Effect of strengths-based care: community led support

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Social Care Policy
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Strengths-based care models are gaining policy traction.
• Empirical evidence for their effectiveness, particularly community-led support (CLS), remains limited.
• Understanding the impact of CLS on care provision and outcomes is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of the community-led support (CLS) program on care provision, reviews, and expenditure.
• To assess the effectiveness of strengths-based practice in social care.
• To provide evidence for policymakers regarding CLS implementation.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a difference-in-difference analysis.
• Employed the Short and Long Term (SALT) dataset (2016-2021) from NHS Digital.
• Examined changes in care pathways, review types, and costs within local authorities implementing CLS.

Main Results:

• A 10% reduction in funded care provision for new clients was observed.
• Evidence for increased signposting to alternative services was mixed for new clients.
• Existing clients showed improved care review quality (higher planned-to-unplanned review ratios).
• These improvements were achieved without a corresponding rise in expenditure.

Conclusions:

• Community-led support (CLS) demonstrates potential for optimizing care pathways and quality.
• Strengths-based approaches can yield positive outcomes in social care without escalating costs.
• Further evidence generation for strengths-based practice is warranted.