Citizen Advisors - Turning Point

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Turning Point Connected Care Report 22 signposting to agencies, helping to fill in forms and attend appointments etc. The two Link Workers access and engage clients at crisis points in the system such as police stations, prison, A&E, the Anti-Social Behaviour team. The Link Workers also have access to a devolved budget which can be used to overcome barriers such as a deposit for accommodation, basic hygiene or clothing needs, and access to vocational or education pathways. In August 2009, there were 83 clients registered with the Link Worker Plus scheme (Matrix, 2009). The external evaluation of the project reported that, in contrast to some of the other ACE pilots, the Link Worker Plus scheme helped clients take responsibility for accessing services themselves. Rather than removing the barriers to services for the clients, the Link Workers help their clients to understand services, and how to better engage with them, so that they can access them unsupported. This ensures that once clients are fully independent they can continue to access the appropriate services, and will not fall through the gaps in the support system. The scheme has led to improved health and well-being outcomes amongst clients, as well as an increase in the receipt of benefits, as clients begin to understand how to access the support that they are entitled to. An additional element of the Link Worker Plus scheme is a system of community volunteer mentoring. This is intended to extend the reach of the project and build community cohesion. Once immediate needs have been met by the Link Workers the clients are offered the support of a volunteer mentor who helps the client with long term system navigation, practical tasks, form filling, and helping them to become part of a local community. This emphasis on helping to build social capital is similar to the LAC model. However, immediate service related need and longer term building of social capital are dealt with by two different workers in the Link Worker model. Furthermore, the Link Worker model does not take the explicit neighbourhood approach as in Local Area Coordination. Rather, credibility and trust is gained because the Link Workers are experts in dealing with people complex needs and through the community mentors who may have has similar experiences to their clients. Summary of the model: Link Workers have access to a devolved budget. In the Link Worker Plus model, clients are encouraged to take responsibility for the support they receive and Link Workers guide them in the right direction, rather than doing the work for them. This brings about a long term, sustainable approach The Link Worker Plus model uses a partnership approach to service delivery Focused on people with complex needs and those at risk of re-offending Community volunteer mentoring is a further aspect of the Link Worker Plus model which is designed to promote community cohesion The Link Workers are professionals who have had previous experience of working with people with complex needs.
Turning Point Connected Care Report 23 4.2 RightSteps RightSteps is a care management system developed by Turning Point to deliver the IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) programme. It demonstrates the benefits of taking a holistic approach to service design and delivery. It is a service which exists to support people who feel unable to cope in their daily lives and may be suffering with depression, anxiety or phobias, for example. It is a low level intervention which is designed to prevent individuals from deteriorating and requiring more intensive mental health support in the future. It works ‘upstream’ so that the demand on higher threshold services is reduced and resources are focussed on where they are most needed. Although, it is not strictly a signposting or Citizen Advisor service, Well-being Coordinators do provide case management to support, motivate and mentor individuals through the RightSteps programme. They provide bespoke support to help clients through whichever issues are affecting their mental well-being such as employment, debt, housing and family issues. Some of this work will involve liaising with other agencies and directing clients to other services. This holistic approach is achieved by giving clients a single 360 degree assessment which is clinical and includes mental health, substance misuse and learning disability, but also, social relationships, employment and debt. Indeed, a key feature of the RightSteps service is the sub-contracting of local voluntary sector organisations to deliver a range of wraparound services under the IAPT umbrella. The Community Capacity model (diagram below) is a framework for this which ensures that RightSteps is focussed on the needs of the individual rather than the diagnosis of a mental health condition. Figure 1: Turning Point’s RightSteps Community Capacity model Summary of the model: Holistic low level intervention for people with mental health needs. Well-being Coordinators respond to the range of complex needs that individuals with mental health problems may have. Community capacity model brings a range of local agencies together to ease signposting and referral process. Single 360 degree assessment focuses on the person as a whole, and not their mental health diagnosis, involving a range of agencies.
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Citizen Advisors - Turning Point

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