Archive

A pilot project based in Leicester on service co-ordination for children with complex needs has proved a great success. Graham Hopkins reports.

Amisha Patel is just over two years old. She is in a baby carrier positioned at the feet of her parents Meena and Mehul, who form part of a seated circle with 11 social and health care workers.

Rather than be overawed by such a gathering, the Patels are comfortable, frank and open, and relish the opportunity to be so. They are attending a care co-ordination meeting at Leicester General Hospital. Despite the clinical surroundings all agree that it is a convenient place to meet.

The Patels are willing and satisfied partners in a pilot project on service co-ordination for children with complex needs, within three local authorities: Leicester, Leicestershire, Rutland, and Leicestershire Health Authority. Anette Beattie was appointed project manager in 1999.

As with most good ideas the thinking behind the project was simple enough. The project aims to address the fact that parents might have to work with more than 20 professionals from different organisations, departments and locations at any one time. Sometimes work can overlap or be missed. Irritatingly for parents they can be required to tell their stories several times.

How much better, then, if all those involved met with each other and agreed who would do what. And to have a named person who would co-ordinate the services and be a point of contact for all involved.

Families with a child under eight with a significant health condition and in need of more than one specialist service can take part in the project. Once on board a service planning meeting is held within six weeks at which point a service plan is agreed and a co-ordinator appointed.

The co-ordinator - a problem-solving friend with broad shoulders (with plenty of space to cry on) - undertakes to contact the family at least once a month.

Refreshingly, parents themselves can become co-ordinators, increasing their involvement. However, murmured fears that such appointments would send parents power-crazy demanding unrealistic levels of service have been silenced by the dignified reserve and understanding of the parents involved.

Service needs
Amisha Patel needs a variety of services, including social work, education psychology, speech therapy, neurology, respite, and dietary and welfare advice. Her father, Mehul, is delighted to be part of the pilot project: "It's been great for us," he says.

"If we didn't have these meetings," adds Jo Lane, Amisha's health visitor and co-ordinator, "I know that everything would depend on me to happen - and calls wouldn't get made and so on. But here we can agree who is doing what and get on and do it. It's a more pro-active and accountable way of working."

The Patels are particularly pleased with their service plan, which they keep in a folder along with all other relevant histories and information. Each time they receive a visit or use a service it is recorded on their plan.

As Meena Patel says: "Every month we need to go to the hospital and we need to go through every single thing that's wrong with her. But what we do now is just give the file in! 'It's all in there', we tell them."

Education psychologist, Davinder Dhesi, agrees: "From my point of view as a professional who perhaps does not have ongoing regular contact with the family, I have instant access to any information on involvement with this family because they keep a record of it all.

"It's a very efficient way of sharing information," he continues, "making sure also that each one of us also learns about each others' roles."

Social worker Tracy Vickers, agrees: "From a social work point of view it is much easier working with clients who are part of this project than with ones who aren't."

The project comes to its three-year conclusion in March. And Amisha and her parents are just three of many people who will be hoping that the funding can be co-ordinated as well as the services they receive.

- Care Co-ordination Network UK - to be launched in April 2002 - is a new organisation funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Contact Katy Barton, social policy research unit, University of York, 01904 433 605 or e-mail: kb17@york.ac.uk or visit: www.york.ac.uk/spru/ccnukv  

Background

Scheme: Pilot project on service co-ordination for children with complex needs.

Location: Leicestershire & Rutland Healthcare NHS Trust, Leicester.

Staffing: One full-time co-ordinator and a part-time clerk.

Inspiration: Multi-agency steering group formed in 1997 to improve co-ordination of services for disabled children.

Cost: £30,000 over three years, jointly funded by participating authorities.

Resources

For more information call Anette Beattie on 0116 223 2427. An evaluation of the project by De Montfort University is available.