Joint Future
The Joint Future Agenda : Working together to improve health and social services
The Scottish Government has set out national regulations and standards for local authorities and health services to develop systems of working together in partnership for their local communities. This includes
- how local health and social services are managed and funded;
- how staff are employed;
- how services are delivered;
- better outcomes for people who need community care services.
All local authorities and health services across Scotland have formed partnerships for the delivery of health and community care services. Community Care Services are provided for
- older people who need support or care and people with dementia;
- people with physical disabilities and people with sensory impairments;
- people with learning disabilities;
- people with mental Illness and or mental health problems;
- people with substance misuse problems and social work needs;
- people who are homeless and have social work needs.
In 2007, the Scottish Government Performance Improvement and Outcomes Division (PIOD) set out the key national health and community care outcomes by which partnerships should measure their performance. Clackmannanshire produced a report in May 2008 to show how we are working towards these outcomes.
The Joint Future Agenda is about providing better quality services through joint local plans, joining up services and developing new approaches to the assessment of peoples' needs and to the treatment they receive in hospital, in their local health centre and at home. This includes ensuring that people are supported at home rather than in care homes, inappropriate hospital admissions are avoided where possible and hospital discharges are supported with the provision of prompt and responsive services at home. The role and involvement of carers should also be acknowledged and supported.
The Joint Future Agenda promotes joint working across all community care services and this involves sharing information about people and their needs through 'single shared assessments'. The Integrated Mental Health Service (NHS Forth Valley and Clackmannanshire Council) has developed a single referral and care pathway to ensure that people receive more coordinated support and services if they have a mental illness or other mental health problems.
We want to ensure that people who receive services from the Council and from the Health Service have good information and know what they can expect from services. Consultation with service users and carers is an important aspect of the Joint Future Agenda.
Partnership Group
A partnership group of health and local authority managers is responsible for the Joint Future Agenda in Clackmannanshire and they report to the Community Health Partnership. The purpose of the group is to oversee the arrangements that are being put in place to improve how services work together and to check that people are receiving the services that they need in the most efficient way.
The requirement for local partnerships to develop and produce a Single Outcome Agreement, a Community Plan, a Local Housing Strategy and a local Health Plan are also having an impact on the planning and delivery of community care services for adults.
The new Community Hospital in Sauchie will open in early 2009. The Social Services Community Care Teams will be based in this new facility.
Publications & documents
External Links
Contact information
For further information about this page please contact:
Policy and Planning Officer, Education & Schools
Lime Tree House, Castle Street, Alloa, FK10 1EX
Tel: 01259 450000 Fax: 01259 452440
Email: servicestopeople@clacks.gov.uk
Or use the on-line contact form.