Harrow

Harrow Community Learning Disability Team Communications and Engagement Review

Produced in an easy read format by Harrow Mencap 0208 8698484

Harrow
Harrow Community Learning Disability Team
Communications and Engagement Review

1. INTRODUCTION

NHS Harrow is taking part in an exercise to find out how we should buy a new provider for the Harrow Community Learning Disability Team (HLDT).

This document shows the communication and engagement exercise that was used to look at how we should buy a new provider and shows what it has found out.

2. BACKGROUND

2.1 Looking at the service

Most health providers have to offer services to everyone even if they have a disability.

Most people with learning disabilities should be able to have general health care.

The Harrow Learning Disability Team (HLDT) gives specialist health care to adults who are over the age of 18, have a learning disability and difficult health care needs when these needs cannot be met by general health care.

At the moment Ealing Integrated Care Organisation is providing the service.

A look at the team in 2011 showed the need to look again at the service by improving health outcomes and helping people to access general services.

The NHS Ealing Integrated Care Organisation decided that, as this service is not their main business, they were not able to take part in the new plan for the service.

NHS Harrow took part in a task to find out how to buy a new service provider.

2.2 The how we should buy exercise

A steering group was set up to watch over the how we should buy exercise and the communication and engagement process.

The steering group includes people from the Local Authority, the Clinical Commissioning Board, NHS Harrow and a service users.

Organisations wanting to buy the contract put their in offers in May.

Interviews took place in June. The contract will be given to the chosen provider by the end of June.

The new service provider will be in place by the beginning of October 2012.

The new service provider will be looking at how to make the most of the staff and their skills to be able to give an improved service .

The present caseload will also be moved to the new service provider.

They will look at the caseload against what the new service will look like and will make sure that the right plans for moving a service user are in place if their care would be better with another service.

3. COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT

NHS Harrow went through a three week engagement activity to be able to give information about how we buy a new provider and how this may effect service users and carers.

The results that were wanted, at the beginning, were:

Local interested groups have an understanding of the how to buy process, timetable, and any changes to the service to be given.

The commissioners collect views about how the service is now, what is liked at the moment, and what services those interested would like to see.

The steering group members are able to think about what has been said when looking at the service plan and the plans from new service providers.

4.

METHOD

All the interested groups were contacted to talk about the changes and to agree the right way to work.

A full list is given in Appendix 1.

Engagement activity

The main communication materials were made, including an accessible format for people with learning disabilities.

Information letter for service users and their families

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Information sheets for e-communication with other interested people.

Power point presentation at meetings/events.

Information about the how we buy exercise was put on the NHS Harrow website and a link to this web page was shown throughout the LINK newsletter.

Engagement activities included:

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Talks with staff and service managers

Giving out written information

Going to existing service user groups/meetings

Focus groups for service users and carers

Information sent out by mail with a freepost envelope for responses to feedback questions

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The list of interested people and how each one was involved in the communication and engagement process in included in Appendix 1.

5. FINDINGS

There was not a lot said about the mail shots and newsletters.

Whilst not getting a lot feedback, the exercise did help to inform people of the changes and give a chance for people to ask questions and give their views.

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The comments below were put together from:

Focus groups held by Mencap at their health day (see Appendix 2).

Meetings with service users and staff at Choices4all

Talking with service users and carers at the Age UK caf

Talking with voluntary sector organisation managers and staff.

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Views from talks within service users and carer groups run by staff from the organisations.

Talking with care provider organisations

Feedback from HLDT staff

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The main messages from those interested:

Harrow Learning Disability Team

The learning disability team at the moment is liked for their commitment, skill and easy access to service users, family carers and care providers.

The new service needs to be local and accessible

A quick way into the service is needed

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 The specialist team has a good understanding of the needs of people with learning disability.

This is not the case with GPs and other health care.

General health staff do not understand how to communicate with people with learning disability.

Specialist treatments i.e. psychosexual and challenging behaviour therapy are liked and make a difference to behaviour.

Carers and care providers find that talking and information about understanding and managing behaviour particularly helpful.

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Giving information and specialist advice sessions i.e. sexual health to organisations such as Choices4all is very useful.

The service needs to make sure that the needs of older people with a learning disability are taken care of, as they have all the same health issues as anyone else.

There were also questions about the use of some treatments and if the treatment times needed to be so long in some cases. .

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APPENDIX 1 Those Interested Engagement NHS Partners

Clinical Commissioning Board GP commissioner on Steering Group

NHS Ealing Management Team

Meetings held

CLDT staff team Meetings held

Service plan given out for feedback

Harrow Local Authority

Representative on Steering Group

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Harrow LINK Meeting

LINK newsletter with a link to information on the website.

Voluntary Sector Organisations

Mencap Service users and carer focus groups held

10+ carers 30+ service users 5+ staff

Age UK

General chat at health living group +

10 + older people and staff where there

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Harrow Crossroads Written information sent

Health trainer talked with carers

Feedback collected

Association of Disabled People

Talks with chief executive

Passed on to Choices4all

Advocacy Voice

Talks with management

Talks with advocates group

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ASAP Email sent

Rethink

Do not work with this service users group

Loud and Clear

Do not work with this group

MIND

Do not work with this group

Association of Somali Organisations

No response to attempts to contact them

Jewish Care Advised to contact residential care homes

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Choices4 all Meeting held with 12 students and staff

Residential care providers Care Home Providers Telephone talk and written information

Service users and carers Harrow Carers Leaflets sent to carers with freepost return envelope and email for answers to feedback questions

250 carers contacted

Learning Disability service users and carers

Information given to service user and carer groups within the Local Authority, and to the Learning Disability joint partnership board.

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