Citizen Advisors - Turning Point

Turning Point Connected Care Report 20
professional background with a qualification in community development,
education, health or social care. However, the most important attribute of the
Local Area Coordinator is their ability to build good working relationships with
the families in the local area, as it is recognised that trust and credibility in the
community are essential to the success of the project.
Furthermore, Middlesbrough Council is committed to involving the community in
the development of the LAC scheme. Community members have been invited to
shortlist the candidates for Local Area Coordinator and sit on the interview
panel. The community was involved in the process of deciding the locations of
the Local Area Coordinators and the areas that they will cover. This involvement
of the community in the development of the project is likely to contribute to the
success of the scheme, by fostering a sense of local ownership and building
community capacity. In addition, it positions the Local Area Coordinator at the
heart of the community.
The emphasis on utilising informal support and building community capacity in
order to direct people away from statutory services is more explicit in this project
than in other schemes discussed in this report. Prevention, rather than
signposting people to existing services, is at the heart of this project.
In addition, in Darlington, a study is being conducted to assess the feasibility of
introducing Local Area Coordination in two wards in the town. The project is
reviewing how LAC might support individuals with low level support needs, in
particular. As part of the project, members of the public are being consulted on
the service redesign, and a cost benefit analysis is going to be undertaken to
assess the potential savings that can be realised through the scheme.
Based on the experiences of the authorities where LAC has been implemented,
the key challenges in Darlington and Middlesbrough will be managing large
caseloads and the capacity for the Local Area Coordinator to both fulfil a
signposting role and act as a facilitator for community building.
Summary of the model:
LAC strikes a balance between a community and service focused model.
The relationship between the Local Area Coordinator and the service user is
key to the success – “the relationship as central”.
The Local Area Coordinator works to generate social capital and make
connections within the community, both formal (services) and informal (social).
The programme recognises that individuals need both forms of support – from
services and from informal networks.
The service is designed for people with disabilities under the age of 65.
Prevention and directing people away from statutory services are important
components of the scheme, particularly in Middlesbrough.