New council team to improve support for Hucknall's vulnerable residents

Nottinghamshire County Council will develop an integrated community early help and support team to deliver support in a quicker and more efficient way in a post-Covid-19 world.

A newly-created team manager role will lead the support unit which will build on the work carried out to help residents throughout the pandemic – which enabled the council and partner organisations to identify more effective ways of working together.

The team will sit in the existing trading standards and communities services and will bring together an aligned resource within the county council which will also act as a point of coordination for ‘community early help work’.

Programmes such as the local area coordinators’ (LAC) scheme – approved by the council in February 2021 but delayed because of the pandemic – and the community friendly Nottinghamshire project will be delivered by the new team.

The LAC is an innovative project which will involve co-ordinators based across the county working alongside key partners in the health, social care and voluntary sectors to ensure people have access to the right support at the right time.

Five full-time local area coordinators will be recruited once the team manager is in place and will be funded at no additional net cost to the council.

Coun John Cottee (Con), chairman of the council’s communities committee, said the new integrated approach will provide a more supportive infrastructure for communities – particularly those who need help the most.

He continued: “The response to the pandemic over the past two years has enabled us and partner organisations to identify more effective ways of working together – with some of that key learning relating to how much more can be achieved if different teams and organisations work in a more joined up manner.

“Creating a new integrated support team will enable the pooling of knowledge, relationships and funding, as well as utilising the same systems already in place, to allow for a more efficient way for services within the council to work together for the betterment of our communities.

“The working relationships that have been built through the pandemic have been fantastic and this will also enable us to build on that success and deliver an even more effective way of joining up with external partners who are also engaged in providing community early help and support.

“Of course, this is the start of a new journey and going forward I am looking forward to seeing and hearing about the results of this new way of working.

“Adopting a new approach on how we support those who need help the most sends a clear message to the residents of Nottinghamshire that we are delivering on our commitment to provide a healthier, prosperous and greener county.”

The council’s communities’ team has overseen the successful delivery of more than £15 million for organisations, charities, households, and individuals via several funding streams since March 2020.

It means community-boosting projects across Nottinghamshire have been able to continue to provide a lifeline to residents most in need during the pandemic – reinforcing the council’s strong record in supporting the voluntary and community sector to grow and thrive.