Transforming Care Key Workers: Who are they and how can we leverage on their incredible skills?

The Transforming Care Keyworker service is making a huge difference for people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

Launched by NHS England , this initiative aims to provide personalised individual and family support for people at risk of mental health hospital admission, ensuring that everyone receives the support they need to thrive in their communities.

What is the Transforming Care Keyworker Service?

The Transforming Care Keyworker service is designed to offer dedicated support to children, young people, and adults with complex needs.

These keyworkers act as a consistent point of contact, navigating the often complicated landscape of health and social care services. They play a crucial role in coordinating care, advocating for people and their families, and ensuring that support plans are tailored to each person's unique requirements.

Keyworkers work closely with families, health professionals, social services, and education to create a cohesive support network, ensuring that people and their families understand more about their options, and the services around them - as well as holding multi-agency teams accountable to hear the individual's voice.

Accessing Keyworkers

#Commissioners and #SocialWorkers looking to access regional keyworkers can do so through their Transforming Care Programme teams. By connecting with these regional teams, commissioners and social workers have the opportunity to more deeply understand people's needs, and can ensure that they are providing the most comprehensive and effective support for those under their care.

The Dynamic Support Register

An integral component of the Transforming Care initiative is the Dynamic Support Register (DSR). The DSR is a proactive tool used to identify and monitor individuals who are at risk of admission to inpatient care. By maintaining an up-to-date register, keyworkers and other professionals can intervene early, providing targeted support to prevent crises and avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.

There is also an expectation for providers to flag people within their care to local and regional teams, should somebody's mental health deteriorate.

The DSR enables real-time tracking of individuals' needs and ensures that resources are allocated effectively. This not only benefits people on the register but also helps in optimising the overall mental health care system, with the goal of making it more responsive and efficient.

Why This Matters

The Transforming Care Keyworkers service, initiated by NHS England, is a tangible, impact-driven team of people who give on the ground information to people making decisions - and feedback across the sector has been incredibly positive.

For commissioners and social workers, integrating keyworkers into your care teams can transform the way you deliver services.

It's another step towards ensuring that every individual receives the right support at the right time, making a bigger difference in their outcomes.