Jon Boswell, Chief Executive Local Community Coordination Older - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Jon Boswell, Chief Executive Local Community Coordination Older People’s Partnership Board 9th February 2018

• Founded in 1953 as

Bedfordshire Rural Community Council

• Part of the national ACRE

Network

• Based at The Old School,

Cardington

• Around 50 members of staff

(many part-time)

• Also employ Village Agents,

run Door to Door, Good Neighbours etc

Commissioned by Bedford Borough Council (2 + 1 years contract) Based on the principles of Local Area Coordination – “Get a life, not a service” Aim is to reduce reliance on funded packages of care by diverting people to local community support Preventative impact also anticipated for other statutory services

• Embedded in communities, so they can form

‘real relationships’ and identify local solutions

• Accessible and visible in their community,

meaning that people know who to go to

• Focus on people’s own visions for a ‘good life’

beyond services or formal support

• Help people build on their own assets and

natural supports before looking to service solutions

• Not statutory or means-tested

• Kempston – Wendy

Jephcote

• Kingsbrook and

Cauldwell – Simon Gooch

• Goldington and Putnoe

– Kate Ellis

• Queen’s Park – Fsella

Afzal-Pagliari Started July 2017

• feeling safer at home
• becoming healthier
• pensions and benefits advice
• support for carers
• transport options
• joining a local group
• local volunteering opportunities
• housing issues

• Welcome suitable

referrals from service providers

• No age limit
• Particularly looking for

people who may end up requiring care services without our intervention

• People can self-refer

Situation

• Lady living alone, suffers from Epilepsy,

Autism / Asperger’s with poor mental health and high levels of anxiety

• Didn’t feel safe in her flat: felt victimised by

some residents and had to call the police following some verbal abuse from a resident

• Used the bus daily and had reported

arguments on the bus, she has been asked to get off on occasions

• Savings had reduced so running short of

money

Action taken

• Agreed with her to engage with some local

groups – broke this down into small achievable goals

• Signposted to her local parade of shops,

including Community Centre and Café

• Supported her to move into a privately

rented house and manage the move

• Supported her to make a claim for Universal

Credit

Intermediate Outcomes

• Client now independently accesses her local

walking group once a week

• Attends 2 other social groups and has made

some new friends

• Mental health has considerably improved
• Claiming Universal Credit
• Shops locally and is a regular face in her

local café, no further reports of being asked to leave the bus

• Engages with LCC and her community

Situation

• Single lady who had to take early retirement

due to the experience of losing a parent

• Moved to Bedford from elsewhere and has

felt socially isolated

• Had lost all confidence due to her anxiety /

depression

• House needed renovating, but she did not

have confidence in dealing with tradespeople

Action taken

• Arranged for her to volunteer at 2 local schools
• Referred her to MIND’s one-to-one mentoring

service – agreed with her that she would declutter her house

• Arranged for her to volunteer at local

community project where she could get involved in organising events and activities in the local area

• Agreed with her that she would take on a small

project in her house

Intermediate Outcomes

• Feeling much more confident
• Making new friends as well as feeling a sense of

belonging in the community

• Feels happier and finds volunteering rewarding
• Physical and emotional wellbeing has improved

since attending ladies’ fitness classes

• Arranged to have roof repaired – next project is

to change the boiler

• Feeling a lot more positive with life and would

eventually like to get a part-time job

Jon Boswell jonb@bedsrcc.org.uk / 01234 834931 Any questions?