Role Purpose and Background

Community Solutions is an exciting, respected and effective partnership programme which supports community and voluntary organisations to improve people’s wellbeing, promote equality and provide support to vulnerable people across North Lanarkshire by:

• funding 6 locality host organisations to facilitate joint working at local level, including sharing information and good practice; identifying priority needs; managing allocation of small grants through a Locality Activity Fund and promoting other funds managed through the Community Solutions Programme

• funding over 200 local and/or NL-wide thematic projects on a wide range of issues including advocacy and self-directed support; carers support; children and young people; mental health and wellbeing

• supporting wider community engagement in the Community Solutions programme and health and social care integration

• promoting the Community Solutions values and approach to inform development of other health and social care services and, where appropriate, other services and initiatives that support wellbeing.

The Community Solutions programme was established in 2012 and now has recurrent annual funding of around £1.1 million from Health and Social Care North Lanarkshire (HSC-NL), plus additional funding from HSC-NL and other sources – with a current annual total of over £3 million.

With additional funding over the coming two years coming from:

• Health and Social Care North Lanarkshire Prevention and Early Intervention additional funding

• NHS Charities Together – Connecting Communities for Health: Investing in Lanarkshire’s Social Prescribing Network

• Macmillan Cancer Support – Improving the Cancer Journey (ICJ)

The Community Solutions programme is piloting a new Improving Lives Initiative (ILI). In addition to increasing the resources to support the Locality Hosts and increasing the funding to distribute through the Locality Activity Fund; the ILI will also establish a team of Community Connectors to provide support to people who would benefit from informal community-based support and help accessing formal statutory support should they need it. The Community Connectors will signpost people to community supports provided by Community and Voluntary Sector (CVS) Organisations and where appropriate link to statutory services such as Home Assessment Teams and Integrated Rehabilitation Teams.

The Community Connectors will be employed by North Lanarkshire Disability Forum (NLDF), which was established in 1991 by and for disabled people and their carers, and continue to be a user led organisation. NLDF provide up to date information on disability issues throughout North Lanarkshire. The ethos of NLDF is keeping people independent and in their home for as long as possible by empowering people with information, access to appropriate supports and ensuring they know their rights.

NLDF are keen collaborators within Health and Social Care supporting individuals and their carers to contribute to consultations that matter to them such as National Care Service, devolved benefit consultations through Social Security Scotland, Strategy guidance on Self-Directed Support (SDS), and more local issues around supports for people with Additional Support Needs (ASN) such as accessing Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

NLDF currently has four projects providing practical supports around finances, social needs and carer breather sessions for people in North Lanarkshire to link into providing information, advice and wellbeing tools.

NLDF are Volunteer Friendly accredited and Living wage employers.

The Senior Programme Officer will be employed by North Lanarkshire Disability Forum (NLDF), which was established in 1991 by and for disabled people and their carers, and continue to be a user led organisation. NLDF provide up to date information on disability issues throughout North Lanarkshire. The ethos of NLDF is keeping people independent and in their home for as long as possible by empowering people with information, access to appropriate supports and ensuring they know their rights.

NLDF are keen collaborators within Health and Social Care supporting individuals and their carers to contribute to consultations that matter to them such as National Care Service, devolved benefit consultations through Social Security Scotland, Strategy guidance on Self-Directed Support (SDS), and more local issues.

NLDF currently has three projects providing practical supports around finances, social needs and carer breather sessions for people in North Lanarkshire to link into providing information, advice and wellbeing tools.

NLDF are Volunteer Friendly accredited and Living wage employers.

For more information on us visit our website nldforum.org.uk