New initiative launched to help people understand the care their loved ones are receiving in their own homes

A new initiative designed to help people being cared for in their own homes has launched in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

The new initiative is a document called ‘My Support Network’ which will enable people to better understand who is providing support to them.

The Newark Local Design Team, who are a group of community representatives and professionals, decided to create My Support Network after a community consultation demonstrated that people struggle to know what services they or the person they care for receive, what they do and how to contact them. Patients and carers felt they were repeating their stories and healthcare professionals said they spent too much time trying to find out information and asking questions instead of delivering their service.  

My Support Network is a user-friendly, accessible and cheap solution to these issues. It comes in the form of a document where relatives, carers, professionals and health care providers can put their contact information on the form and this information is then available to the person and to the other people on the form.

The document will belong to the relevant person for them to keep in their own home and will be kept in a yellow folder. They can then invite anyone who supports them to add their contact information. 

The document keeps information together in one place – who has visited, their contact information and helps to ensure that people receive all the help they need. The document was trialled in Newark and received a positive response from NHS and council staff.

Dr Karen Fearn, a GP Partner at Collingham Medical Practice in Newark has said “This document is a fantastic tool for patients and carers to understand who is coming into their homes and why. It will allow people to understand their own care and help families and carers to see who has been supporting their loved ones.”

Feedback from the Newark Carers Roadshow in May 2023 was really positive.

“This would be so helpful for Mum, she lives alone and having support information in one place would be so much easier.”

“I’m just out of hospital and so many people have been, like OTs, Age UK but I can’t remember who is who or how to contact them, this would be really useful.”

“My Dad has Dementia and this would help me and the rest of the family know who is involved in supporting him.”

If you have a service visiting your home, they may offer you a copy of the My Support Network document – if not you can ask for one or you can print one off from the NHS website.

To find out more about My Support Network and how it could help you, a family member or someone you support please visit notts.icb.nhs.uk/your-health/my-support-network/.