1. COMMUNITY ENABLING SERVICES
The New Social Care Role of Community Enabler
Project Manager:- Sally Hill

2. AIMS OF THE PROJECT
Enabling Service works with adults with a wide variety of individual needs and who are often marginalised by their condition/s to become more integrated in their community The Community.
The service is person - centred and supports and encourages self-management of their condition where ever possible
The service offers one to one short term, goal specific support and a range of group activities and projects to enable a wide range of social and integrative needs to be met.
The opportunities for adults with individual needs to receive the services on offer, have been extended from the usual Secondary Care routes to include Primary Care referrals from GPs, District Nurses, local PALs Officers, local Advocates and other individual Organisations and Charities
The project has developed a role that can cross over successfully between different departments within statutory bodies and has provided new approaches to traditional Day Centres where a mixture of service users of all ages and individual needs, can enjoy access to autonomy based service provision and support.

3. Guidelines presented for the new social care roles included :
·        A Person-focused service design as a central feature of the modernised system.
·      A reduction in the actual number of staff required delivering services to a client.
·      A more skilled workforce able to manage services at the point of delivery.
·        Considerable blurring of demarcations and professional boundaries between tasks that have historically belonged to one particular group or another.
·        A closer definition of some staff qualified at level 4 (and above) to oversee and make care decisions whilst reducing contact with service –users.

4. Examples of Projects include
Helping the Forestry Commissions to understand the needs of service users, in providing an area of forest, and to forward plan for access to an area of natural beauty by providing experienced walk leaders and support for wheel chair users etc.
Managing two local ‘Café Concept' sites to be used as centres for service users and various carers groups, where they can join in activities, find out about supported trips, and join a Timebank specifically for engaging service users with the wider community
Setting up and piloting a GP referral service for patients who are experiencing the first stages of isolation and depression that can occur at onset and enduring health conditions.

5. The Community Enabling Assessment Process
Referral
Meet individual in their own home. Allow them to express their needs and preferences. Inform them about our service
Introduce to Café Concept and/or Timebank
Discuss options and have written agreement on actions which can include:
Match up with a community enabler for goal-focused, time limited support
Research and provide with information
Urgent action if client is at risk
Client to take action to improve circumstances, gather information or contact other agencies
Signpost to relevant organisations
Liaise with referrer
Review at agreed date; repeat process as necessary.

6. ENABLING IN PROCESS Step 3 Step 2 Step1
First steps to realistic reduction In services & service user autonomy driven outcomes from : lower level of support to involvement in a social enterprise
ENABLING IN PROCESS
Step 3
Generic New Environment E.g: Café Concept, adaptable to a wide range of existing facilities
Step 2
Generic Role Of Community Enabler : Mental Health,Physical Disabilities, Learning Difficulties,Older People etc.
Step1

7. COMMUNITY ENABLING – THE FUTURE
Community Enabling has the potential to develop as a useful role within the infra-structure of health and social care, across age range, individual needs and referral routes in both Primary and Secondary Care.
The format of the Café Concept provides a structure for a greater number and variety of service users to receive lower levels of support, therefore at a lower cost and with the flexibility to be useful in a wide range of environments ranging from
Local Village Halls Working Cafes
Hospitals Public Houses
Acute Units GP Centres
Prisons Social Services Centres
Residential and Nursing Homes Charity Buildings
Community Centres
Church Halls

8. Improved quality of life / independenceS E C
New Social Care Roles : Community Enabling Services
Improved quality of life / independence
Review
Further support required
Progression plan
to sustain outcomes
REFERRAL
e.g. GP, other
Outcomes
Inclusion,improved self-esteem,confidence,
leading to increased self-management
Assessment by
Community Enabler
Person
Centred Plan
Regular time with Community Enabler
Project Manager: Sally Hill Ref: AD0204

9. World Health Organisation Innovative Care for Chronic Conditions Framework

10. Important connections and working partnerships established with :
The Local PALS Officer
Jobcentre Plus
Social Services
The Expert Patients Programme
Local GP surgeries
Local Action Group for Learning Disabilities
A local Public Health Forum
Rethink
The Forestry Commission
NIMHE South West

11. The Bridging Service

12. Summary
A Quote from Dr Stephen Ladyman MP Speech at Community Care Live May 2004
“What I do see as a problem are the attitudes, systems, organisational culture and processes that can reduce those things that we should be trying to increase – independence, social inclusion, motivation, self-esteem, respect and dignity to name a few.”
There is now a major drive to engage the wider community in the provision of person - centred approaches and encouragement of self management where ever possible. Development of new roles such as the ‘Community Enabler’ may be required to act as a bridging role in Health and Social Care to assist with the potential for a seamless service.
This new role and ‘Café Concept’ environment could support developments such as : Community Matrons, the new Social Care Degree, NSF for Long-Term Condition Management, Dept of Health Improving Chronic Disease Management – Community Based Rehabilitation and W.H.O Innovative Care for Chronic Conditions Framework. All of which place the emphasis on person-centred and person driven facilities and support in order to achieve such aims as those highlighted by Dr Stephen Ladyman.