New Types of Worker - Community Enabling Project
Community Enabling Project, Somerset
Summary
The Community Enabling Project was set up to pilot the new role of Community Enabler. This generic support role bridged the gap between social and health care. The aim of the new role was to encourage creative and flexible working methods aimed at promoting self-management and community integration in people with long term health conditions.
Description
Community Health International, a not for profit organisation in Somerset, hosted a one year pilot scheme to evaluate the success of the role of a Community Enabler. This role bridged the gap between social and health care, and allowed staff to work in a creative and person-centred way to promote self-management and community integration in people with long term health conditions.
The community enabling project engaged with people in a combination of 1-2-1 support, group work, a café style club and by signposting people on to other community organisations. The cafés, based in non-stigmatising venues, proved to be a cost-effective and empowering way to provide a service. Running alongside a parallel time-banking project, service users were able to build a vibrant community that offered peer support and opportunities for reaching out to others. Attendees included older people, people with mild learning difficulties, physical disabilities and mental health problems. Members of the local community also took the opportunity to attend and share there skills and time with others.
Although the pilot was unable to secure continued funding, much has been learned from it in terms of it being a successful model of the community enabling role. The café concept and community enabling role have been taken on by an integrated health centre in Devon. Service users have gone on to set up their own café club and now employ a former community enabler to support them in running it.
Outcomes
- The project sustained close working partnerships with local organizations including Rethink, The Forestry Commission, Local Action Group for Learning Disabilities, Jobcentre Plus, The Expert Patient Programme and local GP surgeries
- Community Enablers received a diverse training programme including: Health & Safety and Risk Assessment; Time Management; Communication & Presentation Skills; Healthy Walks Leaders, The Effects of Medication; Sensory Awareness and Mental Health Awareness. A list of competencies has been produced to build on this
- A range of services were offered including 1-2-1 support, group activities such as supported trips and guided walks, two café clubs and signposting. This enabled the project to provide flexible support tailored to the individual's needs
- Those referred from rural areas were helped to access existing community services/facilities within their area
- Service users from the café attended training in 'Somerset Total Communication' in order to produce a newsletter that was accessible to those with a learning difficulty
- Those attending the café have gone on to run the service themselves, following the cessation of the pilot project
Themes/Issues
- The combination of the Community Enabling Project and the Time Banking Scheme seems to be key in the success of the scheme. Time banking enabled service users to support each other in accessing community and leisure facilities, preventing reliance on workers
- It was important that the scheme was focused outwards, both in enabling people to benefit from their natural surroundings (though hosting an allotment and nature walks) and supporting them to connect with their community
- The Community Enablers were encouraged to think creatively about the services that they could provide, and respond to the needs of the service users. Regular meetings were used as a forum to foster this approach. The resulting flexibility encouraged staff to use the full range of their skills and prevented a 'one size fits all' service
- The range of service users that made use of the cafés is a highly innovative aspect of the project, and one of its main successes. The openness of these groups sets the stage for community integration
- The promotion of the Community Enabling Project to local agencies was a crucial aspect of the work
- Although the project made links with GP Surgeries to promote the referral of people in the early stages of isolation due to a health problem, many were reluctant to refer to a time limited project. A longer term project is more likely to be able to forge the links necessary for this early intervention to happen
- During the course of the pilot a number of gaps were identified in local services, meaning some needs could not be met by existing community resources. These include services for older adults who have memory problems and are unable to engage with statutory services, but lack appropriate support in daily living.
