One-to-one support for people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health conditions is set to be trialled in Halton as part of a £400,000 Government investment.

For the next six months, people with these conditions will be given one primary point of contact to provide advice, work with family and carers and encourage patients to live more independently in the community.

The aim is to cut down unnecessary long spells in hospitals and other NHS inpatient facilities.

The extra investment follows the early success of a named social worker pilot scheme introduced last year across six local authorities which was received positively by those who used the service and their families.
Providing a dedicated caseworker, who has an ongoing responsibility for someone’s support, means they can be a primary point of contact, challenge decisions and advocate on that person’s behalf.

The first stage of the pilot has given a clear sense of the difference that a named social worker can make in transforming learning disability services – for example:

• A number of individuals were discharged from hospital, when this was not previously planned for them;
• they had greater choice over where they would live and were more involved in their care
• they felt better supported by their social worker, with stronger relationships and trust built

Halton Borough Council will receive £92,827 for the scheme, which will give people frequent contact with their dedicated social worker.

Health Minister Jackie Doyle-Price said: “This is a fantastic scheme in Bradford that will give people personalised community care and more support to live independently. It is an important step forward as we aim to transform learning disability services for people both in Bradford and across the country.”

The pilot is part of the Department’s response to the 2015 ‘No voice unheard, no right ignored’ consultation, which sought views on strengthening the rights of people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health conditions to enable them to live more independently.

The Department has also funded the Innovation Unit – a social enterprise – and the Social Care Institute of Excellence to support the local areas, co-ordinate the pilot and to evaluate the scheme.

A total of 138 individuals were involved in the first phase of the pilot, in Liverpool, Sheffield and Hertfordshire.

The second phase of the pilot will now be rolled out across Bradford, Halton and Shropshire.

A member of staff, previously involved with the scheme, said: “One social worker is working with someone who only trusts people she knows very well; it is not uncommon for professionals to be told a firm ‘no’ and given a wave out of the door.

“The named social worker persisted, using the fact that she is a consistent person with time to work at the service user’s pace. Rather than rushing the relationship, she made sure that she could be seen talking to people that the service user trusts, being in the background, for example when sat in the courtyard, by positioning herself far away but in her field of vision.

“This non-invasive presence over time is helping her to become one of the very few trusted people in that person’s life.”