Focus on the arranging support team
The Arranging Support Team (AST) is a group of nine professionals who work with health and social care teams, people, families, and providers to match individuals with the right support. They focus on specific areas of care, building strong relationships with providers to negotiate fees and provide expert guidance. The team arranges various types of care, including residential placements, home care, live-in care, respite, day care, supported living, and specialist services for complex needs.
They also help prevent hospital admissions and assist with hospital discharge to maintain patient flow. In 2024, the team created a list of voluntary and community organisations in Torbay, helping people access community support instead of relying on paid services.
The team collects data on care services, which is shared with commissioners to help shape the market and understand service availability and demand. Additionally, they ensure contracts are raised and payments to providers are processed promptly, supporting efficient financial tracking for adult social care spending.
Mr G is an elderly gentleman who has various health conditions including dementia. He had several cycles of going from home to hospital into a care home for rehabilitation and then home again, which he found very distressing. Following another hospital admission the arranging support team looked at different options to support Mr G rather than him going into a care home. The broker was able to source wraparound care at a reduced fee to support Mr G at home where he could be in a familiar environment and carry out his usual routines which helps to minimise his distress.
His family said he was settled and doing well, his daughter reports “they are really good at keeping him busy, they always seem to be doing something, which is nice for dad.”
Mr B lived on his own with no family or next of kin. He received care from an agency four times a day to support him with his daily needs and had involvement from Rowcroft.
On arriving for their morning visit, the care agency called an ambulance crew who assessed Mr B as being near the end of life and too unwell to move. A broker sourced support for Mr B to ensure his care needs were met and he had someone with him until his passing later that day.
Mrs K is a 59-year-old woman who has a diagnosis of Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD) and has experienced complex trauma. Her physical health conditions include COPD, angina and acute coronary syndrome.
In January 2024 Mrs K was detained under the Mental Health Act. On discharge from hospital, she was provided with a package to support her in the community. This was unsuccessful and a referral was made to AST to find a placement for her. Mrs K had previously received support from a variety of agencies in Torbay including a residential placement, home care and enabling support which were all unsuccessful due to the care arrangements not being able to meet her complex needs.
The broker was able to source a placement for her in a home which specialises in supporting people who have a diagnosis of EUPD. Mrs K moved into the placement in January 2025 and is settling in well.
An urgent referral was made into AST by an occupational therapist (OT) at 1.45pm on a Friday. They had been to visit Mrs J at home following a referral from the district nurse team. Mrs J had recently discharged herself from Jack Sears House, a reablement care home. On visiting Mrs J, the OT found her in bed uncared for and there were signs of domestic abuse. They were concerned for her health and wellbeing and concluded she needed to go into a placement as soon as possible.
Within an hour of receiving the referral the broker sourced a placement for her to move into that afternoon. The OT had exhausted all options to arrange transport; pulling on the resources of our adult social care teams, our in-house day service provider was able to provide a minibus and driver to support with moving her. A HSCC liaised with her GP to organise essential medication.
Altogether, seven members of staff across five different teams worked together swiftly to make sure Mrs J was in a place of safety where her needs could be met.