Gloucester VCS Working Well with the City Council Early Intervention & Prevention

Early Intervention and Prevention The BIG Lottery definitions: Voluntary organisations in Gloucester provide professional, innovative and diverse interventions to support people across all ages and all issues.

Early Intervention – “responding where there is already a problem” The wide range of provision includes, for example - Condition specific support groups – to help individuals take control of their own health/ welfare/ personal safety issues and so reduce the demand on statutory provision, if their conditions were to worsen. The plethora of lunch clubs for older people and their carers – responding to isolation and physical / mental health issues for older people at an early stage Churches4Change homelessness work

Prevention – “ intervening before something becomes a problem” VCS interventions help to save statutory sector spending, for example: ‘Early help’ work provided through play-work to school aged children with emerging problems - Play Gloucestershire Street pastors on Gloucester’s late night streets help to keep people safe at night and reduce A & E admissions Independence Trust’s Alcohol Arrest referral scheme, a model of good practice British Red Cross Assisted Discharge Service

Early Intervention and Prevention VCS interventions successfully complement statutory provision because the voluntary sector: works ‘on the ground’, is innovative & responds creatively to identified need, can evolve to fill gaps in provision, is able to take the time to build relationships and build trust with people is able to work with them for as long as it takes for problems to be addressed.

Early Intervention and Prevention VCS interventions are cost effective and have a broad reach of beneficiaries, as they are based in/evolve from the community: C4C delivered 138 projects, reaching 22,711 beneficiaries in 2014; 43 homeless young people in the City were provided with emergency accommodation in 12 months by Gloucestershire Nightstop 1250 parent carers, who are caring for young people with disabilities and additional needs, are supported by Gloucestershire Parent Carer Network More than 300 Gloucester children benefited from play work in some challenging communities 2238 Gloucester pre-school children accessed play & learning provision via PATA groups The Independence Trust is part of a Crisis Concordat – crisis teams respond within one hour to reduce the need for other services to become involved – help to reduce the number of A&E admissions / mental health admittances & number of people on the streets.

Early Intervention & Prevention The VCS plays a key role in the City’s early intervention and prevention work It is cost effective and contributes to the local economy It reduces the burden and costs for the statutory services It looks to make connections and partnerships to encourage joined up provision It provides expertise and deserves to be recognised as an equal partner with statutory services