Specialist Community Support

Executive Summary

Background

Community Health Services are a vital component of what is available for our citizens in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, however there is a need for change driven by:

Historic commissioning arrangements.
Local and national guidance (e.g., Major Conditions Strategy).
Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Strategy.
A movement away from a transactional relationship between commissioner and provider, and one that allows flexibility to meet the changing needs of citizens and populations.
Prevalence and complexity of disease and links with health inequalities

Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB are conducting a review of community care via the Community Care Transformation Programme (CCTP) to address this. The CCTP is being delivered via two phases to support this change (phase one: Integrated Neighbourhood Working and phase two: Specialist Community Support).

This engagement report will feed into phase two of the work – Specialist Community Support, and
feedback collected from the engagement undertaken will inform the review of current services
and shape the delivery of a sustainable Specialist Community Support model through coproduced transformation.

Aims

The aims of engagement were to:

Understand better what works well for citizens/carers and professionals.
Understand better what does not work well for citizens/carers and professionals.
Understand what is stopping our citizens/carers from accessing community services and what the barriers for our professionals are.
Understand how aligned Community Care delivery is, in our professional’s opinion, to the Integrated Care Strategy.

The objectives of the engagement were to:

Actively listen to our communities to better understand their current lived experiences.
Gain honest feedback from citizens and carers with lived experience, and professionals about accessing Specialist Community Support in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

Methods

Engagement commenced 14th June until the 25th August 2023. Two surveys were designed, one for citizens and carers, and one for professionals. A variety of approaches were used to offer opportunities for engagement, the surveys were promoted virtually to a range of our diverse community groups and organisations across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire and face to face engagement was held via community roadshows and visiting community-based groups. Different approaches to engagement were used to allow citizens/carers and professionals from the health, social and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector to share their individual experiences and be heard/actively listened to.

A total of 139 surveys were completed: 80 citizens/carers and 59 professionals from the health, social and VCSE sector. An offer of translation was provided; however, no requests were made.

Conversations had with citizens, carers and professionals were also recorded to feed into the
Specialist Community Support work, 33 conversations were captured.

Findings and Recommendations

7 themes were identified to inform the review of Specialist Community Support services:

Effective communication.
Access to information.
Focus on personalised care.
Supporting accessibility to services.
Reduction/removal of workforce barriers.
Integration of services.
Focus on holistic care

Recommendations included:

Ongoing communication and engagement throughout the programme
Not being afraid of failing.
Ensuring correct use of terminology.
Being clear on the scope of Specialist Community Support.

It is acknowledged that further engagement will be required throughout the programme and beyond to make sure the model remains fit for purpose meeting the needs of all our Nottingham & Nottinghamshire citizens. Feedback collated from this exercise and future feedback will inform the review of Specialist Community Support services and shape the delivery of a sustainable Specialist Community Support model through co-produced transformation.

We would like to thank all who supported, promoted, and took part in the engagement.