Coming together as a team
Working in partnership with the Swindon teams, we transformed the way older people are cared for by reducing the amount of time they spend in hospital, and supporting them to live at home for as long as possible.
But the volume and complexity of demand, coupled with shrinking budgets, can make it feel like there’s no
choice but to reduce service provision.
Other pressures include the fragility of the home care market, and recruiting, retaining and developing staff.
There is also a need to work more closely with health and system partners; but with
competing priorities and initiatives this requires time, trust and resources.
Meanwhile, successfully implementing emerging new models of care, which help improve service quality and
performance, requires capacity and capability within the organisation.
Practitioners in the service are also under pressure. Caseloads are growing, as is the feeling of scrutiny over
decision-making. Social workers spend up to 70% of their time on admin such as case recording, travel and
paperwork; and as little as 12% with service users and their families, the reason they joined the
profession in the first place.
This can make it challenging to establish and develop a motivated workforce which is key to delivering service
improvement.
Local Authority practitioners identify that over 40% of service user journeys - journeys which fundamentally impact the future outcomes of, and expenditure on, service users - could be improved.
But this can only happen when you create an environment which best supports practice, links information from one service to another, removes the cultural barriers of working together, and ensures the right menu of services are in place and commissioned appropriately. And the organisational culture, governance and leadership need to support this direction.
Changes in practice which promote maximising independence in turn reduce spend and improve staff ways of working – resulting in further benefits for quality, productivity and system partners.
Our experience working across a number of local authorities shows that a change approach that is rooted in evidence; that works bottom up from the frontline; that places consistent service user outcomes at the core; that builds links across systems, partners and teams; is the only way to effect real, impactful change at pace. Change that motivates, change that sticks. Change that has a significant and measurable impact on quality and the bottom line.
By working together; our clients have made a measurable impact on outcomes, staff engagement and finances, including:
8-15% of net budget delivered as annualised savings
Working in partnership with the Swindon teams, we transformed the way older people are cared for by reducing the amount of time they spend in hospital, and supporting them to live at home for as long as possible.
With you?
Anything is possible.