bringing the nhs and local government together A …

1 bringing the nhs and local government togetherA practical guide to integrated workingA practical guide to integrated 8/2/08 12:48 pm Page 1 What is the integrated Care Network?The integrated Care Network (icn) provides information andsupport to frontline nhsand local government organisationsseeking to improve the quality of provision to service users,patients and carers by integrating the planning and delivery ofservices. Key to the role of the icnis facilitating communicationbetween frontline organisations and government , so that policyand practice inform each other effectively.

2 The icnis part of theCare Services Improvement Partnership (csip).Care Services Improvement Partnershipcsipwas launched on 1 April 2005 after a formal publicconsultation. Our main goal is to support positive changes inservices and the well-being of: people with mental health problems people with learning disabilities older people with health and social care needs children and families people with health and social care needs in the criminal advice on partnerships and integration that cut acrossall services in health and social care.

3 It works closely with othernetworks and programmes across csipto ensure synergy of the guideThis is an updated version of integrated working : A guide (2004).The contents of both versions have been devised and written byPeter Thistlethwaite, who is a specialist R&D consultant in integratedcare. Like its predecessor, the new version has been designed andedited at Dartington Social Research Unit by Kevin Mount. We are grateful to Julia Thompson, Jeremy Porteus, ChrisMahony, Ed Harding and Robin Lorimer of icnfor their supportand ingenuity in helping us develop the 19/2/08 2:50 pm Page 2bringing the nhs and local government togetherA practical guide to integrated working2a practical guide to integrated working3a practical guide to integrated workingForewordThere comes a point when the value of an idea is so well-established that practical advice on implementation is moreimportant than another slice of theory.

4 That is the thinkingbehind this document which seeks to help organisations inthe NHS and local government deliver integrated services for the benefit of local users of the Department of Health, cohesion and co-ordination inadult social care are among the key priorities for 2008. That,of course, reflects the continuing Ministerial emphasis onintegration as outlined in Putting People First, the concordatbetween central and local government published in Decemberwhich set out a shared vision and commitment to thetransformation of adult social care.

5 It said: Ultimately, everylocality should seek to have a single community-basedsupport system focussed on the health and well-being of thelocal population. Binding together local government , primarycare, community-based health provision, public health, socialcare and the wider issues of housing, employment, benefitsadvice and education/training. This guide a timely update to the 2004 integrated CareNetwork (ICN) publication is a response to thesechallenges. The benefits of integrated care systems inimproving outcomes for services users are clear thequestion is how best to achieve them.

6 This guide bringstogether the latest changes in policy and best practice, andaims to support organisations in the NHS and localgovernment along the road to practical guide to integrated workingIntegration is not easy. The circumstances and preferences ofeach service or locality will differ considerably, and policy andbest practice will continue to evolve. For example, thoseplanning and delivering services will have to consider hownew initiatives such as Individual Budgets can best beimplemented. Correspondingly, this guide cannot remainwholly static.

7 The integrated Care Network will be providingupdated content and features through its with commentary, user input andnetworking warmly invite you to join the integrated Care Network andtake Horn National Director ofCare Services Improvement 19/2/08 1:42 pm Page 4 How to use the guide 6 What integration should mean for your locality or service 8 Self assessment: some integration benchmarks 10 Part One: Knowing more about integration131 Agreeing what integration means152 The journey to integration 213 How evidence of what works can help244 Understanding the potential benefits32 Part One in summary36 Part Two.

8 Making it happen375 Community-wide governance396 Commissioning together497 Providing integrated services618 Putting integrated care into practice77 The guide in summary89pen pictures1 Establishing a user focus 342 Barnsley 423 Herefordshire 434 Peterborough 515 Knowsley 566 South Tyneside 577 Commissioning for prevention and early intervention588 Torbay Care Trust659 Telford and Wrekin Children s Services6910 Sandwell Mental Health7011 Sedgefield7312 Castlefields Surgery, Runcorn83 Contents6a practical guide to integrated workingIf you have the power to change policy or local practice, thenthis guide has been written for people like you.

9 Integrationneeds leaders at all levels who can rise above their usual rolesand responsibilities, and, with support from their employers,work with a range of professionals and organisations toimprove outcomes and experiences for users. The guide aimsto provide you with the necessary practical to read the guide from start to finish, although you canpick and choose from the sections. The broad aim is to helpyou to gather a picture of where you stand locally with theintegration agenda, so that you can map out and sustain yourown development process.

10 So this is purposely more of atraveller s guide than a textbook; the intention is to provide acarefully sequenced and organised combination of ideas andpractical guidance, supplemented by: focal points from national policymessages fromresearchpen pictures of early adopters of integrationYou can get an early feel of what a more integrated approachmight mean by assessing your locality or service against theintegration benchmarksgiven on pages 10 and 11. This mayalso help you to decide where the guide can help you is no single route to follow.