Empowering Independence Community Outreach Service for people with

Physical Health Needs and/or Disabilities

Home Group is proud of making a difference to people, communities, and shaping the future of housing. We are a strategic partner with Homes England and specialise in providing support to people with complex health and social care needs, including mental health, learning disabilities and older people. The way we make a difference is by understanding where people are in their lives, equipping them with the right tools to remain healthy, independent and connected to the communities in which they live. We are collaborative, integrating Health, Social Care and Housing to create environments where people get the right support, accommodation and opportunities to thrive.

Service Description and Eligibility Criteria

The Empowering Independence Service will offer short term Community Outreach support, (usually up to 6 months), to people living in Cornwall aged 18 years and over who have physical health needs and/or disabilities and have been identified as potentially benefiting from support to self-manage their health and wellbeing and increase independent living skills.

People accessing the service will have Physical health needs and/or disabilities related to one or more of the following primary needs:

• Physical health needs, including but not limited to physical disabilities, mobility issues, HIV, visual and hearing impairments and other long term conditions
• Cognitive impairment, including but not limited to dementia
• Learning disabilities
• Neurological development disorders, including but not limited to Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome and Pervasive Development Disorder People accessing the Service may also be experiencing other multiple disadvantages related to mental health, emotional wellbeing, drug and alcohol issues, acquired brain injury, high risk behaviours, contact with the Criminal Justice system, social isolation, poverty and/or abuse. We will support people to make links in to other support services and Health and Social Care agencies, as appropriate.
•  

Objectives of the service

The service will meet its aims through the provision of flexible person centred support, which enables and empowers customers to establish and maintain independence.

We will work in partnership with other agencies, independent of a housing management function, regardless of tenure, promoting dignity and respect.

The key outcomes are;

Improved self-management of health & Well being

• Increased Social Inclusion
• Improved emotional Wellbeing
• Managing physical health

• Managing mental health
• Managing behaviour/lifestyleIncreased Independent Living Skills
•  
• Secured and maintaining accommodation
• Managing Money
• Accessing education, employment and/or training
• Developing healthy lifestyle skills
• Managing risk of harm from self/others.

It is anticipated that the maximum duration for a person to be in receipt of support would typically be no more than six months, but can exceptionally be adjusted by agreement, to fulfil a specific support need.

Support services will be provided for individuals for the purpose of developing their ability to self-manage their health and wellbeing and their ability to live independently, or sustaining their capacity to do so.

The Service will include three components:

Core Service

Individuals who access this service will be aged 18 or over and have either been referred, or have self-referred for support due to having one of the support needs as identified above.

The service has a dedicated Referral Co-ordinator, who upon receipt of a referral, will carry out a high level review and assess against the priority criteria.

Referrals will be accepted from all sources and customers do not require a Care Act Assessment or be assessed as eligible for health care to be eligible for support from the service. Where appropriate Adult Social Care, Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust or NHS Kernow may refer an individual for support from the service, if they feel that an intervention offered through the service could reduce the need for formal care and support. The Referral Co-ordinator may identify a customer that we consider to have immediate vulnerabilities, such as safeguarding issues which in turn could prioritise their referral and their case this could be fast-tracked for support. This would be discussed in collaboration with the referrer and the individual to determine if priority can be given.

If a customer is eligible for support but not considered a priority we will make contact and offer information regarding our County Wide Drop in Venues and Advice Line we may also signpost to any other relevant service that can offer support and meet that person’s needs. When at capacity, we will offer a waiting list, however this may not be appropriate due to some customer’s urgency of need. In these circumstances it would be appropriate for us to sign post the customer to a County Wide Drop-In Venue for immediate support, which can then lead to acceptance for support from Empowering Independence Service.

We have introduced the role of the Health Coach to this Service and they will work alongside individuals and prioritise positive health outcomes following Cornwall’s Health and Well Being Strategy. The long term goal is that ‘People in Cornwall will live longer happier, healthier lives and good health and wellbeing will be everyone’s responsibility’.

The Strategy is also focused on three long term outcomes which are:

1. Helping people live longer, healthier lives
2. Improving the quality of people’s lives
3. Fairer life chances for all

Support from the Health Coach will be delivered either in group sessions, one to one coaching, or a mixture of both.

Drop In Services

The Drop-ins provide direct access to Advice, Information and Support on an ad-hoc basis as and when they require it. This is via our County Wide Drop-in Venues. Regularly updated documents with Drop In locations and times are distributed to support providers or can be requested via the e mail address below.

Advice Line.

Information and Advice service available to those in receipt of or awaiting a service. This is via a phone line number (Monday to Friday, 9am to 12pm).

How can people access the Information and Advice line?

• Monday to Friday between 9am and 12pm, excluding bank holidays

• Phone: 07710 709527

• E-mail: EICountywideoutreach@homegroup.org.uk

• Postal Address: by letter to :- c/o St Nicholas House, 70 St Nicholas Street, Bodmin, Cornwall,    PL31 1AG

Referrals

By e-mail to: - EICountywideoutreach@homegroup.org.uk using the form attached here.

By post to :- Referral Co-ordinator, c/o St Nicholas House, 70 St Nicholas Street, Bodmin,                  Cornwall, PL31 1AG

Please be aware that we can’t be responsible for the safe arrival of any information that has been posted to us and for the purposes of GDPR, our recommended referral route is via secure e-mail.