High Intensity User Service

In 2019, Medvivo was commissioned to host the High Intensity User (HIU) Service in Bath and North East Somerset, and Swindon. Working collaboratively with Wiltshire Centre for Independent Living (WCIL), which provides the service for Wiltshire, the BSW HIU service delivers support and guidance to people who may find they are using healthcare services more frequently than usual.

How the service works

NHS services identify the people in the area who have attended the Emergency Departments (ED) the most frequently. By supporting high intensity users and using the personalised care model, the team strive to help improve people's experience and outcomes at the same time as achieving improvement in the system in terms of reducing ED attendances and other areas of high impact.

With a team consisting of three Community Connectors, contact is made to offer support and discuss how their wellbeing could be improved using a "what matters to me" approach. This may include advocating for people to engage other services that may better meet their needs, helping to liaise with medical professionals, encouraging them to join local community groups or finding new ways to engage with people.

Often people have difficulty expressing their problems and finding how to get the right support for their wellbeing. The Community Connectors work collaboratively, actively listening and ‘walking alongside’ people, making sure they are being seen as a whole person with skills, strengths and attributes, as well as making sure their healthcare needs are being met. This shift in relationship promotes everyone to work together and shared decision-making.

Community Connectors support people by providing personalised care to empower them as experts in their own lives and to connect with their communities. The aim is to give people more choice and control, as well as allowing them to be an active partner in decisions relating to their health and wellbeing. This model moves away from doing things for and to people, to doing things in partnership with people and giving more choice and control to people about their health and care.

The BSW HIU service was entered into the NHS England South West Personalised Care Awards (SWIPC). With more than 150 entries, Medvivo and Wiltshire CIL jointly won the award for the Giving Confidence category – testament to the amazing work they do.

HIU Community Connectors

Stacie:

Stacie is one of the Swindon HIU Community Connectors. She has worked in health and social care for more than 15 years within Bath and Wiltshire which has included non-clinical work in ED departments, giving her valuable insight to some of the challenges presented to the service. Throughout her career, Stacie has worked with people from all walks of life and having taken an interest in the HIU service and seeing what the service can offer to support individuals she immediately knew it was something she wanted to be a part of.

Nicky:

Nicky is the senior HIU Community Connector and supports Swindon in her role. She has worked within social care for more than 20 years and is keen to ensure that the people she works with can be supported in accessing the right care to meet their needs. When talking about her role, Nicky says:

"I enjoy building relationships with the people I am supporting and building trust, this is key to sourcing the right support for that person when they are experiencing more challenging times."

Steve:

Steve is the BaNES HIU Community Connector. He started his career in the music business in sound engineering and as a musician. Later he worked for more than 15 years in the NHS for the Opportunity Support Team in the West Midlands. This was within the Opportunity Support Team, supporting people with severe challenging behaviour and learning difficulties. He has also worked within a secure mental health ward and then went on to mentor young adults who were out of school and education to integrate them into their communities.

If you have any queries about this service please get in touch by calling 0800 6444 200 or email info@medvivo.com.