The Adult Social Care Programme

The Adult Social Care Programme incorporates three seperate work-streams: Personalisation and Early Prevention; Commssioning; and Workforce Development. Each work-stream is made up of a number of distinct projects.

The work-streams and projects are listed below. Use the links to find out more.

Personalisation and Early Prevention work-stream

• State of the Region Report This project aimed to assess the 'state of readiness' for personalisation of the region and to identify areas that would benefit from support.
• Understanding Personalisation workshops This project will deliver a series of learning events for senior local authority officers, elected Members and health organisations between April 2009 and March 2010. The events aim to raise awareness of the transformation and personalisation agenda and provide a clearer understanding of the capacity issues associated with the change.
• Regional excellence in reablement This project will profile improved outcomes gained through the use of reablement models which support independent living. It will also provide a detailed analysis of current activity and spend across the regionl and outline what still needs to be achieved to maximise efficiencies.
• Supporting Social Care change management The aim of this project is to support transformational change within Adult Social Care. It will provide individual Council and community leaders with significant change management information, theory, practical tools and an action focused process for delivering specified change in their local area.
• Improving Public Relations and Communications in Personalisation This project aims to support local authorities to develop and enhance skills necessary to support effective communication regarding the transformation of Adult Social Care.
• Local Area Co-ordination This project will evaluate the Local Area Coordination approach using pilots in Middlesbrough and Darlington.
• Community Equipment cost benefit analysis This project will identify the potential for service improvements and efficiencies through collaboration in the provision of community equipment.
• Electronic Marketplace for social care The project will undertake an appraisal of the present state of the local market in Northumberland and Newcastle and an examination of current systems, processes, capabilities and plans in the two authorities. It will model how a specific on-line solution could fit the authorities' requirements and how other solutions might relate to it.
• What Supports Independent Living? This project seeks to identify primary and secondary preventative approaches that are effective in preventing development of longer term dependency and to help people to avoid the need for social care.
• Accessible Transport This project will consider the implications of personalisation on current transport service provision. It seeks to identify ways to maximise the use of mainstream public transport, wherever possible.

Commissioning work-stream

• Quality Standards - non-regulated services This project aims to develop quality standards for non regulated services to provide a regional framework and a consistent approach. The Quality Standards Framework will complement monitoring and reviewing functions with a strong focus on service user and carer involvement and personalised outcomes.
• Quality Standards - regulated services This project will develop a set of minimum regional quality standards for regulated services which exceed national minimum standards and complement the work of the Care Quality Commission. The regional Quality Standards Framework will build upon existing quality assurance and best practice with a strong focus on involvement and personalised outcomes.
• North East Autism Consortium The North East Autism consortium (NEAC) will drive forward the modern commissioning of care and support services for people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders and Asperger syndrome.
• Provider Development This project will work with established service providers, including in-house local authority services, to assist them to deliver personalisation as a first step towards self directed support.
• Market Development via User Led Organisations (ULOs) This project seeks to develop the role of ULOs in the social care market place. It will seek to establish which ULO's have proven the most effective and make the most difference, seeking examples of good practice and quantifiable efficiencies.
• Regional Implementation of Objective 6 of the National Dementia Strategy. This project will support the regional implementation of Objective 6 of the National Dementia Strategy: Improved Community Personal Support Services.
• Supporting People Cost Benefit Analysis This project will undertake an in-depth regional analysis of the benefits of the Supporting People Programme.
• Improving the Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults This project aims to help improve safeguarding through the development of recommendations for enhanced, regionally consistent safeguarding arrangements.

Workforce Development work-stream

• Regional Workforce Strategy The North East Region of ADASS (The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services) and the NEIEP jointly commissioned production of the Regional Workforce Strategy (RWS). The RWS represents the start of a process of transformation in the workforce. It proposes mechanisms for joint work acorss the region to achieve better outcomes and value within social care.
• North East Adult Social Care Workforce Forum The Forum was established to secure the objectives identified in the RWS.

Additional Capital Projects

The JIP also manages a number of centrally funded projects:

• Purposeful Walking Pilot
• Teeswide Reducing the number of people in unsettled accommodation
• Telecare for Over 85s
• Electronic Monitoring of Homecare
• Electronic Monitoring of Homecare in North Tyneside
• Early Identification Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection
• Increased Independence through the use of Assistive Technology
• Promoting the Use of Technologies to Maintain the Independence of People with Long Term Conditions
• Rapid Response Telecare
• Hartlepool Centre For Independent Living

How do the Projects contribute toward the Putting People First Milestones?

All of the projects below were established because the region has identified them as being of priority. North East ADASS the North East Personalisation Leads, Regional Department of Health colleagues, and others, have all been involved in defining the priorities and projects.

As well ensuring we meet regional priorities for action, the projects are also helping us to ensure we meet the Putting People First Milestones.

Click here to find out more.

Getting Involved

Do you have experience of social care services? Have you or someone you care for accessed services? Find out how you could get involved to help us to improve adult social care services in the North East.