Communications Strategy and Plan supporting Care Act changes

Transcription

1 Communications Strategy and Plan supporting Care Act changes February 2015

2 Background to Surrey s approach Since 2009 Adult Social Care has been closely following government policy framework and its developing approach around personalisation. Putting People First and Think Local Act Personal policies emphasised the importance of information and advice as the cornerstone for personalised support. Our first four year strategy aimed ( ) to put in place longer term plans and for over three years we have been communicating to a wider range of residents, not just those eligible for council funded support, using a range of tactics, in order to signpost them to sources of information about care and support. We have invested heavily in face to face support in convenient locations with information Hubs, mental health community connections services, benefits advice, welfare assistance schemes, wellbeing centres as well as hundreds of grants and contracts where providing information and advice is a core part of their service. Surrey Information Point was launched to be the key central local resource for detailing care and support options available, for residents, health and social care staff and the voluntary, community and faith sector, to use. A revised two year strategy was published in July 2014 after eighteen months being co-designed with the multi-agency Information and Advice Forum and a range of key stakeholders. This clearly outlines our approach for delivering a universal information and advice service about care and support in Surrey. While the council is the lead agency and has a co-ordinating role, all key partner organisations in the broader health and social care system have a role in information provision and signposting.. It is proposed we review any increase in demand or enquiries across our broader information and advice services later in 2015 which will then inform our next steps and revision of our strategy. Page 2

3 Communications and engagement objectives There is a potential impact of the Care Act on all Surrey residents although it is anticipated that the later reforms effective from 2016 will be of more interest to residents who pay for their own care currently. These communications plans focus on the earlier changes primarily although some proactive communications about planning for care will commence immediately. The key objective of the engagement and communications strategy is to ensure a consistent and structured delivery of messages to all stakeholders throughout the planned activity; Identify and profile the key audiences affected by the Care Act and use the most relevant communication channels to reach them effectively; Ensure that our stakeholders are aware of, and understand, our approach to implementing the Care Act and are given the opportunity to feed back or express their views on the changes; Hold the necessary consultation and engagement with people who are affected by the changes, using a variety of communications channels; Ensure members and all local political representatives are aware of the Care Act changes, have the opportunity for more detailed understanding of the implications and feel empowered to manage enquiries in their own constituencies or localities; Ensure all partner organisations and providers are aware of the changes and promote the changes to their workforce and customers and help them feel confident in supporting others who may be affected; Support Adult Social Care staff and key information providers to understand the implications and make available a range of useful resources and tools to embed that understanding and help changing practice; Develop and implement a public awareness campaign to run from January 2015 to explain to residents about the Care Act changes being introduced and directing people to local sources of information and advice about care and support; Page 3

4 To facilitate residents to get accessible information about the changes; Ensure our communications and engagement plans help avoid a significant peak in requests for assessment and support which does not match the resources available, and would impact adversely on the customer experience; Throughout the programme, integrate or complement other communications campaigns, for example, safeguarding and signposting to carers support. Review plans and evaluate to inform further activity. National awareness campaign for the Care Act Before finalising our own communication plans the council had been waiting to see details of the national communications campaign and a communications toolkit that could be used, adapted and disseminated in each local authority area. These were made available in December and during January. The national messages highlight that Care and support is changing for the better and focus on national eligibility, carers assessments and deferred payments, encouraging residents to contact their local councils. Please see attached example of the promotional material. What is described in the national campaign is very much our business as usual offer for Surrey residents. We do not believe disseminating this information locally will be helpful as it may cause confusion. It is also not clear that the scale of the campaign or the targeting of the information will reach the appropriate audiences. Nevertheless, there is some planned activity that will give Surrey residents the opportunity to see and hear these central government messages. The main elements of the Department of Health campaign which begins on 2 February for five to eight weeks are: Page 4

5 Radio advertising on Classic, Smooth, Gold, LBC and Heart for five weeks from 2 February Distribution of leaflet to 45 GP surgeries in Surrey (out of 150 cross section geographically) Direct mail to one postcode area in Surrey - KT21 2 Ashtead Advertising in seven national press/magazines including the Sunday Mirror, Daily Mirror, Love Sunday (Sunday People), Notebook (Sunday Mirror), Real People, Best Digital advertising. Local communication plans Our local approach will include some targeted activity explaining the Care Act changes to key stakeholders and residents but the focus will be a continuation of the work we have been doing for a number of years, aiming to signpost people to sources of information and advice about care and support, and providing a universal information and advice service about care and support. This is an ever increasing programme of work with all key partners in health, local borough and district councils, care providers and the voluntary, community and faith organisations, as well as the broader workforce of health and social care, members and councillors. Details are enclosed in the next few pages. We anticipate working closely with regional local authorities on the plans for funding reforms and are considering a bid to ADASS funds to help the communications activity in the South East for greater efficiency and impact. The regulations and guidance of the funding reforms are not available yet. A summary of plans For residents Articles in the Surrey Matters residents magazine (January and May), distributed to 500,000 households; Article in e-surrey Matters in March over 3,000 subscribers; Page 5

6 Information and a seven minute film explaining the changes on the county council website including briefings, presentations and Q+As New public information leaflet on care and support in Surrey being produced, available in February. 50,000 copies to be distributed. Easy read format will also be available; New public information being developed, signposting residents to independent financial advice (working with the Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA)); New DVD being produced confirming our offer, preventative services available and wider signposting; Public awareness campaign being implemented in February/March explaining how residents can access information and advice about care and support using range of communication channels and tactics to promote Surrey Information Point, the Surrey Hubs, Age UK Surrey and the Society of Later Life Advisers ; Carers public awareness campaign initially targeting sandwich carers (residents who are caring for older family members as well as younger dependents who are also vulnerable) and signposting them to support; Fully revised web pages on care and support for adults on Surrey County Council website (live since 14 January); Funding reform Questions and Answers available for enquiries; General Questions and Answers available for enquiries; Relaunch of Surrey Information Point with improved functionality and new e- marketplace. Surrey Information Point is the central directory of local support and services available that includes regulated providers and also informal support in the community; Surrey Matters article in May issue on independent financial advice; Information through partner organisations communications channels; Information through user led organisations communication channels; Updates in range of newsletters; Page 6

7 Access to information in special formats, if required. In development New universal online signposting tool for all residents to help them connect to relevant local support Revised paying for care information Care calculator (online). For users of services/user representative groups, families and carers This activity is over and above the residents activity detailed above. Care Act updates through briefings/presentations/events (over 60 have been delivered to date); Care Act updates through newsletters and user-led organisation channels e- brief, Living and Ageing Well etc; Consultation on charging policy; Consultation on deferred payments; Q+As available on request on Care Act changes including funding reforms; New public information to be made available on care and support, seeking independent financial advice, paying for care; Support through staff or user led organisations (Standard letter template available if people request more information). For partners Care Act updates through briefings/presentations/events; Care Act updates through range of newsletters; Hosting of two Surrey Information Summits 17 February and 4 March; Care Act Information Pack distribution; Page 7

8 Distribution of briefings, Q+As and public information widely to health, providers, voluntary, community and faith sector, and user led organisations; Local information sheets with key signposting contact details; Surrey Information and Signposting Navigator (SIGN ) tool to be made available for information providers, voluntary community and faith sector (VCF), critical partners; New training to be available. Being co-designed with available for all partners Bespoke briefings/engagement for care providers including launching Surrey Information Point e-marketplace; GP survey/audit on information and advice provision; Borough and district council audit on information and advice provision; Bespoke briefings/engagement for health partners - CCGs, GPs, hospitals and providers; Bespoke briefings/engagement for borough and district councils; Message response to borough and district councils in case of enquiries responding to national public awareness campaign; Provision of standard information about care and support for borough and district councils websites. For council staff and members Regular updates through newsletters and briefings; Care Act Information Pack; Script/messages for staff handling enquiries prepared; Promote new training (Almost 30 training sessions have been delivered to staff up to mid January 2015); Promote new resources for staff to help them understand the Act and provide good information and advice about support available in the community; Page 8

9 Ensure information and advice standard offer is embedded operationally; Revision of intranet (s-net) content to help staff access guidance, business processes and procedures and resources; Internal communications plan for staff and members including Countdown to the Care Act updates; Briefings and updates for members and committees; Relaunch Surrey Information Point with e-marketplace; Distribution of local information flyers with key signposting contact details for frontline staff and members; Letter template available in AIS/Wisdom to help answer queries if asked. Evaluating communications plans A range of evaluation methods and sources will be used in reviewing our communications plans and measuring effectiveness; Visits to the Care Act pages on the SCC website Number of people watching the Care Act DVD Visits to new ;care and support for adults information on the Surrey County Council website Visits to Surrey Information Point Phone enquiries to the Adult Social Care helpline Visits/enquires to the Surrey information Hubs Enquiries to Age UK Surrey Enquiries to frontline teams Number of briefings/presentations to key groups Success of Surrey Information Summits Volume of consultation responses Feedback from people who use services, their families and carers Feedback from user led organisations and networks Public awareness campaign evaluation Volume and distribution of new public information Support of partner organisations in communicating the changes in the Care Act. -ends- Page 9