New Care England White Paper Highlights a Scalable Model for Neighbourhood Health, Prevention and Early Intervention

These Hands Academy is pleased to announce the publication of a new Care England White Paper examining the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) Connected Care Programme and its contribution to proactive, community-based care.

Developed in partnership with health, social care and local government organisations across LLR, the programme demonstrates how care homes can become active partners in prevention, deterioration management and neighbourhood health through the sustained adoption of a shared clinical language, workforce development and digitally enabled care.

At the heart of the programme is the use of the National Early Warning Score (NEWS2), providing a common language that enables care home teams, primary care, community services and urgent care providers to work together with greater confidence, consistency and clarity.

The white paper highlights how earlier recognition of deterioration creates opportunities for earlier intervention and earlier decision-making. This not only supports improved clinical outcomes but also provides valuable time for care planning, family involvement and coordinated multidisciplinary support.

Key findings from the evaluation include:

• Increased workforce confidence in recognising and managing deterioration

• Improved collaboration between care homes, GPs, community services and urgent care teams

• Reduced avoidable hospital admissions and unnecessary conveyances

• Demonstrable return on investment through prevention-focused approaches

The programme has evolved from an initial pilot into a scalable model supporting over 3,000 residents across residential care, nursing care and supported living services. Importantly, it demonstrates how care homes can contribute to wider neighbourhood health ambitions by supporting people to remain in their preferred place of care while reducing pressure on urgent and emergency pathways.

Tara Marshall, Founder of These Hands Academy, said:

I'm pleased to announce the publication of this collaborative white paper with Care England. More than a report, it reflects the voices, experiences and commitment of residents, families, care teams, local authorities and healthcare partners working together to improve care through early intervention and informed decision-making.

As health and care systems continue to shift towards prevention, integration and neighbourhood-based models of care, the white paper provides a practical example of how social care can play a central role in improving outcomes, reducing inequalities and supporting system sustainability.

The full white paper is available through Care England.

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