A new LCO and partner initiative has combined a range of welfare checks into one simple tool that is now being used by staff across the city to support people.

Covid-19 has led to some major changes for people in our neighbourhoods and has created a range of new vulnerabilities amongst people. As well as clinical vulnerability, and vulnerabilities caused by race or age, for many people work and family situations have changed radically as well.

There’s been some fantastic work in Manchester with many agencies coming together to support people. That includes community health and social care, GPs, housing agencies, the voluntary sector and mental health services. All these services are setting out to support people, but different organisations have different ways of asking and recording information based on local and national templates and documents. People are often asked the same questions by different organisations and information isn’t always shared.

The Safe and Well Check has been designed to provide a consistent approach to this work right across the city. Our Integrated Neighbourhood Teams have drawn the key themes together to create one generic check that complements social care assessments and national clinical tools when talking to service users.

It responds more to the other, sometimes hidden, pressures that people have that play a big role in overall health and wellbeing – the home, food, work, mental health, understanding of what services are available and other possible pressure points.

It’s all about having a real conversation with someone and can be used whenever there is a need to complete a holistic review of someone’s needs. The check can be used by anyone working across the community, but it guides a conversation to help draw out key factors that are impacting on people. District nurses and other community health staff, social care staff, GPs, housing agencies and voluntary sector organisations will be amongst the teams who will use it.

The Safe and Well Check is available in both the GP and Community versions of EMIS (the patient record system) – as well as in hard copy.Once it has been completed, the agency that has spoken to the individual will decide on the relevant actions. That might be providing advice, referring onwards and sharing information across multi-agency meetings.

Whilst it’s been designed during the pandemic, the aim is that the safe and well check can be used on a permanent basis moving forward.

If you’d like to know more about the safe and well checks, you can contact us via communications@manchesterlco.org