Community Solutions – helping people get the care they need and taking pressure off health and social care

There is increasing coverage just now noting the pressures on the NHS and social care, the number of people waiting for care in the community so they can leave hospital and growing numbers of those waiting to get non-Covid related treatment. There is, however, less discussion about the role community organisations can have in reducing these problems.

Community organisations can help people get access to the care and support they need, give people choices around how and where they live, and take pressure off the NHS.

For a long time – before Covid – voluntary organisations, social enterprises and local businesses have been providing good quality services and less formal supports that complement and extend what NHS and Council services can do. These activities prevent health and social problems, give good services that are based in communities, and come up with new ideas and approaches to keep improving people’s lives. They let the overall resources we have go further, to benefit more people.

When the pandemic hit everyone was able to see how communities stepped up and made a difference, however, sometimes funding arrangements and public sector systems support community solutions, and sometimes they get in the way.

What’s happening now?

So, what is happening now and how can we help the health boards and the community sector to talk to each other and work together?

Healthcare Improvement Scotland and Outside the Box have been working together over the past 2 years to support Community Solutions. You can see resources and get more information here: https://otbds.org/projects/community-solutions/ 

We are now working to make it easier for people to work together in this next Covid recovery stage.

Drop-in digital Sessions

Over the next few months, we will be making space for people in the community sector to raise issues, ask for information and hear from other people working with similar situations and challenges.

The drop-in digital sessions are available to book on Eventbrite for the following dates:

· Monday 21 February 2 – 3pm on Teams Eventbrite Booking Link

· Monday 7 March 2 – 3pm on Zoom Eventbrite Booking Link

· Monday 21 March 2 – 3pm on Teams Eventbrite Booking Link

· Monday 4 April 2 – 3pm on Zoom Eventbrite Booking Link

We are also gathering examples of where the community and HSCP services are working together and having good outcomes for people, so more places can learn from their experience

If you have examples you want to share, or know about, please get in touch.

Contacts:

Anne Connor anne@otbds.org
Freya Young freya@otbds.org