Hartlepool Borough Council

"Our Navigator Team are the front door of adult social care. We are initial point of contact for residents. We follow a community-led response model, and if we can help people to remain independent and well at home, in the community working from a preventative ethos, that’s what we do. 

"Lots of the people we speak to are experiencing social isolation, often because they are older, less mobile, or are carers for loved ones in their homes, which can be limiting. Check In and Chat is so beneficial because even a quick phone conversation can be a real boost, knowing that there is a person on the other end of the phone who wants to talk and listen to you, is brilliant for a person’s wellbeing. 

"It’s so quick and easy to make a Volunteer Responders referral, I regularly remind our team that the programme is there for us to refer in to, and to support the people we’re working with. I have also recommended Volunteer Responders to colleagues in reablement and adult social care teams, as we all work under one roof with a common aim, the programme is one tool we can use to help achieve that. 

"Check In and Chat is so valuable to people who are socially isolated. I have been very excited to find out more about Community Response and Pick Up and Deliver, as I know that these services will also make a big difference to the lives of people we work with."

Caroline Callaghan, Senior Community Navigator at Hartlepool Borough Council