Innovation and change
The Social Interventions Collective (SICol) – one year on
A new and transformative service has been operating in Coventry for the past 12 months, led by the City Council’s Approved Mental Health Practitioner (AMHP)/Social Work Service and two of the Council’s internal provider services; The POD, which specialises in social advocacy and brokerage and Axholme Services
providing intensive personalised one to one support. It has proven its worth, in its first year, by identifying and supporting at least 75 people at risk of psychiatric admission or serious mental health deterioration.
SICol is a way of working that recognises the importance of weighting social and medical factors in crisis case formulation’ (understanding key factors of a problem situation), rather than relying on the traditional dominance of the medical model. It was created and piloted in response to the tragic and untimely deaths of 2 males by suicide where social factors were identified as contributors. Those stressors included eviction, debt, loss of independence, loss of vital personal relationships and loss of access to key health and social care services caused by declining physical health.
The service was awarded funds from NHS England after a successful pilot and operates within the revised crisis support offer within the City. SICol provides intensive and timely support on complex social issues. This means it covers a wide spectrum of social needs such as housing, debt and employment, bereavement, access to children
subject to statutory procedures. SICol mobilises advocacy, provides specialised support and links to key statutory services, local community groups, faith and user-led organisations.
Peb Johal, Senior Social Care Practitioner said;
"Although delivering and designing a service from grassroots has been challenging and has some way to go, it has been an extremely rewarding experience working with our NHS colleagues". It was a common statement, heard almost daily, from our NHS colleagues 'it's not a mental health problem it’s a social one' without realising just how interrelated someone’s mental health and social needs are".
SICol has helped people in different ways, from providing intensive and one off support, with the crucial aim of resolving fundamental social issues.
Andy Seys, AMHP Lead and Team Manager SICol, said;
"SiCol has been deliberately developed organically, via a bottom-up process with messages from individuals using services. The evaluation shows clearly the complexity of the work and also the commitment, hard work, skill and tenacity of those working within SiCol".
Sally Caren, Head of Adult Social Care and Support at Coventry City Council, said; "In a short space of time, this work is already leading the way and informing social work across Coventry and Warwickshire. The commitment of colleagues to make this project a reality has been inspiring. The social model applied doesn’t use a one fits all approach, but it does recognise peoples’ own expertise and lived experiences. It puts the person first and helps people in handing back power so they can shape the solutions. It aligns itself well with the principles of the Care Act 2014 in terms of wellbeing and strength-based approaches".
Over the past 12 months 95% of psychiatric admissions were prevented, and at least 125 social
issues were addressed with the support of a large network of around 50 partners playing their part. The approach now forms a recognised element of the NHS Mental Health Transformation programme locally.
