Key Developments in Information and Advice Services

ection of travel which is supported by the

.4.1 How will information be managed?

m over the next three years will be to build on the significant progress made by:

iew to

control within the overall transformational programme for adult care.

ill be developed to

 Supporting providers to develop their information services.

Based on the Council’s statement of intent and the review of the evidence base, this section is a description of the Council’s dir

improvement plan detailed in Section 5.

4

The arrangements for managing information and advice are in transition and this strategy seeks to ensure that there is a clear programme for securing continual improvement. The ai

 Keeping the core set of ‘front office’ information leaflets under rev ensure that they continue to support the Council’s safeguarding responsibilities and promote user choice and

 Expanding the information held by using the ‘national spine of information content’ as held on DirectGov and NHS Choices. Links w

this information or the content amended for use locally.

  1

 The Association of Social Care Communicators (ASCC) is an organisation that links and supports public  information workers in social services, health and the voluntary sector.  

 Improving the scope of the information provided to include reference to service quality. The proposal to develop an adult services directory will provide the vehicle through which this improvement will be secured.

ort the group’s development in line with the members’ aspirations with the aim of co-producing future information.

d ked to Children, Education and Social Care (CESC). There has already been significant improvements in the way

igns nual Delivery Plan.

I p an effe tion and advice services

the following groups have been identifi m rketing information serv

p ommunication

 Working with the ‘Readers Group’ to supp

 Developing the practitioner advice and information giving role as a part of the Putting People First Workforce Strategy.

4.3.2 Increasing the awareness of what Information (and Advice) is available

The Council has recognised the importance of marketing and the newly establishe Communications Unit has a specific team member lin

that information and advice have been marketed, The Communications Unit will continue to support the service through the development of marketing campa and events which support the An

n order to develo ctive marketing plan for informa

ed alongside the proposed means of ices: Method of C a Target Grou The Public e

e has been developed on information services which contains electronic

of the front office information on adult The following marketing tools have been developed to inform the public about what information exists on adult care:

 A leaflet has been developed which lists all th current information leaflets. This leaflet also acts as an order form.

 A specific web pag

files of all

care. The web page also includes an electronic ordering system.

The plan is to:

 Develop a brochure on adult care which will signpost people to more detailed sources of information.

web based and will contain the advice directory recommended through the EIT review.

 Use Stockton News more effectively to promote information and advice services.

Staff

t e services using the Council’s intranet. An information database

urrent Staff have access to the same information as the public. Briefings are used to advise on any changes. The plan is to:

 Develop more targeted information abou information and advic

provides detailed information on all the c set of information and this will be made accessible to staff.

Partner Organisations

rochure is being developed to

nisation.

encourage partner organisations to carry adult care _{information in their public access areas.}

The plan is to: The adult care b

 Develop an improved distribution strategy with key contacts identified for each partner

orga

Information and Advic Providers

stablished baseline information on

The plan is to:

 Develop a local network of information and advice providers.

e the range of information and advice services in _Stockton. The EIT review e

4.3.3 Delivery mechanisms

Stockton’s model for the future delivery of information and advice services is based on a targeted approach. This is in recognition that the Council is developing an ‘Adult Care & Well Being’ focus to its information and advice services as a stepping stone to universal services. This model can be represented diagrammatically as:

Fig 3 : Stockton Model for delivering Information and Advice Services

The delivery of universal services will be based on three initiatives. The first is th intention to commission new information and advice services. This will be based on the development of a service specific

e

ation which draws on the evidence developed

Adult Care Directory – Work has been commissioned to develop an Adult Care Directory. This will be based on the same information technology architecture as the Council’s Family Information Services Directory. The software will allow information for the EIT review as a means of meeting the needs of the local population and contributing to the Council’s priorities on financial inclusion.

The second and third initiatives have a common purpose, to establish ‘hubs’ of information:

to be drawn from a number of sources including national data sets such as NHS Choices and the Care Quality Commission.

Multi Service Centres - Following the opening of the first centre in Thornaby, work is continuing on the development of the centres for Stockton and Billingham. This will

he

to make it accessible to all groups. Provision of information, advice and guidance

ugh such means as critical readers, complaints and mystery shopping.

 Using surveys of local residents’ views such as Viewpoint.

hich measure the provision of information and advice le

e onitoring of the implementation of the strategy will be undertaken through the

ation Board on behalf of the Adult Care Management Team. create information hubs in the three main townships across the Borough.