Liverpool City Council - "It's what we do"

EMPTYING the bins, sweeping the streets, repairing our roads and looking after our parks and gardens… Some of the most instantly recognisable services provided by Liverpool City Council. But that's just the start, because the Council is responsible for many more services that have a real impact on the lives of people across our City.

Think:- education, social care, public health, community safety, planning, leisure centres, bringing in business and creating jobs; the list goes on. From our very youngest citizens to the longest serving Liverpudlians; whatever your age, whatever your background, the City Council will be working for you. And sometimes it's not those headline grabbing services that make the most difference.

Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson said:- "There's an unsung army of Council staff, grafting away behind the scenes, meeting residents and working with them on the issues that affect them the most. Serving the community; because they're part of the community. Now, we want to shine a spotlight on some of our own local heroes. We've put together a series of videos that feature some of our lesser known job roles. You might not realise exist but you'd really miss if they didn't. And we're concentrating on the real people behind the job titles.  In the 1st 1 we focus on the work of the Benefit Maximisation Team. Did you know that each year we help thousands of people stay in their homes by providing much needed financial support? We help people struggling with their Council Tax bill and can even provide support for low income families who need to buy essentials like a fridge or washing machine. This year the Benefits Maximisation Team has supported Liverpool residents to claim an extra ₤10 million in benefits they were entitled to. We spoke to Benefit Maximisation Team member Hayley to find out more on a video that can be played online now"

Ambulance service trials new role to give patients the right care closer to home

A new role focused on providing patients with the right care closer to home is being piloted at North West Ambulance Service. The Urgent Care Practitioners are nurses and paramedics who respond to patients who have called 999, but do not need an emergency Ambulance and could possibly receive support and treatment at home, rather than having to go to Hospital. While nurses have been part of the Ambulance workforce for a number of years, it is the 1st time they will be employed in NWAS in a role responding to patients.

With vehicles equipped to treat people on scene, the Urgent Care Practitioners will do all they can to ensure the patient has the help they need, referring on to other local health services if required. This is positive for patients, who will be avoiding unnecessary trips to A&E, and it will help to keep emergency Ambulances free to respond quickly to life threatening incidents.

The Urgent Care Practitioners will also spend some of their time working within the control centre. In this part of the role, if it is safe to do so, the Urgent Care Practitioners will use their clinical expertise to give patients care and advice over the telephone or make onward referrals.

David Ratcliffe, Medical Director at NWAS, said:- "We are continuously developing our services to make sure we're providing the best care for patients. A large proportion of the 999 calls we receive are for patients who do need support but don't necessarily need an emergency Ambulance to take them to Hospital. It is these patients who the Urgent Care Practitioners will respond to.  This pilot is an exciting opportunity to bring new nursing skills to our frontline workforce and use existing paramedic expertise to focus on helping people as close to home as possible. We'll work closely with other health services in the local area to make sure patients get the right care for their needs, at the right time and in the right place."

Jason Mulrooney, a nurse taking on the new Urgent Care Practitioner role, said:- "I've worked for the Ambulance service for 3 years supporting patients over the telephone so this is a great opportunity to be out seeing patients and giving face to face assessments. With our existing skills and experience, and the additional training we've been given by the Ambulance service, we're perfectly placed to give patients the care and support they need. We see ourselves as trailblazers, being 1 of the few Ambulance services in the UK to provide such a service."

The 6 month pilot is part of NWAS' Transforming Patient Care programme, which incorporates a number of service developments and initiatives focused on ensuring patients get the right care, at the right time, in the right place; every time.

For more information, visit:- NWAS.NHS.UK/TransformingPatientCare, also you can now follow the NWAS on Twitter and on Facebook.

Off The Streets

MORE than 150 vulnerable people were spared from sleeping rough in Liverpool during March. A further 35 people, already sleeping rough on the City's streets, were encouraged to come indoors during the month.

The latest figures released by the Council's Outreach Service, show that during March they dealt with 159 new people who were either at risk of becoming homeless or had already spent a night on the streets. Of these, 146 people accepted immediate help that spared them from spending a single night on the street.

Liverpool City Council and its partners have pledged to do all they can to combat rough sleeping in the City as part of the Always Room Inside project. The project offers shelter along with access to services and support to anyone who needs it.

The Council works with Liverpool based homeless charity The Whitechapel Centre to provide services to support the City's most vulnerable people. This includes everything from emergency overnight shelter through to long term help to get people back on their feet.

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson launched Always Room Inside to ensure that no 1 needs to sleep rough on the City's streets. The mayor opened Labre House on Camden Street as a temporary winter night shelter last November. It had an immediate effect in reducing the number of people sleeping on the streets.

The centre offers anyone, regardless of their background or circumstances, a place to sleep for the night, access to telephone and internet services as well as an introduction to other Council services that may be able to help them.

During the cold weather, Labre House accommodated up to 70 people per night. Since it opened, the Council has doubled the capacity of the shelter and is currently seeking permission for it to become a year round facility.

In March, workers made contact with 60 people who were sleeping rough and encouraged 35 of them to come indoors to take advantage of the services available for them. This is a similar figure to February, when 27 rough sleepers were encouraged to come indoors. Solutions for rough sleepers included returning to family and friends, hostel accommodation and Labre House.

Throughout the year the City has seen an average of 25 people per month who continue to sleep rough, despite alternatives being available.

Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member for Housing Cllr Lynnie Hinnigan, said that the work was continuing, to make sure all rough sleepers were aware that help was on hand.

Councillor Hinnigan  commented:-"Each year the Council and its partners work proactively to prevent more than 7,000 people from becoming homeless in our City. Despite this some people slip through the net and find themselves on the streets. Our Outreach teams are working with rough sleepers to assess their needs and to encourage them to seek help and come inside."

The Council's future plans include the possible creation of a purpose built 'street lifestyle hub' which would provide accommodation, support services, training and even employment opportunities.

The Council's Mayoral Lead for Asylum and Rough Sleeping, Frank Hont added:- "We want to break the cycle of rough sleeping by giving people a route off the streets and support with the issues they are facing. We cannot force people to come off the streets but we do offer rough sleepers every opportunity to access Labre House and take advantage of the services we offer."

If you have concerns about someone sleeping rough on the streets of Liverpool, you can contact the Always Room Inside helpline:- 0300 123 2041.