Connected Care in Bolton

Background

Connected Care is working in three areas of Bolton; Derby and Deane, Halliwell and Farnworth. All three areas are rated as being within the top 20 per cent most deprived areas in England with Derby and Deane and Halliwell in the top 11 per cent most deprived communities in the country. These diverse communities have been central to the design and delivery of an integrated service response in Bolton.

Funders

Bolton at Home www.boltonathome.org.uk (opens in new window)
Bolton Adult Services, Bolton Council www.bolton.gov.uk (opens in new window)
NHS Bolton www.bolton.nhs.uk (opens in new window)

The Connected Care project in Bolton is also one of 12 projects funded by The Cabinet Office from the Governments Adults facing Chronic Exclusion (ACE) fund programme. www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk (opens in new window)

Outcomes

A group of 25 community researchers contacted 10% of the population aged 16 and over in each of the Connected Care areas. The Connected Care audit report, based on the findings of the research, revealed that:
There is a need for easily identified information points to help people access services. Residents need support to help them find information and signpost them to make choices across their health, housing and social care. This should build on support networks that already exist within the community.
Better information on local services is needed for residents to give them a stronger voice and help make choices. Connected Care should support people to understand the benefits of individual budgets and to “spend” their allocation of funding.
Connected Care needs to bring in members of the community who currently do not access services.
Connected Care should provide information, advocacy, low level services and brokerage to specialist services for people with complex needs who may encounter more crisis points and need support quickly

A Connected Care service response is currently being developed. Based on the neighbourhood model of working currently adopted within Bolton a Connected Care service will be provided within UCAN centres.

A new social enterprise is being established to provide community outreach, seeking to reach out to people who do not currently use services or need help knowing what is available and how to access it. The social enterprise will also establish a Time Bank scheme to build community cohesion and increase social capital.

The social enterprise will support community members to access health and social care services from an integrated virtual team.

Steering Group

Chair, John Rutherford, Director of Adult and Community Services, Bolton Council
Andrew Kilpatrick, Assistant Director Adult and Community Services, Bolton Council
Matthew Wright, Funding and Enterprise Manager, Adult and Community Services, Bolton Council
Phil Jones, Neighbourhood Renewal Policy Team, Bolton Council
Angela Hardman, Assistant Director, Public Health, Bolton Primary Care Trust
David Holt, Public Health Intelligence Specialist, Bolton Primary Care Trust
Jon Lord, Chief Officer for Community and Private Sector Housing, Bolton Community Homes
Gwen Crawford, Director of Customer Services, Bolton at Home
Bryony Shaw, Housing Strategy Manager, Bolton at Home
Marie McNulty, Urban Care Manager, Bolton at Home
Abeda Hanslod, Community researcher
Nazeera Atcha, Community researcher
Richard Kramer, Director, Turning Point Connected Care