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What are the benefits of integrated health and care?

Integration means health services, care providers, housing organisations and other partners working together to provide joined-up care and support. We look at how this benefits social care providers and people who draw on care and support.

How integration benefits social care providers

Integrated health and care makes it easier for social care organisations to provide the highest level of person centred care. Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) provide social care providers with shared benefits and resources that will improve the care they can offer, and ensures social care is at the heart of planning.

These are some of the specific ways that integrated health and care benefits social care providers:

• Integration between health and social care ensures that social care is at the heart of decision making when it comes to planning, commissioning and financing care and support services locally. 

• Working together will increase understanding of the benefit of social care to our society and the skills and values of its workforce. 

• Integrated health and care will help to make the health and social care sector a more attractive and better understood career option to attract new workers.

• Integrated working with health services will build trust and relationships to enable better outcomes for the people you support and smoother transfer of information between health and care. 

• ICSs can provide practical benefits to social care providers at a local level -including accessing funding, recruitment, integrated learning, wellbeing initiatives and development opportunities.

• Support to level up digital maturity and capability across health and social care.

• Getting involved with your ICS at a local level can allow providers to demonstrate to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that they’re taking proactive steps to work in partnership across sectors. 

Benefits of ICSs for people drawing on care

The fundamental aim of integrated health and care is to make things better and easier for the people who draw on care and support. The goal is to provide a joined up service across all health, care and support services meaning that people only have to tell their story once to receive all the support they require to live their lives to the fullest. Effective integration between health and care should bring many benefits to people who draw on care and support, including:

• More control over how their care is delivered. 

• Having one care record means not having to share information more than once. 

• Less time spent in health settings, where care settings - including their own home - are more appropriate; and receiving the care they need from fewer health and care professionals.

• People who provide health, care, and other support having a shared understanding of a person’s priorities for their health and care needs, with a focus on the person at the centre of decision making. 

• Improved access to digital services, such as Technology Enabled Care (TEC), meaning they can access health and care records and services.

• An emphasis on preventative health and care measures, supporting people to stay well and independent. 

Find out more about what integration means, what benefits it brings and how you can get involved in the process with our #UnderstandingIntegration spotlight.

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