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Introduction

What is Community Navigation?

External evaluation summary

findings

Our approach to volunteering

A Navigator’s viewpoint

Service development and

next steps

Contact details / More

information

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A new pilot project in Brighton & Hove

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Welcome to Community Navigators – A new pilot project in Brighton & Hove. It is 7 months

since the first Community Navigator walked into a GP surgery in Brighton & Hove last

October and we’re presenting 6 months of figures in this interim report. We’d like to take

the opportunity in Volunteers’ Week 2015 to share with you some of the things our

volunteer Navigators have achieved, and what we as organisations have learned along the

way.

As a new piece of work, the EPIC Community Navigators project has attracted a lot of

attention, heaps of praise, some concerns and lots of questions – all of which we welcome!

In this brief report we hope to show you our broad approach, and key learning so far. This is

only a snap-shot of the work we are doing, though, and we are planning a full evaluation in

the autumn.

We have been delighted to work together and with health colleagues to establish this

project in Brighton and Hove. This is work that has had a huge impact on the lives of

patients by supporting them to access voluntary and community sector services, and we

look forward to the next phase of the project.

Introduction

Jo Ivens, CEO

Brighton & Hove Impetus

Jessica Sumner, CEO

Age UK Brighton & Hove

Front photograph:

Bunty, Community Navigator for Benfield and Burwash, meets Rob Wilson, Minister for Civil Society

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The project is being piloted in 16 GP practices in Brighton & Hove who asked to be involved:

Mile Oak Medical Centre Charter Medical Centre Benfield Valley Hub Sackville Road Surgery Brighton Health and Wellbeing Centre The Practice PLC, Boots North Street Hove Medical Centre Warmdene Surgery The Practice PLC, Hangleton Beaconsfield Medical Centre Ardingly Court Surgery The Practice PLC, Willow Surgery Bevendean Stanford Medical Centre The Practice PLC, Whitehawk Brighton Station Health Centre St Peter’s Medical Centre

What Community Navigation is

We are part of the EPIC (Extended Primary Integrated Care) programme designed to

improve access to primary healthcare services in Brighton & Hove.

It is a way of linking people up to activities in the community that they might benefit from

and connecting people to non-medical sources of social, practical or emotional support.

There is increasing evidence to support the use of social interventions for people

experiencing a range of common health problems.

What Community Navigation is not

Counselling

Medical advice

Social work

The helping hand of Navigation

What is Community Navigation?

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The Navigation process

Initial monitoring

First 6 months of project starting with 4 navigators, increasing to 12

190 clients, 108 completed/closed cases during this period

Note some clients have more than one issue

Set expectations

Explore the

situation

Guided conversation

Identify the need

Provide information

and do facilitated referral

Assist the client if

necessary

Bring meeting to a close

Record notes

Review

(telephone/future)

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Two snapshot case studies

Some essentials for our Community Navigation project

Having a robust recruitment process for volunteers; supporting volunteers through bespoke

training and continued 1:1 support and group support; ensuring we learn from the

volunteers and shape the project on their experience.

Working within GP practices so that we enable the service to be integrated within the

primary care offer; making positive use of the knowledge and skills that GPs have in order to

know which of their patients would benefit from navigation; having relationships with all

stakeholders that are based on mutual respect.

Being responsive and flexible to the different needs of all involved – practice staff needs and

processes, client needs and volunteer needs – while making sure that we have clear values,

processes and roles.

Avoiding duplication; being a bridge between community activity and GPs; not trying to

provide activities or a service but navigating people to the right on going service.

Empowering clients; working with them; promoting self-awareness, choice and self- care.

The Navigator met the client in her home around

mobility issues, recent bereavement and finance

issues. The Navigator found out about a small trust

and helped the client apply for a grant to buy a new

motor scooter. The Navigator also did a facilitated

referral to a community activity and money advice

service. The application for funds was successful; the

client can now shop independently, attend a weekly

activity and also see her doctor at the surgery instead

of the GP and other health professionals making

regular home visits.

A woman was referred for on-going low mood and

self-esteem, the Navigator worked with the woman

to identify a weekly activity that might be helpful

until her counselling offer comes through. The client

now attends a local weekly yoga class, where she is

enjoying meeting people and learning relaxation

techniques.

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External evaluation – Summary findings from NHS England

Read the full report here: bit.ly/1AoUIDD

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This pilot has been based on volunteer Navigators and as such we have

focused strongly on the quality of our Volunteer Management. In

particular, as we know that this is a challenging role as well as a

rewarding one, we have placed emphasis on the individual support as

well as group support.

Clair Farenden, Community Navigators Service Manager (above), sets out our approach to

volunteering:

1. Provide an interesting and varied role that involves a sense of responsibility.

2. Have a well-developed and transparent recruitment process; application form, informal interview, training.

3. Have a clear role description and person specification that outlines the expectations of the role and minimum time commitment.

4. Have a well-designed training programme that meets the needs of the role.

5. Putting a support package in place for volunteers to carry out the role effectively and with confidence; ALS, ongoing training, one-to-one debriefs, news bulletin, telephone support, paying expenses, DBS checks.

6. Encouraging active involvement of volunteers by being open and responsive to changes and developments in the process; examples including addition of 3 way meetings when introducing a navigator to their surgery, changes to monitoring system, use of email, etc.

7. Flexibility, e.g. doing 2 shorter sessions per week instead of one longer one, other roles, sabbaticals. Research community activities and resources / make links themselves at their own speed so their roles develop as their confidence increases.

8. Putting a quality control process in place. Involves spot checks and contacting clients at random (which is also a good way of building case studies for evidence).

9. Supporting professional/personal development and longer term goals of volunteers, e.g. training and, keeping a support record for each volunteer that can be used as evidence for references.

10. Working with other professionals, e.g. practice managers and surgery staff, funders, etc., as appropriate to assist them in understanding the needs of a volunteer and the context of working with a volunteer.

Our approach to volunteering

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Julia started volunteering as a Community Navigator last November.

She sees on average three people a week through GP referral at the

busy Brighton surgery where she is based.

Julia says:

From the April 2015 issue of the Better Care Bulletin: bit.ly/1AoUIDD

"Being a Community Navigator is about empowering people. It’s a

service that can give them time to talk and explore non-medical

support or activities in the community. Many are coping with a

chronic illness, anxiety or depression, isolation, loneliness or loss:

often a combination of all these.

"Our first meeting lasts for 45 minutes. Once we have built trust we

move forward to look at local agencies and organisations that will

offer the most practical and suitable help. On average I see people for

three appointments.

"My role is to guide them back into their community, to help them

regain their self-esteem, but to remain in the background, offering

support for them to do it for themselves, which is much more

powerful.

"There is a large gap to be bridged for older and vulnerable people

who do not have access to the internet, the media, or the written

word.

"I would recommend volunteering to anyone with a little time to

give, especially if you want to get back into work, change your life, or

give something back. I am part of a busy professional team who

always support me and make me feel valued. Everyone gains from

this marvellous scheme!"

- Julia, Volunteer Community Navigator

A Navigator’s viewpoint

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The project has been delivered and developed by a new partnership between two

local charities – Brighton & Hove Impetus and Age UK Brighton & Hove – and

Brighton Integrated Care Service (BICS) as part of the wider EPIC pilot.

We are working in GP practices with both clinical and non-clinical staff; clinical staff

refer clients they think will most benefit from the service.

During the pilot we have developed the Community Navigation model, processes

and procedures, allowing for some flexibility in order to fit with individual surgery

needs and systems.

We work in an empowering way to promote choice, understanding, self-care and

information about community projects and activities that exist within the city.

This pilot has been well resourced in order for it to be delivered by a group of trained

and supported volunteers.

We are working with a variety of clients who are facing a variety of issues.

We do more than signpost; we facilitate people accessing services and activities

within their community and across the city.

Community Navigation is a short term intervention to support vulnerable people to

make good use of the services that exist to serve their needs.

Having made positive links with groups and organisations across the city we try to

keep abreast of changes within service provision and community activity.

Because of the intense nature of the role and the short term nature of the navigation

relationship, alongside the variety of clients being worked with, some of whom have

complex needs, the volunteers need ongoing support. During the pilot we calculate

that for every volunteer we need 1 hour of Volunteer Coordinator time per week.

Next steps: A word from Jenny Moore, Service Development Manager

The EPIC pilot was funded initially for 9 months and has successfully been awarded a 6 month extension in line with the other 4 EPIC work-streams in order to:

Gather 12 months of data to measure impact and outcomes for evaluation.

Seek to increase the navigation where it is being well utilised, continuing to work with BICS and GP representatives to fine tune the model and learn from delivery.

Through connections with strategic groups within the city, Impetus and Age UK B&H will continue to share learning and scope interest to expand the project.

Service development and next steps

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Website: bh-impetus.org

Telephone: 01273 775888

Email: info@bh-impetus.org

@BHImpetus

Brighton & Hove Impetus

Brighton & Hove Impetus works to support vulnerable adults in the city to improve their quality of

life and wellbeing. We take a particular emphasis on ‘Volunteering to End Isolation’ and volunteers

are at the heart of much of what we do.

As well as Community Navigation, we provide befriending, mentoring, advocacy, social groups,

supported volunteering and training for individuals and organisations, all with a strong emphasis on

user involvement and participation.

Age UK Brighton & Hove seeks to improve the quality of life of all older people in the city through

the provision of high quality services that promote independent living, campaigning, innovation and

research.

Get in touch if you want to find out about:

How we set up and run the project

How to volunteer with us

The impact we have had so far

Contact details

Brighton and Hove Impetus, Registered in England and Wales.

Registered Address: 1st Floor, Intergen House, 65-67 Western Road, Hove, BN3 2JQ

Registered Charity: 1083390. A Company Limited by Guarantee: 03895574