ST Helens Council has been shortlisted for one of the UK’s most prestigious awards for its innovative work on St Helens Cares.

St Helens Cares was established to improve the care for residents and address the growing pressures on health and social care by tackling the challenge of cost and demand, while working to support people to live well and preventing the need for health and social care by helping people to remain independent for as long as possible.

The scheme has already gained national acclaim and is now in the final stage for the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Awards 2019, in the Health and Social Care category.

The St Helens Cares model includes other services and support such as housing, education and arts and culture.

One of the key elements is the development of a Shared Care Record for each resident in the borough which gives health and care professionals an overview of the patient’s health and care record, including GP appointments, medication and hospital referrals.

This reduces the need for patients to repeat information, giving clinicians the full picture when treating patients – especially in emergency situations where understanding the full history of a person is vital.

They are also creating a Contact Cares team based at Nightingale House, attached to Whiston Hospital – made up of advisors, care and support staff, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, community nurses, and housing officers – which aims for closer communication, quicker response times, reduced hospital admissions and memory screening to spot the early signs of dementia.

Cllr Marlene Quinn, cabinet member for adult social care, said: “Demand for health and social care is continually increasing. By 2037, it is estimated that the number of people aged over 80 in St Helens will have tripled.

"Locally, we have distinct challenges that are also increasing pressure on services including: falls, mental health and high numbers of children with disabilities.

“If we are to meet these complex challenges, set against reducing budgets, we must invest and innovate, and do so together for the good of our residents.”

St Helens Council’s strategic director for people’s services and accountable officer for St Helens CCG, Professor Sarah O’Brien, added: “This new way of working through Contact Cares has had a significant positive impact on the delivery of services including the reduction of duplication between teams and services, reduction in avoidable contact and inappropriate referrals, and has reduced the length of stay in hospital and delayed transfer of care.

“We’ve already been recognised nationally for this ambitious and sustainable work, and while I hope we can bring home another accolade the main reward we hope to get out of St Helens Cares is the satisfaction of knowing that we are working to improve the lives of people in St Helens, helping them to lead healthier lifestyles and remain as independent as possible for longer.”

The winners of the LGC Awards will be announced at a prestigious ceremony on March 13, 2019 at Grosvenor House, London which will be attended by more than 1,100 people from local government and its partner organisations.