) services: DH response

The Government has responded to Rescare's campaign about funding for residential care services.

The government wants people with disabilities to live as independently as possible, and it wants to ensure that they get the care that they need while providing them with control over their lives and support tailored to their personal needs. In particular, ministers want people with learning disabilities, and the families who care for them, to have greater choice and control over their care, and the ability to contribute to the decisions that affect their lives, including where and with whom they live. Rescare undertook a campaign on social care services in intentional village communities asking for a change to government policy.

To find out more, go to: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/rescares-campaign-on-funding-for-social-care-services-dh-responsev

Guidance published on safe compassionate care for frail older people

Safe, compassionate care for frail older people using an integrated care pathway offers practical guidance and evidence on the effects of an integrated pathway of care for frail older people. The document also suggests how a pathway can be commissioned effectively using levers and incentives across providers.

To read the guidance, go to: http://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/pe/safe-care/

Developing new standards for social care

The Department of Health received over 270 responses to this consultation, from a variety of sources, including individual service users, local authorities, local disability groups, charities and clinical commissioning groups.

This report highlights the responses received and explains the department’s next steps. To read the response, go to: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/developing-new-standards-for-social-care

’Can do’ guidance will make organising volunteer events simpler

‘Can Do’ guidance on running community events was published in January and has been well received. To find out more, go to: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/can-do-guidance-will-make-organising-volunteer-events-simpler 

Cabinet Office Social Investment Data

Cabinet Office has released social investment data outlining further details on many of their funding programmes, research and analysis. They are also opening up data to show where charitable foundations are investing in the social investment market.

You can see this here: http://data.gov.uk/data/viz/social-investment-and-foundations?utm_source=OCS+Newsletter&utm_campaign=5cf2638a0f-OCS_January_Newsletter_1_3_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e5f1e07106-5cf2638a0f-106942309 

There’s also an open data platform showing the funding made by the Social Incubator Fund here: http://data.gov.uk/data/viz/investment-readiness-programme?utm_source=OCS+Newsletter&utm_campaign=5cf2638a0f-OCS_January_Newsletter_1_3_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e5f1e07106-5cf2638a0f-106942309

Leadership for Empowered and Healthy Communities Programme - Applications now open for 2014

Following the continued success of the Leadership for Empowered and Healthy Communities programme, the Think Local Act Personal Partnership are delighted to announce that they have secured funding for two more cohorts and that applications are now open.

The New Economics Foundation's evaluation of the 2012 programme found, "The leadership course was regarded in positive terms unanimously by those that attended. It was described as "excellent", "inspirational" and perhaps most crucially, has already led to new leadership behaviours in those attending." It also found that, "Most of those who attended the course had already begun to transform their role or services is evidence of the extent to which the course inspired."

To read the evaluation, go to: http://www.thinklocalactpersonal.org.uk/_library/nef_consulting_leadership_evaluation_final.pdf

To register your interest please email leadership@nsasocialcare.co.uk