Realising the Value: Supporting Communities to Maximise People's Independence

Realising the Value:Supporting communities to maximise

people’s independence

Fiona Weir, February 2016

About us• Community Partnerships is part of

Kirklees Council’s Adult Services’ Commissioning and Health Partnerships

• Part-funded by the two Kirklees Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs)

• Key areas of work are: - Community investment: £1.5M to 168 VCOs in

2014-15 and approx. £1.3M to 150 VCOs this year;- Development support; - Better in Kirklees: supporting people into

community activity (‘social prescribing’); - User/carer involvement.

OverviewKirklees Council Community Partnerships supports hundreds of community-based projects each year, including many with a mental health and/or community arts focus - including music, singing, drama, craft, film-making and more. Our development and 'micro commissioning' approach aims to create a diverse and vibrant range of community 'prevention' activities in Kirklees, so people can get involved in activities they enjoy, that support their health and well-being, keep them independent, and reduce or prevent their need for support from statutory services. Community Partnerships manager Fiona Weir will lead a discussion about the range of activities on offer, the people who take part, and the potential benefits for individuals, community organisations and commissioners alike.

Key figures (2014-15)• 168 groups funded• Further 115 supported but not funded• 42,846 hours of community-based activity• Over 12,000 people benefitted monthly and 6,245 weekly• 2170 volunteers giving 250,253 hours • 128 projects under £10k, 53 projects under £2k – hence

‘micro-commissioning’.• Av cost to us (commissioners/tax payers) £2.10ppph• Every pound we invest brings an additional £2.29 into

Kirklees in cash or kind for community prevention activities


Arts and Mental HealthAround half of the projects we support address mental health needs, and many use creative arts:

• 86 (51.2%) projects supporting people with mental health needs in 2014-15;

• 36 projects using creative arts including music, dance, singing, painting, wood-turning;

• Targeted ‘micro-commissioning’ – for example, we are about to invest in approx. 10 new projects supporting men’s mental health, after this was identified as a gap.


Examples (2014-16)Music and singing: HOOT Creative Arts, Callaloo Carnival Arts,

XylosoundDance: Batley Rock ‘n’ Roll, DanceAbility, Startin Line DancingPerforming Arts: Curtain Up Players, ImagineerFilm, photography, digital arts: Dewsbury Photographic

Group, Kirklees Filmmakers Fine Arts and drawing: Oakwell Arts Group, TAP into ArtWriting: Gujerati Writers’ Forum Craft: Birstall Wood Turners, Howlands Centre, Kirki Burtis,

Support 2 RecoveryArts access: Culture Club, Side by Side Memory Project


What type of mental health needs?• We don’t know formally…• We assumed previously that it was low-level prevention/

well-being only, but we now know that’s not so.• Community groups report people using their support:• When they can’t access statutory MH services• As a ‘step-down’ or exit route from secondary services• Some time after acute/crisis support, as a way of

maintaining independence• To support the mental health of people with severe

disabilities/long-term health conditions• Our social prescribing service gets formal referrals from

community mental health teams.

Why do we do it?

• In Kirklees, we know we can’t ‘do’ health and social care without communities.

• Communities play an essential role in helping people to help themselves and each other – what we call ‘maximising independence’.

• Clear existing evidence of the well-being benefits of creative arts activities.


Why do we do it? (2)PreventionKeeping people active and involved in communities can prevent, delay or reduce their need for statutory services.Market developmentSupporting VCOs means they are better able to support people with H&SC needs in their communities, more sustainably.Best outcomes and impact:- Clear well-being benefits and really excellent value;- Direct impact – ‘care closer to home’;- People as assets - people are often the ‘experts in their own care’, many ‘give back’ even if they need support themselves, and many groups are user led.

Micro-commissioning to meet an identified need

Eg 1: End of life community based activitiesAim: to “develop new and/or innovative community-based activities for individuals who are approaching the end of their lives, and their families and informal carers”.

Organisations invited to put forward ideas and apply for funding (up to £20k)

We worked with the local hospice to co-commission5 VCOs came forward and 3 are now delivering

Micro-commissioning to meet an identified need

Eg 2: Men’s Mental HealthAim: to “develop new and/or innovative community-based activities the support men’s mental health”.

Organisations invited to put forward ideas and apply16 VCOs came forward and we anticipate 10 will be

fundedEnables support to be provided more quickly, while

strategic plans are developed


Any questions so far?


Group discussionWhat do you think are the benefits and the challenges for community groups?

What do you think are the benefits and the challenges for commissioners?


Some thoughts: benefits

• Demonstrable positive outcomes• VCOs potentially offer better value, innovation,

better engagement, alternative ways of delivering, different models

• Swift responses to meet gaps and newly-identified needs while more strategic responses are planned

• Part of a planned ‘whole system’ offer

• Preferred by most, whenever possible.

Some thoughts: challenges• Unequal relationships between commissioners and

community groups (perceptions and realities)• Statutory services are still agreeing their arrangements

and formal processes… That can make VCS collaboration (currently?) more difficult.

• Demonstrating the value of micro-commissioning – data complex and often second-hand

• Budget constraints – is continued investment a priority? • ‘Losing control’ – statutory organisations don’t like it!

To find out more about our work

Photos and storyboards from groups are at http://www.flickr.com/photos/community-partnerships/

Visit http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/communitypartnerships

http://www.flickr.com/photos/community-partnerships/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/community-partnerships/

http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/communitypartnerships

http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/communitypartnerships

ContactFiona Weir,Community Partnerships Manager, Community Partnerships,Civic Centre 1, 4th Floor,High Street, Huddersfield,HD1 2YUTel: 01484 225142Email: [email protected]

Find us on Facebook: KirkleesCommunityPartnerships

mailto:[email protected]

Healthcare

Realising the Value: Supporting Communities to Maximise People's Independence