Designing effective services for frequent users
January 2017 - This seminar looked at how organisations can work together to provide the right service in the right setting, with better outcomes for frequent users of public services.
Frequent users of public services are those who regularly contact a specific or a range of public services. They make up a significant proportion of the demand on services that amounts to huge costs in terms of time and resource. This can create a risk of services being unable to meet an emergency.
A number of public services are trialling new ways of managing frequent users and addressing their needs. They are putting the right tools in place to manage needs without emergency services, leading to quicker resolution of issues and a better experience for the service user. Other public services are working together to share information in order to identify and meet the needs of frequent users.
Considering the provisions of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act, this seminar provided an important opportunity. It allowed public services to come together to re-design services that placed the wellbeing of the service user and the wider population firmly in the centre. Local wellbeing plans will need to be well considered and fully representative of the citizens they serve. The priorities underpinning these plans should not be confined to health and social care, but must cut across a number of areas to ensure the right services in the right setting for our citizens.