Health and Social Care Connect (HSCC) is the front door to adult community health and social care services in East Sussex. With a wealth of knowledge at their fingertips, the service can help connect people to local health and social care information and community support. It’s also a central point for local health and care professionals to make referrals to community health and social care services.
As of September, it’s been seven years since Health and Social Care Connect became a fully integrated service. To mark the anniversary, we’re bringing you an update on how the team continues to help thousands of people in the county every month, and to hear from staff working for the service.
How did it all start?
Alison, who has managed the service since 2016, tells us:
‘‘HSCC was created after local people and GPs told us it was difficult to navigate health and social care services in the county. The NHS and adult social care got together and HSCC was formed. It brought together health referrals, social care assessments and public access to social care into a single team, and it was fully integrated in September 2016.
We deal with around 170,000 contacts and referrals every year and are very proud of the work we do to help people get the information or support they need.
We’ve needed to be very flexible and adaptable over the years, and we’re continuously improving how we work. We carried on helping people throughout COVID and the lockdowns, when we helped make sure vulnerable people had access to food deliveries, and other vital support.’’
What can HSCC help with?
- Helping you find the right information, or local support, for you.
One of the most common things HSCC staff do is help connect people to local organisations that can support their wellbeing and independence.
They’re contacted by people with all sorts of needs, and they try to provide information, advice, and signpost them on to the most appropriate service.
Another one of the most frequent things HSCC do is enable people to access the Occupational Therapy service, who can provide advice and equipment to help them manage at home and stay independent for longer.
The HSCC team often use our local care and support directories to help people know what’s out there in their communities. East Sussex 1Space is the County Council’s online directory of care, support, and wellbeing services, and ESCIS is a local database of community information and events. You can check out both directories online.
- Finding out more about what you might need.
If you need some extra support or care in your daily life, for example to help you stay independent or manage at home, HSCC may be able to complete an initial assessment with you over the phone. This could result in services being arranged to support you, or a referral to the appropriate social care team.
If you go on to have a more detailed assessment with a social care team, you’ll also have a financial assessment to tell you what you’ll need to pay towards your care and support. Most people pay something toward the costs of their care, depending on their circumstances. You can find out more about paying for social care on the County Council website: Adult social care and health.
HSCC can also offer support to carers, for example signposting them to support organisations like Care for the Carers East Sussex, or completing a more detailed assessment of their needs as a carer.
- Keeping people safe.
All safeguarding alerts raised by residents and staff across the county are processed by HSCC. The team fulfils an important role in helping to keep local people safe.
If you’re worried that someone is at risk of harm or abuse, let HSCC know, and they can raise a safeguarding concern.
- Connecting health services.
HSCC also receive referrals for community health services from health and care professionals to make sure they go to the right place, with the right information. For example, receiving referrals from GPs for services like the Urgent Community Response Team, community nursing, falls prevention, speech and language therapy, and the Joint Community Reablement (JCR) team.
The team behind the service
As you’ll see HSCC fulfils a range of important functions for local people, and the service is made up of 80 staff working across these areas.
A key part of the service is the link between social care and health, and an understanding of local community health and social care.
Alison says:
‘‘People’s health and social care needs often overlap, so the fact that we understand the health and social care system, and we’re an integrated health and social care service, means we can more effectively help people get the right community information, care, and support when they need it’’.
Helping local people is at the heart of what HSCC do. One of the teams Access and Assessment Officers says:
‘’I enjoy working for HSCC as I feel that I’m helping people, and that I can make a difference in making sure that people are safe and supported within the community. HSCC is a great place to work as everyone is supportive and approachable’’.
One local resident who was supported by HSCC shared his feedback to commend the staff member he spoke to for the support she offered. He expressed how grateful he was to be spoken to like a human being, and that he now felt the safest he had for a long time. He said of the officer he spoke to: ‘’I am so grateful you are helping me, and even more so for your kindness and empathy on the phone’’.
How can I get in touch?
HSCC is open to residents 8am-8pm every day, including bank holidays. Here’s how to get in contact:
- Phone:0345 60 80 191
- Email: hscc@eastsussex.gov.uk
- Text: 07537418236
- Minicom via type talk:18001 0345 60 80 191
- For Out of hours emergencies: phone 0345 60 80 191 and select option 2 to connect to our Emergency Duty Service
You can find all HSCC’s contact details on the East Sussex County Council website: Contact Adult Social Care and Health.
People with social care needs can also use the County Council’s online self-assessments before talking to HSCC, if you prefer: Assess yourself | East Sussex County Council
HSCC is open for health and care professionals 24 hours a day, seven days a week.