Local Area Coordinators

What is Local Area Coordination?

We understand that your ability to make positive choices and take control of your life can be impacted by all sorts of things, both within and outside of your control.

Local Area Coordinators will take the time to help you make sense of all the things going on in your life and help you think about the steps you need or want to take to be as independent as possible.

Our Local Area Coordinators:

• will take time to get to know you and your situation, working to build trusting relationships
• will meet you in local places so they are accessible, approachable and flexible
• are based in your community and not in an office somewhere
• see you as the expert of your own life; they will not try and tell you what to do or 'fix' you
• will help you find local support from your community where possible
• support you when dealing with different services.

How do I get support from a local area coordinator?

Getting support from a local area coordinator is simple. You can self-refer and there is no assessment form to fill out. Just a conversation between you and us about what support you may need to be as independent as possible.

All you need to do is contact the right local area coordinator for your area. Telephone numbers and email addresses for all our local area coordinators can be found on the contact details page.

Contact details for the Local Area Coordinators

Local Area Coordination is available to all Derby city residents and our Local Area Coordinators each work within a ward of the city. To get support from a Local Area Coordinator, please contact the person who works in the ward you live in. If you are not sure which ward you live in, email us lac@derby.gov.uk and we can let you know.

Local Area Coordinator team  

Examples of Local Area Coordination at work

Since it started the Local Area Coordination team have supported over 2500 residents. Each person comes to the team with a unique set of skills and face different challenges.

Here are a few quotes from people who have received support from the team.

I didn’t go to school after Year 9. I didn’t trust my social worker, who took my child into care, aged one. I had no idea how I could ever get him back – couldn’t manage my life, couldn’t manage the system. My Local Area Coordinator has given me confidence. We can talk about anything and I know I won’t be judged. It is not only confidence, but also practical help – preparing the home, doing the right things. Above all else, she has helped me believe in myself. I got my child back in February and now I’m preparing to go to college to do a course.

Young person with experience of the care system

I’ve been able to stay at home with help from my neighbours instead of going into a care home.

A Derby resident

Evaluation of Local Area Coordination (LAC)

Derby’s Local Area Coordination (LAC) work has, since 2012, been subject to three external evaluations. Each evaluation designed with a focus on clarifying the extent and nature of the benefits of the LAC work in Derby to citizens, services and to finances. These benefits have been consistently evidenced.

Our latest internal evaluation report 2018-2021 marks an important change in focus. We are now moving to a more strategic focus, seeking to understand:

• the conditions that enable Local Area Coordination to work best
• where Local Area Coordination can have most impact on reforming and supporting our local health and social care systems
• how it can best support the growth of truly resilient individuals, families and communities.

In addition, we are hoping to make this an open evaluation, such that the National LAC Network and other local authorities can benefit from Derby’s work.

This evaluation is the first in what we hope will be an ongoing piece of work, where Derby’s LAC programme moves to embed a process of continuous learning and improvement, based on a desire to understand the optimum contribution of LAC to all communities.