Provision of Community Connectors to Work with GP Practices in South and East Cardiff Locality

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board are seeking the provision of a team of community connectors to work at GP Practice level, to provide a mechanism for sign posting and directing identified patients (over the age of 18 years) to appropriate community support groups/networks and services specific to their social and wellbeing needs. This contract will be geographically focused on the three clusters within the Southern arc of Cardiff: Cardiff East (4 GP practices), Cardiff Southeast (8 GP practices) and City and South Cardiff Cluster (6 practices). The total population of the three clusters is 164,170. Much of this population is made up by BAME communities and other hard to reach groups including Travelers, the Homeless, Sex Workers, and Asylum Seekers.

Key elements of the requirement include:

• Each cluster will have a designated community connector, who will be active in the practices and available Monday to Friday, building a robust working relationship with the practice staff. They will also be required to share information on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, especially outcomes of patient involvement.
• GP staff can refer patients to community connectors, who can then signpost to wider third sector organisations and act as experts on these services. They can also accept self-referrals from patients registered at the practice.
• Community Connectors will act as an expert resource to practice based staff and be responsible for supporting the individuals to contact or access services or, where necessary make referrals on behalf of the patient / individual.
• The model that is introduced in each of the three clusters will need to be bespoke to the cultural and socio-economic needs of the populations served- this includes consideration of language needs.
• There must be appropriate management of safeguarding issues.
• The Community Connectors should act as a main point of contact for patients should they have any queries following their signposting.