CSP partners with NHS Rightcare to produce new community rehab toolkit

The NHS Rightcare community rehabilitation toolkit, which was co-developed by CSP and other key stakeholders, has been launched today by NHS England.

The toolkit aims to support the commissioning of holistic community rehabilitation services, which are based around people’s needs rather than being condition specific.

It defines and describes the key priorities required to deliver high quality community rehabilitation services and provides specific guidance as to how a seamless pathway can be organised and commissioned.

Improvement opportunities

The toolkit’s guidance included recommendations for commissioner to focus on system improvement opportunities, which include providing

• Better access to community rehab programmes, to make it easier for individuals (especially those from disadvantaged groups) to access rehab in a setting and format that is appropriate to their needs.
• More timely access to community rehab services, to help people maintain their independence
• Enabling more people to have rehab with professionals they already know, so their care continues seamlessly, although it is recognised that this may not be possible in every circumstance.
• Training for staff in Making Every Contact Count, to give them the confidence to have brief conversations with individuals about how to improve their overall health and well-being – with this training embedded across the whole system and throughout services.

A valuble resource

CSP chief executive Karen Middleton welcomed the new toolkit and said: ‘This is a valuable resource to support service improvement that has the potential to change meeting population need and making the NHS sustainable for the long term.

‘Increasing the capability of local systems to be person centred is a theme that runs through the Long Term Plan.

‘For rehabilitation this means services tailored to meet the needs of people with different combinations of conditions, differing levels of support needs, and whose needs fluctuate and change.’

A community rehab system readiness checklist for the physiotherapy workforce

As well as helping to develop the new toolkit, the CSP is also finalising a system readiness checklist for community physios, whcih is due to be published on 16 March.

The checklist will enable physiotherapists to showcase the  strengths of their services and identify any areas for improvement, and put them in a stronger position to engage in effective dialogue with commissioners and planners of community services.