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Introduction to Service Coordination

Service Coordination is most simply defined as the coordination of service delivery in the health and human services sector. However, Service Coordination is also a philosophy, an overall management system supported by a specific set of tools and a defined set of minimum standards.
 
Service coordination reform aims to place consumers at the centre of service delivery so that they have timely access to the services they need, opportunities for early intervention and health promotion and improved health outcomes. Primary Care Partnerships help agencies to come together to agree on how they will coordinate their services so that consumers experience a health system that works effectively.
 
Service Coordination:
  • Encourages agencies to use standard procedures and documentation to collect consumer information and make appropriate referrals;
  • Supports agencies to implement standardized professional practices when interacting with consumers;
  • Ensures the appropriate use of technology to coordinate service delivery and the transmission of information (including e-referral).
Better Access to Services: A Policy and Operational Framework (sometimes called “BATS”) is one of the key documents which describes the reasons why service coordination is being undertaken, the principles that guide service coordination as well as the way to improve service coordination in Victoria.          
 
It provides a guide to achieving better coordination of services as part of the Primary Care Partnership Strategy. The Better Access to Services framework supports agencies to work together so that, from the consumer’s perspective, services appear integrated and are easier to access and navigate.
 
Better Access to Services describes the underpinning principles of service coordination activities:
  • A central focus on consumers
  • Partnerships and collaboration
  • The social model of health
  • Competent staff
  • A duty of care
  • Protection of consumer information
  • Engagement of other sectors
The Better Access to Services framework gives a basis for service managers and practitioners to work together through Primary Care partnerships to implement consistent practices and define roles and responsibilities regarding consumers they have in common. Wherever possible, the Better Access to Services framework provides a foundation for common approaches across the State but also enables Primary Care Partnerships to develop local solutions where these are more appropriate.
 
The Better Access to Services framework progresses State-wide consistency in practice and a common language across Primary Care Partnerships by defining and describing the range of processes that currently exist within the health care system:
  • Initial contact
  • Initial needs identification
  • Service specific assessment
  • Specialist assessment
  • Comprehensive assessment
  • Care planning
The Service Coordination Tool Templates (2009) are the latest version of a suite of templates developed to facilitate and support service coordination practice. The SCTTs are designed to record and share consumer information as part of the implementation of service coordination. They can:
  •  support service providers to collect and share common consumer information
  • support service providers to consider information across a broad range of health and wellbeing domains in accordance with the social model of health
  • assist service providers to consistently record information generated by service coordination
  • processes such as initial contact, initial needs identification, assessment and care planning
  • assist service providers to record consumer consent to share information
  • assist service providers to make quality referrals, provide feedback and develop care plans
  • reduce the burden on consumers to provide the same information to each service provider.
 
The SCTT 2009 user guide is a practical resource to assist in the use of the templates. The guide provides an introduction and overview of the templates, and points for service providers to note in completing them. The guide incorporates changes to the SCTT resulting from the 2009 revision cycle. The SCTT 2009 user guide also includes an overview of the general practitioner’s referral tool, the Victorian Statewide Referral Form. 
 
Standards to be observed in the application of service coordination Practices, Processes, Protocols and Systems (PPPS) are to be found in the:

These documents provide a tool for assessing performance in implementing service coordination PPPS. It comprises a set of continuous improvement criteria (based on BATS) and list of sample evidence to show how the tool might be used.

 
Annual Statewide Service Coordination and ICDM surveys based on the Continuous Improvement Framework are carried out annually - see www.health.vic.gov.au/pcps/coordination/cqi.htm for details.
 
 
How can you be involved in service coordination in the Inner East Primary Care Partnership?
 
Firstly, an agency can apply to be a member of the Inner East Primary Care Partnership. Membership provides the opportunity to influence partnership priorities and strategic directions. 
 
With specific reference to Service Coordination, in addition to Statewide and regional bodies, there are a number of committees, working parties and other opportunities to make an input into service coordination. These include:
 
1.   Service Coordination Steering Committee
This is a group of mid-level managers and health sector ‘drivers’ who are interested in working at a strategic level to determine service coordination directions and activities primarily within the Inner East PCP catchment area but also beyond that to the Eastern Metropolitan Region and the State as a whole. This group meets five times a year (see the Calendar for meeting dates). For more information see the Service Coordination Steering Committee Terms of Reference.
 
2.   The Service Coordination Practitioners’ Resource Group (PRG)
As the name implies, this group comprises mainly practitioners but membership is drawn both from basic and managerial levels. It is the focus on practice that determines membership. The PRG meets monthly (see Calendar for meeting dates). The objectives of the Practitioners’ Resource Group are to:
  • Provide input into the overall implementation of the IEPCP Strategic Plan, which governs the operations of the IEPCP during the period 2009-12;
  • Keep abreast of developments in the health services area through presentations and other means;
  • Exchange relevant information in a timely manner;
  • Provide a mechanism for problem solving, either within meetings or by formation of small project-specific working parties;
  • Identify general training and workforce development needs within the sector;
  • Advise of problems and solutions in the work setting.
  More detail can be found in the Practitioners' Resource Group Terms of Reference. 
 
Working parties set up to address specific issues e.g. care coordination, SCTT revisions etc. Membership is usually both by invitation and interested members nominating themselves. 
 E-mail groups and Google groups may also be used to communicate effectively. 
 
Even if you would not be in a position to attend meetings, being placed on a mailing list is a good way to keep in touch with what is happening and enables recipients to make input from time to time.
 
People interested in participating in any of the above groups should contact the IEPCP Service Coordination Program Manager Christopher.foley-jones@iepcp.org.au or ring 0400 525 792 or 9285 4892.
 
 
Routinely scheduled activites and meetings are shown on the Service Coordination Calendar. Other events intended for a broader audience are also listed on the calendar.
 
For further information about Service Coordination events and to RSVP please contact Christopher.foley-jones@iepcp.org.au
 

 

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