Top tips for developing an information and advice strategy

Latest Resources

This is first to let you know that we have just updated the strategy tool with some more helpful resources on Information and Advice, that have become available over the last few months. There clearly continues to be live interest in this aspect of Care Act Implementation - and some valuable pilot work is going on at national, regional and local levels.

Following up the Regional Workshops

Several months have passed since TLAP completed its series of workshops in Regions. During these sessions, we received some useful early feedback on our own Strategy toolkit.

We were also grateful that three organisations volunteered to work with us during this year to test the toolkit. As a result of their feedback and learning, we have made some minor amendments to the materials and templates.

What are we learning about developing a Strategy?

Our pilot sites have made good progress in developing their strategies. In all their cases, the toolkit perhaps encouraged them to "raise their sights" - shifting the focus away from their own direct provision and looking at what is available in the wider community.

All three quickly resolved that they would need to involve a wider group of stakeholders in this work - to identify shared goals and develop a vision for how things could improve. As a starting point, securing feedback and engagement with people who use services, carers, and the wider public became essential.

As this work developed, the task of producing a strategy for the community began to seem rather more daunting than they had initially expected! The officers who had this job soon realised they would have to do a lot of networking, both with their colleagues in the council and with key partners. This was made more difficult - of course - by the ongoing work pressures and organisational turbulence that are widespread across the health and care system at the current time.

So, what is the learning so far?

Well, we have learnt that although the TLAP tool kit provides a useful "route map", this is by no means an easy area to tackle! Perhaps, the experience has reinforced the importance of five things so far.

(1) Do some preparatory work before embarking on this strategic planning task. Check "who is doing what?" within the wider council, and discuss how relevant strands of activity can be joined up. (For example how will this strategy link with the corporate Digital Strategy, how does it fit with the council's "community development" activity, and how will it support other work to transform customers' journey through the care system?)

(2) Secure the support of a very senior person in the organisation - who must be prepared to champion the importance of information and advice and ensure the work is kept on track.

(3) Consult early on with your local voluntary sector "champions" and map initiatives they are already taking. You will almost certainly find that you have enthusiastic partners to work with.

(4) Be prepared to run into controversy! There may be many different agencies involved in offering information and advice - and they may have competitive rather than collaborative relationships with each other. It may take some time and effort to ensure that everyone shares the same vision - but success will depend critically on this.

(5) Remember the important role played by front-line staff, including those in the council's First Contact service. Engaging with them, and equipping them to play a positive "signposting" role, is probably one of the critical success factors.

Improving the public's experience of accessing information and advice is not something that will happen overnight. But - in this first year of Care Act implementation - our pilots and many other councils are still convinced of the importance of this area, and excited by the challenge.