New era for Horizons successfully underway
The renewed North Yorkshire Horizons partnership, led by Humankind and including Spectrum CIC and Changing Lives is successfully underway, following a six month mobilisation.
The five year contract awarded by North Yorkshire County Council began on 1st October. It will run for five years – and may be extended for a further five years after that.
The service now includes
- Freephone access to the SPOC (Single Point of Contact) for all service users
- Extended hours throughout the week, now accessible 9.00 am – 8.00 pm Monday to Friday
- Visible Recovery Networks, offering increased choice of recovery and abstinence based social space,events and networks
- Digital innovations including a refreshed website, to include details of local support groups and activities, text reminder services and access to Breaking Free online
- Expansion of community based delivery including new venues in Thirsk Ripon and Knaresborough
In addition, we are in the process of developing
- Extended check in and access to peer led support groups across weekends
- A pilot programme of shared access to records, between Horizons and GPs, to improve patient safety and continuity of care
- A new hub within Selby, offering increased facilities and space for service users
- Increased user-led recovery communities, with the support of the Community Fund
- Clear pathways and joint working between Horizons and TEWV Mental Health Service
- Further development of interventions for serving soldiers at Catterick Garrison.
Mark Vidgen, of Humankind, said: “We are very excited to offer such a comprehensive and improving service.
“North Yorkshire Horizons is a flagship service for Humankind and everyone who works here is justifiably proud of the work we do. Our team is excited to move this work forward under the new model in a new contract, which has the potential to run for a very long time indeed.”
And he said: “I would like to thank all our staff for their understanding and patience during the transition period.”
Andy Pearson, of Spectrum Community Health CIC, said: “Providing high-quality care has always been central to North Yorkshire Horizons and this new contract gives us valuable opportunities to continue that mission – including through wider community support, stronger links with local health services and more flexible access to our clinics.”
Andy Ryan, of Changing Lives, said: ‘We are all very keen to ensure the high quality of support offered across the county is maintained and improved as we work together. Recovery is achieved in communities and we are proud to be contributing to this process with the services we offer and helping people to make healthy sustainable changes in their lives’
The Horizons service was awarded “outstanding” status by the Care Quality Commission, earlier this year. It sees some 2,900 clients each year in town centre hubs in Northallerton, Harrogate, Skipton, Scarborough and Selby. Its staff also conduct outreach sessions in rural areas including Malton, Whitby, Tadcaster, Sherburn, Thirsk, Great Ayton and Catterick.
