Integrated personal commissioning (IPC) aims to radically shift the experience of people with complex and ongoing care needs so that it is personalised, meaningful and impactful to them as individuals. This ambition is for people to have a better quality of life, a better experience of care and ultimately experience fewer crises.

To support this ambition at scale, place-based collaboration and transformational shifts are required within systems. We have been bringing together leaders and frontline practitioners across health, social care and the voluntary sector to support the improvement, integration and personalisation of services. Teams have focused on adopting and generating learning around key elements of the model:

• Having a different conversation with people on what really matters to them
• Working with other frontline peers to ensure services across sectors are experienced seamlessly
• Using personal budgets to improve people’s choice and control
• Optimising the use of services available in the community and voluntary sector.

The nature of these shifts requires both technical and cultural changes - requiring people to think, collaborate, and practice differently. We worked in depth with Stockton-on-Tees and Hertfordshire to test the emerging framework. Both areas focused on support for frail people over 65 years.

Results and impact for teams include:

• 621 people actively engaged in a personalised approach to care
• 41% reduction in A&E attendances during challenge with ongoing 10% reduction across the CCG
• Award winning Stockton hospital team campaign: Home Safe Sooner led to a 35% drop in delayed discharges. CCG data for the whole year shows 12% reduction and savings of £900,000.