In this section
Integrated Neighbourhood Teams
We take a neighbourhood approach to care as we understand that people require care as close to home as possible. Although we want to provide the best care across the city, we also know that local areas have different requirements. What’s needed in Harpurhey in North Manchester, for example, may not be the same as the priorities for Didsbury in South Manchester.
Our approach is based on dividing Manchester into 12 neighbourhoods and tailoring care to local needs. We also provide a range of specialist services across the wider localities (North, Central and South Manchester) and city-wide to support people in the community.
This means that many of our teams now work together in neighbourhoods. In a practical way, that means community health care teams (such as district nursing and therapy teams) and social care teams are based together, in what we call integrated neighbourhood teams (INTs). Being co-located means care can be planned and delivered in a seamless way in their local community with teams taking a joint approach around individuals.
Each INT serves a population of between 30,000-50,000 people – so typically works across two to four council ward areas. It has a leadership team made up of a neighbourhood lead, social care lead, nurse lead, health development coordinator and GP lead (usually a GP from a local practice). As the main point of access to care, GPs play a key role in coordinating with other MLCO services and wider health and wellbeing opportunities. Some of the INTs have also co-opted a local resident or community representative onto their leadership team.
Teams also work with other partners in their neighbourhood – from Manchester City Council’s neighbourhood teams, local housing associations, police, mental health services and voluntary organisations. They focus their work around the needs of the individual and consider all the other aspects that might impact on health.
We believe that this approach is making a difference to the health of people in our city. Staff are working for an organisation that brings together a vast range of statutory health and social care providers to work in partnership with the voluntary and community sector for the first time. As well as delivering day to day services in the neighbourhood, INTs play a key role in developing new ideas, strategies and initiatives in their neighbourhood. That means building on all the other positive support networks and facilities that already exist – from hobby and social groups, to parks and leisure facilities – and designing new ones. These can have an incredibly positive impact on health.
Our community health and social services teams that work across the wider localities of North, Central, South Manchester and city-wide deliver specialised and more complex services when and where they are needed.
Our Integrated Neighbourhood Teams (INT):
North Manchester