Issue - meetings

To review the work undertaken by Wiltshire Local Area Co-ordinators since October 2018.

The Committee received a presentation by Sarah Hartley, Public Health Scientist, which reviewed the work undertaken by Wiltshire Local Area Co-ordinators since October 2018.

Members were reminded that local area co-ordination was a long-term evidence-based approach to support people in their local community. Local area co-ordinators supported people to obtain information, make practical and local connections and live the life they would like. By the start of 2020 all 9 co-ordinator positions had been filled and the occupants were in post. They were starting to collect robust data which would prove to be very useful in helping to plan for the future.

It was noted that there had been 158 accepted introductions to the Local Area Co-ordination (LAC) since October 2018 of which 125 were active clients and 24 were closed clients.  6 hrs 21 mins on average was spent with each client. It was pointed out that no cases were closed but rather they were marked as being inactive.

During discussion, Members enquired how this scheme was being publicised.  The area co-ordinators were based within their own communities and spent time making themselves known to members of the public and generally publicising the scheme. Leaflets were made widely available in libraries, coffee shops and other establishments where members of the public gathered.   

It was noted that there would be a team day on 29 January 2020 with the area co-ordinators when the standardisation of recording would be examined. It was noted that two videos showing the impact of the services were available and could be sent to members of this Committee. 

Resolved:

(1)          To thank officers for the presentation, commend them for the work to date and to receive an update on service delivery in a year’s time, including comparison with available national statistics for local area co-ordinators.

(2)          To encourage working together with the CCG and its Social Prescribers / link workers programme, and maybe look into ways to co-ordinate data collecting for both LAC and Link Workers to enable analysis of said data which could be used by both the council and CCG to justify further funding and expansion to other local areas.

(3)          To receive information from the Social Prescribers programme to understand what the situation is in areas without local area coordinators.

(4)          To send links to video testimonies to members of the Committee and area board chairs.