Local area co-ordination
Local Area Co-ordination
The Local Area Co-ordination Vision Statement
All people live in welcoming communities that provide friendship, mutual support, a “fair go” and opportunities for everyone, including people vulnerable due to age, disability or mental health needs and their families
What is Local Area Co-ordination?
Local Area Coordination (LAC) started in Western Australia in 1988. It is now operational in most Australian states and has been successfully adopted in Scotland, Ireland, New Zealand Canada and now England.
Middlesbrough Council, has recently adopted the LAC model as an approach to early intervention and prevention. LAC is a local approach to delivering the core aspirations of the ‘Think Local Act Personal' agenda (January 2011) which is a sector-wide commitment to moving forward with personalisation and community based support for building individual and community capacity. LAC forms part of the transformation and personalisation strategy in Middlesbrough, supporting practical, creative and informal ways of meeting aspirations and needs, increasing the control and range of choices for individuals, their carers and families whilst contributing to systems and structure reform.
LAC activities focus on supporting vulnerable people including those with a disability, mental health need, sensory impairment and older people, their carers and families to:
· build a vision for “a good life” that is individual to them
· stay strong
· build family, relationship and community networks
· be part of and contribute to home and community life
· feel safe, secure and confident in the future
· have greater choice, control and self-sufficiency.
It promotes:
· focus on a meaningful life and family leadership
· emphasis on strengthening community capacity and less on funding
· greater emphasis on the principles of planning for the future, importance of personal networks, importance of community connections and the complementary role of services and partnerships
· stronger emphasis for family leadership, work with communities to support inclusion and the valued contribution of people with disabilities
· contributing to making services more personal, flexible and accountable
· welcoming, inclusive and accessible communities.
LAC operates at individual, family and community levels and can help individuals, their carers and families to plan, select and receive a range of supports and services to achieve their vision for a good life.
Contributing to transformation
In Middlesbrough LAC is contributing to the thinking around transformation, developing co-production approaches and stronger and more welcoming communities. It is a “cradle to grave” approach that will assist in simplifying service systems for individuals, their carers, families and communities and helping to bridge gaps between existing services.
“Resource Mapping” continues to develop a clear understanding of what services and opportunities are currently available across neighbourhoods in east Middlesbrough and what types of services may be needed in the future.
It is an approach that supports individuals, their carers and families to stay strong and develop practical responses to issues rather than service based and resource driven reaction. It allows for solutions to be developed early, preventing crises that may occur later if situations are left without action.. LAC will become the “front end” of the system – focusing on building capacity, early intervention and prevention and informal responses in the first instance.
“The essence of a good life for a person who is vulnerable due to disability, age or mental health needs is the same as the essence of a good life for person who is not vulnerable due to disability, age or mental health need.” (Bartnik: 2007).
LAC Evaluation August 2011
Following a recent evaluation of the LAC, a copy of the LAC Executive Summary document and the Evaluation of Middlesbrough LAC - Final Report document are available for you to download. The documents can be accessed by following the links on the right hand side of the page.
Contact
For more information about LAC in Middlesbrough please contact:
Carol Taylor
Local Area Coordination Development Manager
Tel: (01642) 728131 / (01642) 228377
E-mail: carol_taylor@middlesbrough.gov.uk
Janet Stanwick
Local Area Coordinator
Tel: (01642) 228372
E-mail: janet_stanwick@middlesbrough.gov.uk
Stuart Green
Local Area Coordinator
Tel: (01642) 228374
E-mail: stuart_green@middlesbrough.gov.uk
Alternatively, you can call into the:
Area 3 Housing Office
Berwick Hills Centre
Crossfell Road
Middlesbrough
TS3 7RL.
