An innovative pilot project in the Motherwell locality is helping to improve homecare.

Titled the Demonstrator Project, it brings together what were three community therapy teams – which includes the likes of physiotherapists, occupational therapists and support assistants – from health and North Lanarkshire Council social work, who assess all requests for rehabilitation or assessment for aids and adaptations.

Managed jointly by health and council managers, it acts as a central contact and assessment point leading to joint triage and prioritisation making the system more efficient, effective and patient centred.

Claire Farren (is this who should be quoted?) said: “The pilot is still at an early stage, but we have already seen some very encouraging results.

“Over the first two weeks, staff met as a group to triage new referrals plus those on existing waiting lists with several of the cases being redirected either to therapy, assessment or towards social work which was the most appropriate outcome for them

“We are also testing a prioritisation tool which will help us decide the best way to contact and plan visits to service users who have been referred.”

This co-location of health and social work is further improved with shared access to some council and health systems, some shared paperwork and clearer links with day hospital and hospital at home.

Claire continued: “On the evidence so far, we are seeing:

• A timely access and response for all service users and referrers.
• Reduced waits.
• A smoother transition between locality and hospital – in both directions.
• An improvement in the consistency and continuity of rehabilitation.
• Getting the right person involved first time.
• Earlier discharge through discharge to assess.
• Most importantly, staff and service user satisfaction.”

As well as the therapy staff, there is also admin support at the project base in Scott House, Motherwell.

To make referrals to the service email motherwelllocalityrehab.lanarkshire@nhs.net