The challenge

The Local Government Association (LGA) and its partners (including NHS England, ADASS, ADCS, NHS Confederation, the Department of Health, Public Health England and Monitor) recognised that whilst there are real examples of integrated care delivering improved value, there was a need for this work to be brought together in a resource to support integration.

The approach

Integrating Care were appointed to produce a toolkit which would support local areas in implementing integrated health and social care. Central to the success of the toolkit was engaging with Local Authorities, CCGs, patients and service users, and Health and Wellbeing Boards across the country to create a community of practice.

Six core components emerged:

  1. Overarching value case: the set of narratives that allow local areas to build their case for integrated care as well as making a national case.
  2. Value cases: eleven value case study summaries of different models of integration across England and internationally.
  3. National database: a searchable and user-maintainable database of integrated care initiatives throughout the country.
  4. Signposting tool: a searchable and user-maintainable collection of existing useful sources and best practice around the planning and implementation of integrated care.
  5. Evidence review: a searchable review of published evidence on outcomes of integrated care.
  6. Model: a calculator to give local areas an indicative view of the potential financial benefits of integrated care. Regular testing with the community of practice was undertaken, in particular, the tool was developed as a response to help local areas asking for support in developing figures required to underpin a business case for implementing integrated care.
The outcome

The toolkit played an active role in helping local areas respond to the Better Care Fund (BCF), and was released by the national partners as part of the bespoke package of support around the BCF that was issued nationally in December 2013.

All the products in the toolkit were launched at the King’s Fund in January 2014 and are currently available online to support localities across the country. The suite of products speaks to different partners at both a leadership and operational level, and is jointly owned by all national partners, providing credibility across the system.