As a result of the redesign of the clinical model and the embedding of service user feedback around planned service reconfigurations, as well as consultation around their desired outcomes, the collaborative is seeing a strong impact and benefits to their service users.
Since the formalisation of the collaborative, out of area placements have reduced from 21% to 6% in a period of three years. Incidents of seclusion have reduced from five to two per 100 patients, and restrictive practices have been cut by a fifth, whilst bed occupancy has increased from 85% to 90%. Overall, they are seeing:
- More patients being placed nearer to home.
- No learning disability and autism specialist placements out of area.
- More efficient use of inpatient services.
- Single point of access and single access assessments.
- Services, clinicians, service users and carers working better together.
- Improved quality of care.
- More co-production and service user involvement, and better patient experience.
- Clearer care pathways.
- Better support for transition and discharge.
- More peer support workers in services.
- Better partnerships with health, social care and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations.
Collaborative members believe these improvements are a direct result of the work of the collaborative and would not be possible without the change in culture, the emphasis on shared problem solving between providers and the streamlining of patient pathways across the region.
With commissioners now embedded within each provider, there is an improved understanding of the needs of the population, which can help influence the commissioning of services. They are able to understand what's happening within providers and the new relationships of trust between them have meant that good practice is better shared, projects are developed mutually and with benefits for all, and, most importantly, service user experience and outcomes are enhanced.