Sunny Singh Adult Social Care January 2016 Transforming Lives: Community Navigators

 Aim - Help bridge the gap between local communities, statutory and voluntary organisations  Five District Coordinators - Support a network of Community Navigators to cover their district  Community Navigators - Friendly and approachable first points of contact who are out and about in Cambridgeshire’s communities  Provide advice and/or support to help older people live active, independent lives  Know what is available to support older people in their communities

What does the service do?  Reach out to isolated and lonely people at a local level, to reduce the (health and social) impact of loneliness, and to avoid the adult social care pathway starting with an expensive crisis, as far as is possible  Raise awareness of, and connect people to, existing activities and services  Ensure high quality information is available in key locations (e.g. with GP’s and Parish Councils) within communities, alongside trusted individuals who can help interpret it

What older people say  “It made me feel like there were people out there who cared.”  “It’s sort of a long term solution I can use. Yes, I think it’s a long term solution.”  “It did make me realise that there are people who want to help you do things.”  “It’s been wonderful. People don’t realise the help is out there until you need it.”  “I don’t feel quite so isolated.”  “It's practical things that I need help with; I haven't a clue who else I'd turn to. I can do the smaller things, you see, but not the large; but anyway, you saved my life!”  “Well I think it has helped me a lot. I have my independence.”  “I kept going back into hospital. She sat and listened and let me babble on. She was good. It was nice to have someone to talk to.”  “Thank you ever so much. You know, no-one ever tells you about all this, and what you're entitled to and I felt on my own. I feel better now and I can get on with the things that I need to.”  “We are really very grateful to you. We came across you at a flu clinic. You see we're going to be temporarily incapacitated and you really have taken a lot of stress away for us. My husband couldn't believe our luck.”

Where are we now?  6,486 Navigations took place in 2014  98% Satisfaction rate (2014)  City and Hunts highest number of Navigations  Main areas where the service made a difference related to clients’ wellbeing/positivity and feelings of being supported  Agreed Service Specification - 18 th May 2016

Independent Evaluation  The overall aims of the evaluation were to:  Explore whether the service has prevented people’s needs from escalating;  Determine the impact of the service on clients’ quality of life;  Assess the cost benefit of the service.

Independent Evaluation  Navigators were filling a gap in existing service provision  Speed of response and reliability  Face to face contact with navigators  Navigators were able to provide a holistic response to meeting clients’ needs;  Navigators’ ability to uncover unmet need linked to the trusting relationships they developed with clients;

Independent Evaluation  Follow-up support that navigators could provide both for clients and professionals;  ‘Hyper’ local knowledge that navigators had of services available within the community  Advocacy/enabling support provided by navigators;  Information and support navigators were able to provide for other services.

She put me on to [mental health organisation]... ‘cos I couldn’t communicate with people properly. She actually took me and introduced me to the people there and picked me up. That was good ‘cos at the time I didn’t even like leaving the bungalow” (Client). “I just picked him up and introduced him and that was it…because once that introduction had been made and he felt confident it was plain sailing… You look where the blockage is and it’s just having to make that connection and that is what makes the difference” (Navigator). Some real stories

“When the hearing aid goes I lose contact with the outside world ‘cos I can’t hear the TV or anything” (Client). “I kept going to the doctors and telling them it wasn’t right but all the doctor kept doing was giving me a number and they kept sending batteries. That’s been going on for the last three years!” (Client) “I don’t know how she done it… but this is how good she is: three years I complained at the doctors… [Navigator] come and found a hearing support group in [town] that meets every month, that’s round the corner, why couldn’t the doctor have done that? For her to come up with a hearing solution which I been waiting for three years is a godsend you can’t replace that, she’s a miracle worker. It’s such a big thing for me” (Client). Some real stories

Cost – Benefit Analysis  Service provided value for money  For every £1 spent on Community Navigators a return, in the form of adverse outcomes avoided, of £5.50  The average benefit per case analysed was £5,022  The greatest benefits were realised when support mitigated the need for residential care / additional interventions.

Your thoughts and experience Community Navigators Have you used the Community Navigators? What has been your experience? What worked well? What could be improved?

Timescales  Tender goes live – 01/06/2016  Award of contract – 27/08/2016  Contract start date- 01/10/2016