The Care Forum
Meeting in Bristol
March 23rd 2011
New Routes
Community Avenues to Well Being
About The Care Forum
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Independent voluntary and community
sector infrastructure organisation
Communication, consultation and
networking
Partnership working
Empower people to voice issues about local
social and community care services
Provide information and advice about health
and well-being services
Some of the things we do
Networks: Healthy Conversation, mental
health, older people, carers services
providers
 Newsletters, ebulletins, information
 Representation
 Well Aware
 Advocacy
 New Routes
 LINks for Bristol and South Glos
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Background to New Routes
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Two-year pilot project ; GP referrals only;
Keynsham area
Designed to address the number of patients
who go to their GP for wellbeing related
issues
Improve health and wellbeing by signposting
local activities and resources - Well Aware
Funded by B&NES council and PCT
Evaluated by University of Bath
Example of cross sector and preventative
working
Monitoring and evaluation
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University of Bath evaluation (Warwick
Edinburgh Mental Well Being Scale,
interviews, diary data from Coordinators)
Our methods with adaptation of a
standardised wellbeing measure and two
follow up assessments
Preventative work very important but often
the most difficult to evaluate
Use of case studies and anecdotal evidence
Client self-rated wellbeing score
100
90
80
70
60
change from rating 1st-2nd
% of clients
50
assessment (n=20)
40
change from rating 1st-3rd
assessment (n=7)
30
20
10
0
improved
not improved
Change in score
no change
Referrals
 About
100 referrals since
October 2009
 Reasons for referrals
 Referrals reflect the demographic
of Keynsham
 Most have some physical health
problem
Types of services referred to:
Client uptake from signposting
40
35
30
25
% of uptake20
15
10
5
0
Activity/group/service type
Employment status
employed
unemployed
18%
22%
student
redundant
3%
10%
unable to work
13%
retired
34%
Client Age at Referral
18
16
Number of clients
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
16-19
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
Age group (years)
70-79
80-89
90-99
What works and what does not?
Length of time a person has been in pain,
isolated, immobile or depressed
 Transport issues
 Clarity of purpose of New Routes
 Appropriate referral?
 Motivation to self manage well being
 Stigma associated with ‘mental ill health’
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Case Study - Ivy
• Aged
82, widowed, losing vision – though upbeat,
feeling scared and alone. Changed circumstances
left her feeling lost and bored.
• New Routes Coordinator made 2 referrals:
• Keynsham and Chew Valley Befrienders
service: to meet or go out
• Vision Plus: equipment, social group with
transport
• Coordinator now making an application to The
Blind Society for holiday
Case study - Simon
Aged 42, experiencing anxiety, depression
 Very engaging and motivated – open to
wide range of options
 New Routes Coordinator referred:
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Volunteering with the Woodland Trust
Supportive book group
Volunteer walk leader
Photography course
Local history group
Hurdles Encountered
Hurdles
Time constraints
 De-motivated clients
 Difficulty getting hold of clients and GPs
 Difficulty in obtaining feedback
 Transport
 Complexity of cases
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When it works, it works because...
 Cross
sector working
 Early intervention/prevention
 Saving costs on services as part of a
stepped care approach
 Supports the public mental health
agenda
 Prescription costs for anti
depressants have risen
Summary
Strong and effective partnership working
between statutory and voluntary sector
essential to finding alternative solutions to
the tremendous burden mental health
issues place upon primary care
 Especially need to beware of attaching a
medical diagnosis to socio-economic
problems
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Contact us
See www.thecareforum.org
 Contact Debbie or Anna, New Routes
T: 0117 958 9303
E: NewRoutes@thecareforum.org.uk
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