Primary Care Community Link Service

Chris Coffey

Community Services

•Outreach•Ex-offender floating support •Thanet Health Inclusion Service•Private Rented Sector workers•Community Inclusion Service (Befriending)•Helpline•Primary Care ‘GP link’ workers•37

Thanet ‘GP Link’ pilot

• A service to provide intensive short term support to address the social needs affecting mental health

• 2009• 1 member of staff• 400 +• 5 surgeries• GP, Gateway, Community centre drop-ins

The ‘New’ Countywide Service

• Jointly funded by KCC Families and Social Care (Adults), Public Health and Kent Clinical Commissioning Groups

• 2 year contract• 16+ staff• 115 priority surgeries • 2000 • 700+

Who is it for?

• Low level MH issues• Addressing ‘social’ issues• Prevention – control and confidence• Mainstream activities & living• Reduction in GP visits• Anyone can refer

Aims

• Everyone who experiences mental health needs has the right to engage in mainstream activities, in ordinary settings, alongside other members of the community who are not service users.

• Workers will promote recovery, independence, health and wellbeing of users by providing information, advice, signposting and time limited support to access relevant resources in the community.

What it involves

• Urgent & important• Navigating• Prevention• Partnerships• Being SMART• Juggling

Holistic support

Support in a range of life areas:

• Safe, stable accommodation • Finance and budgeting • Volunteering • Education and training • Substance misuse • Arts and community activities• Faith, spirituality and cultural communities • Healthy living, sports and leisure

The role

The process

• Take a referral: Surgery, Self or Drop-in

• Arrange to meet with service user

• Conduct initial assessment• Get consent • Provide advice or signpost• Service user led goals, star• Review• Establish exit plan and onward

support• Get SU feedback• Up to 8 weeks

Support

• Accessible & responsive• Person-centred• Integrated• Recovery focused• Work with specialists e.g. PCMHS• Service user involvement and activities

Indicators

Number of people accessing mainstream:• sports/exercise, health promotion activities, arts or

cultural groups/activities, education/training programmes

Number of people reporting:• increase in social networks• improved quality of life/confidence/self-esteem• ability to manage stress/anxiety/feeling

overwhelmed

Distance

Managing mental distress Change in self esteem

Indicators

• Participation in the planning, delivery, monitoring and evaluation of the service.

• Age, gender, ethnicity, length of time using service, case study.

• Number of mainstream community organisations providing placements to users of the service.

• Exit evaluation interviews undertaken with service users.

Challenges

• The ‘new’• A different approach• Support needs• Time• Surgeries• Variance

Co-production

• Service user voice• Positive• “Not long enough”?• Strong partnerships• 2 more events over summer• Action plan

Coverage

How to access

• Call 0800 567 7699 24hr• Email link@porchlight.org.uk• Sign post to local drop-ins

chriscoffey@porchlight.org.uk