lac roles

Petition launched to save ‘vital’ Local Area Co-ordinators

Following news that the Isle of Wight council is looking to axe the Local Are Co-ordinator roles, an online petition has been launched.

What are Local Area Coordinators (LACs)?
Local Area Coordinators (LACs) were first introduced to the Isle of Wight in Nov 2015.

IWC NHS described that there was, “substantial evidence that shows this approach has not only made a real difference to people’s lives but also has reduced demand and dependence on formal services, preventing ill-health and isolation,” after 27 years development in Western Australia and later other service around the UK.

The then-Leader of the Isle of Wight council Cllr Jonathan Bacon said in Feb 2016, “LACs are essential to the current improvements in health and social care.”

In Mar 2017, the Executive Medical Director at IW NHS Trust described how the way Isle of Wight hospital specialty services were delivered was being redesigned cited Local Area Coordinators as having reduced Emergency Department (A&E) visits and supporting more treatment in the community.

Freshwater councillor, Vix Lowthion, launched the petition saying,

Local Area Coordinators have been working hard across the Isle of Wight since 2015. They were recruited to work alongside families and individuals with a range of health needs, with the aim to both help the community and save the NHS and the Council money by finding local and early solutions to problems before they got too big.

LACs help people identify their strengths, gifts, skills and passions and how they might use them within their community, as well as helping them access and use a range of information and professional services. The service costs the IW Council Public Health Budget £400,000 a year, and the Cabinet meeting on the 8th November is set to accept a report and therefore to withdraw 100% of this funding, thereby ending the service completely.

We call upon the Isle of Wight Council to fully fund this popular and critical service, which brings communities together and avoids even bigger and more expensive care being needed for some of the most vulnerable and isolated islanders. It is an incredibly short term decision to withdraw a service which brings so much benefit across the island.

See the petition here.