North West Kilmarnock Area Centre – Delivering improved local health services under one roof
Key contact: Irene Hall – Project Co-ordinator
Address: North West Kilmarnock Area Centre, Western Road, Kilmarnock, KA3 1NQ
Telephone: 01563 576264
Email: Irene.Hall@east-ayrshire.gov.uk
In a nutshell
The North West Kilmarnock Area Centre is a partnership project between NHS Ayrshire and Arran and East Ayrshire Council. Our Centre is a purpose-built - state of the art facility - for the local community. We provide a range of health and social care services under one roof.
The issues addressed
North West Kilmarnock suffers from multiple deprivation and health statistics are alarmingly poor. For example, compared to those living in the less disadvantaged areas in East Ayrshire:
• almost three times as many adults are unable to work due to disability or illness
• four times as many children live in households where no adults work; and
• nearly twice as many adults die as a result of heart disease.
Before the new centre opened, many health services were not easily accessible by the local community and many had become outdated. The area had been identified as being in need of significant healthcare development as part of the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund (BNSF) programme.
The approach to the issues
Our approach builds on previous co-location projects in East Ayrshire, like the Dalmellington Area Centre.
We decided that in order to improve the health and well-being of the local community and to make a real impact, we needed to work together. Our aims are to:
• provide a comprehensive, integrated centre that offers a range of health, social and community based services in the heart of the community; and
• make sure that services offered are responsive to local need.
A wide range of services have now been located under one roof. They include:
• GP’s
• Community facilities
• Mental Health Services
• Nursery and Family Centre
• Social Work
• Housing
• Alzheimer’s Scotland
• Dental “Teach and Treat” facility
• Community Learning and Development
• Sports Facilities.
Resources and space are shared between partners and staff now work together to deliver on joint outcomes.
Setting up the work
Funding was secured through the BNSF and the Modernisation Fund. We set up a ‘co-location board’ to be responsible for the management of the project. The board appointed a design team that together with a project management team oversaw the development of the building.
We decided to maximise the use of our existing premises as many of the facilities were old and out of date. We replaced 11 existing premises and kept two – that were integrated into one (new) building.
We consulted with the local community to make sure that the local need was met. A citizen’s panel was also set up to encourage the involvement of the local community in both the development and the running of the Centre.
Once we had moved into the building, we set up a commissioning working group that consulted with staff on the progress of the building.
Evidence of success
Our Centre has only been open since late 2006 and it is too early report on social and health outcomes. We hope overtime that our work will lead to:
• less families living in poverty
• people moving into work
• improved health
• helping people with special needs to stay in their homes
• a safer more secure community.
Our work has already created new fully integrated models of health and social care and has improved access to services and shortened waiting times.
And we know that 85 per cent of all customers who come into the building access more than one service.
‘East Ayrshire has overcome potential obstacles through creating a culture of trust, openness, and commitment from staff at all levels and strong senior management support’1.
One great thing – The Commissioning Working Group
When staff started to move into the building, we set up a commissioning working group – made up of managers from each service. This group continued to consult with their staff in order to make sure that that their views and experiences were fed into how the project continued to develop – and how problems were solved.
By setting up this working group (that also has sub groups) we made sure that a range of staff took ownership of the development of the centre and were part of decision-making (everyone from cleaners to senior managers). We were all working as a team.
Lessons learnt
• Involve staff from the beginning. Before construction of the building started, we set up staff seminars to discuss the facilities and the building. During these seminars, we divided people into different groups to discuss different topics. This made people from different departments come together and work jointly on how the building would be developed.
• Make sure you involve the community in developing the project. This creates community ownership and it is ultimately their services.
• It was beneficial to have a central figure (a co-ordinator) that was part of all working groups and could then liaise between them.
East Ayrshire Community Planning & Partnership Unit has published a short case study about the Centre. It can be accessed online.
