Invicta Health Community Interest Company

Social Impact Statements

The Social Enterprise Mark criteria includes a requirement that the applicant can demonstrate that social and/or environmental objectives are being achieved.

In support of this, new applicants and renewing Mark holders are asked to respond to a set of social impact questions, which are designed to help them think about the social impact they create, and to articulate this clearly and succinctly.

 

Updated April 2020

---

1) What are the main social differences you have aimed to make (or supported)?

Invicta Health provides health care services to patients across East Kent and aims to provide holistic support and care to manage the wider needs of the patients. We work with multiple agencies to address patient / client needs and have devised our values and behaviours to reflect social improvement / benefits through putting people first, being honest & fair and always striving for excellence (see below).

Regarding social benefits/improvements/lasting differences our mission is to act as a provider organisation in primary health care and associated fields, based upon the core values of Quality, Locality and Collaborative Working. In the past 3 years we have sought to uphold traditional values of general practice, raise standards of care wherever possible and to encourage and support individual shareholder practices to develop services. In addition, we have also sought to work with other health care providers on collaborative projects where this may benefit shareholders and patients.

People First: Our staff… Our patients… Our partners…

We will…

• Work together, leading by example
• Acknowledge each other’s efforts
• Be productive & get things done
• Value everyone’s contributions

We will not…

• Be disrespectful of others time
• Dismiss our impact on others
• Leave it for someone else to do
• Be unhelpful

Honest & Fair: Listening and learning from each other

We will…

• Listen to each other
• Be open & transparent
• Be positive
• Make a difference

We will not…

• Ignore feedback
• Work in isolation of others
• Hold on to negativity
• Blame others

Striving for excellence: Delivering best practice with pride

We will…

• Find solutions
• Do our best
• Share best practice
• Be creative

We will not…

• Focus on problems
• Let people down when we give our word
• Be defensive
• Accept poor practice

 

---

2) What actions have you taken to deliver the aims described above?

Improving GP Services

We have recently taken over two GP practices in Thanet (April 2020) with a view to improving the GP provision within the area. Invicta Health has a raft of knowledge and expertise in managing GP practices which we feel will benefit those we are acquiring. For example, Invicta Health took on Martello Heath Centre and Church Lane Health Centre in 2015/2016 and have learned that offering central support functions such as Information Governance, Board level direction, corporate branding, centralised systems, departments and policies, mandatory training levels etc leads to improved service provision. We aim to provide the lasting difference of improving the CQC status of our practices and ultimately improve care and experiences for patients.

Introduction of a Primary Care Mental Health Service

In addition, in 2019 we set up a new Primary Care Mental Health Service to meet the growing need in our area. This was developed from developed from a pilot scheme to support patients in transition from secondary mental health care via a shared care recovery model. It is now fully commissioned across East Kent to provide an integrated primary care service, linking to acute mental health providers, third sector providers as well as services such as IAPT.

The service was extended to cover Dartford, Gravesham, Swanley & Swale locality in 2018.
We also now work with GPs to promote the scheme and to support them in caring for patients with mental illness and to ensure patients are directed to the most appropriate service.

We have also developed group work to support specific conditions and most recently, we have developed a PCMHS improved access clinic.

We have developed group courses such as ‘’Understanding Emotions’’, a 12-week program exploring types of emotions, communicating these to ourselves and others, understanding influences of behaviours and lifestyle on emotions. In addition, our 12-week ‘’Bipolar Disorder’’ course is aimed at those who have confirmed diagnosis. The program aims to help delegates manage their Bipolar Disorder and work towards recovery by providing information about the condition, its treatment, management of phases of illness and accessing peer support within a group setting. Most recently, we have developed a PCMHS improved access clinic on a Saturday.

Working with an Alliance to provide Urgent Treatment Centres

Furthermore, we are currently working with an Alliance made up of Invicta Health CIC, East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust (EKHUFT), Integrated Care 24 (IC24), Ashford Clinical Providers ltd & Thanet Health CIC with a view to providing urgent care services to ambulatory patients attending the acute sites as well as managing any patients booked in via 111. This work is ongoing and will come to fruition once COVID-19 has been managed.

Offering Clear Desk Solutions©

In 2019 we launched the provision of a remote GP service, enabling practices to delegate routine admin tasks to external, fully qualified GPs who completed these remotely in a timely manner. The aim is to reduce the burden of clinical admin for practice-based GPs, to drive up standards of patient safety and to provide flexible work opportunities to GPs. This service has been well received and popular with our local community GP practices and this service is growing.

 

---

3) What has changed, what specific outcomes and benefits have been realised as a result of the above actions?

Individuals and our community have benefitted from the above by receiving improved, better managed GP services, a more widely accessible mental health provision and soon, more widely available UTCs.

We continue to work closely with our Shareholders to offer support and guidance to them on how to achieve the above for themselves. We recently held our AGM where shareholders expressed an interest in being more involved with Invicta Health on several levels; Non-Executive Board Members, access to resources, access to training and access to our GP Clear Desk Solutions© to name a few. Due to this, we have recently commissioned a Shareholder Survey requesting our Shareholders specify how they would each like to be involved with Invicta Health. We believe the results of this survey (due out in a few weeks) and our subsequent actions will eventually improve our service offer further and ultimately our ability to offer further benefit to our community.

 

---

4) Please describe how your income and/or any profits generated from previous years has been maximised in delivering social outputs and adding social value.

All profits from the organisation are put back into service delivery, which supports general practices with challenging patient demands and supports staff training and development.  In addition, to help the young people in the community in 2020 Invicta Health sponsored Whitstable Under 12’s Rugby club £350 to pay for their team hoodies.

 

---

Supplementary details

The below questions are not mandatory, but Mark holders are encouraged to answer them where possible, to provide a fuller account of their social outcomes and the social value they create.

5) How do you and other people know your aims are being achieved? Or how will you know?

As stated above, we recently held our AGM where shareholders expressed an interest in being more involved with Invicta Health on several levels; Non-Executive Board Members, access to resources, access to training and access to our GP Clear Desk Solutions© to name a few.  Due to this, we have recently commissioned a Shareholder Survey requesting our Shareholders specify how they would each like to be involved with Invicta Health.  We believe the results of this survey (due out in a few weeks) and our subsequent actions will eventually improve our service offer further and ultimately our ability to offer further benefit to our community.

We will know the impact we have on our new GP practices by encouraging the CQC to inspect these premises in months to come.  We aim to improve the GP practice’s CQC status’.

 

---

6) How many people have benefitted from your actions and what measures of benefit can you report?

From 1st January to 31 March 2020 Invicta Health’s Primary Care Mental Health team received 698 referrals from East Kent practices. This service was rolled out to Thanet on 6 January and up to 31 March we have received 223 referrals.

As at 31 March 2020 we are now enabling 1,022 clients across East Kent to access our Primary Care Mental Health Service and currently have 13 PCMH professionals offering community-based support to these clients.

Our Marsh practices provide services to local patients of varying age and health needs. We look after 14,000 patients. The two Marsh practices are in a deprived, rural location with an elderly population so our support is vital for this area.

 

---

7) What examples can you provide of a typical service user experience, that help illustrate the benefits they have experienced as a result of your actions?

3 Examples from our Primary Care Mental Health Team (PCMHT)

1. A 56-year-old female with Bipolar Affective Disorder and Chronic Kidney Disease:

Our PCMH team have allocated this patient a mental health key worker who works with the GP practice to monitor the patient’s lithium levels, requesting blood tests at regular intervals. When lithium serum levels were high, our mental health key worker arranged with the local CMHT for a psychiatrist review to reduce lithium dose to safe levels, and our mental health key worker then subsequently monitored her mental and physical health with regular home visits.

This lady experiences social isolation, so we made referral for her to Live Well and she has been linked in with local MIND centre to attend regularly and assisted with renewing bus pass, enabling her to continue to engage socially with others. She had her Personal Independence Payment stopped, which placed her at risk of hardship and not being able to meet her mortgage payments. Our mental health key worker liaised with her bank and advocated for her with letters and calls to the Department of Work & Pensions until her PIP was reinstated.

We have also linked in with this patient's nearest relative to ensure good communication is in place should this patient relapse which has happened numerous times in the past, requiring admission to psychiatric hospital. This patient has twice been under our service since October 2018, in this time we have helped to support her mental and physical health, to reassure her and reduce her stress - in this time she has not had a psychiatric hospital admission or a relapse of her Bipolar, so we believe we have made a good contribution to ensuring she has stayed well.

This patient can easily become overwhelmed by everyday stressors and has telephoned us regularly for advice and support. It is positive to see that more recently, she has called less frequently, as she appears more confident and able to deal better with daily life - she has recently been able to take an extended holiday to stay with friends and to process a sale of her flat with hardly any support at all, which is pleasing to see.

2. A 71-year-old male with diagnosis of Schizphrenia and suspected autism:

This patient lives alone, is very socially isolated and has no family support or friends. He had virtually no contact with anyone for six months prior to referral to our service. We initiated meeting this patient every few weeks in nearby town in a quiet cafe, so he opportunity to engage and talk about his issues. He has responded well to this, catching bus or taxi to meet, now with our healthcare assistant. Our mental health key worker assisted his GP to make referral to Maudsley Hospital to request assessment.

We later assisted this patient to attend autism assessments, which was challenging as he hadn't been confident to travel long distances for over 40 years, but with reassurance I was able to successfully get him to attend his assessments. This patient was diagnosed with autism.

More recently, we are in the process of encouraging a referral to the Autism Spectrum Conditions Service, which is anxiety-provoking for him. One of our mental health key worker has also assisted him to attend GP practice for a physical health review, which is again anxiety-provoking for him. We have assisted him with his PIP review, writing his application for him as he was struggling with this.

This patient often expresses gratitude for the help we have given him. We have helped maintain his wellbeing and reduce his isolation. He now has regular contact with two professionals in our service, which is a big step forward for someone with autism, who has difficulty adapting to change and new people.

3. A 56-year-old male lives alone with weekly support from carer.

Referral source = GP

Client diagnosis = Depression with paranoia and psychotic features

Reason for referral: Recent bereavement and relapse in mental health state. GP requesting review.
Assessment: Assessed and found to have suffered 3 bereavements within 8 months (family members and beloved pet). Client is not sleeping and is pacing at night as feels anxious and worried about security.

Medication reviewed and dose increased to a therapeutic level. Supported to make self-referral for psychological intervention to address recent loss – bereavement counselling.

Client supported to contact local housing authority maintenance department to request additional lock/chain for front door. Client’s ADL’s reviewed and daily routine discussed to provide structure and exercise to facilitate sleep. Sleep hygiene discussed and strategies provided.

Client expressed interest in gardening so PCMHS suggested obtaining an allotment to promote social inclusion with Gardening Society, excursions to RHS gardens and events and encourage physical and mental wellbeing by eating healthily having grown own food source and exercising by digging / maintaining the plot. Client was supported to contact local council authority and arranged a viewing to choose plot.

Outcome: Medication aided reduction in anxiety and psychotic symptoms. Client’s mental state improved as he was able to function adequately and calmly.

IAPT provider booked assessment and then subsequent sessions for counselling to begin.
Permission for security work to be carried out and date set for installation of additional door lock confirmed by his housing authority providing reassurance and security for client.

Client signed up for allotment and had already began clearing site by end of the week he was assessed thus giving the client a sense of purpose and meaningful activity.

Client’s mood lifted and he was socially interacting with others of mixed generations widening his social circle.

Client was spending time outdoors in fresh air and due to labour involved was reported to have improved sleep.

Client could then be discharged back to care of his GP with update letter and recommendations of actions taken.

Example from our GP Practices

Our most recent set of Friends and Family test results (February 2020) from our Marsh practices found that 75% of patients say they were ‘extremely likely’ to recommend our GP practices to their friends and family, with 18% stating ‘likely’. This was welcome news to us and figures we intend to build on.

 

---

8) What social and environmental benefits have you created arising from internal operational policies and other actions?

We have invested in a lot more remote working, using e-consult at practices to undertake electronic consultations and thus reducing travel needs for patients and subsequently, our carbon footprint.

We utilise remote apps far more to enable virtual meetings by staff in different areas, again thus reducing our carbon footprint.

Invicta Health also offer advice and support to primary care networks.

Our employees benefit from having access to their own ‘Blue Light card’ allowing them to take advantage of excellent deals and discounts from online and retail stores offered to NHS workers.
Recycling is carried out through IG compliant formats and we are also looking into recycling our unwanted PCs and electrical equipment where possible to donate these to charity in the most cost effective, socially beneficial manner.