Transforming public services has to begin by putting people at the heart of your design process.
Teignbridge Council and the Design Council
Trips and falls project
One in three people over 65 will fall within the year, but for people over 80, this rises to one in two. The effect of a serious fall can have a devastating effect on a persons’ wellbeing, where almost one third die within the year.
In a local study summarising the characteristics of 421 patients in the 12 months before and after a fall, costs were estimated at £7.9 million across the system.
With a population where one in three of us are will soon be over 65, we wanted to work more proactively to reduce serious falls by helping older people to stay safely at home, but we needed to better engage with health services across organisations and with GPs themselves.
By working with the Design Council we were encouraged to use the design process to help us to think more openly, creatively and inclusively. This resulted in closer links with stakeholders and better outcomes for residents.
Below are a range of documents and links to help you better understand the process
As part of the design process we started by talking to people who had fallen to find out their experiences.
Associated files and links:
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What does it feel like to fall?
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A presentation summarising the challenge and process.
‘How can we make homes safer and reduce the prevalence of trips and falls among the vulnerable elderly?’
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Trips and falls presentation
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The Design Council believes that design approaches can be used to tackle some of government’s most urgent challenges, such as the development of services around people’s needs, creating a mindset of openness and experimentation, and connecting policy development to delivery.
Their mission is to build design capabilities in the public sector by introducing new tools into policy development and creating more effective, people-centred services.
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Design in the Public Sector
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One of the first obvious benefits following the work was that we had a strong connection to all the people involved. The Council is now working with a wider range of partners, giving us a greater understanding of what services are being delivered, helping us to link at key points.
Benefits include:
1. Stronger links and networks between housing, health services and the voluntary sector
2. Improved referral rates
3. Greater understanding of the falls pathway, gaps in provision and future improvements
4. Detailed understanding of how the voluntary sector can contribute to and help to identify trip hazards in people’s homes and lead to improvements
5. Strong cost-effective and easy to replicate communication campaigns
6. The development of a Falls Hub in East Teignmouth
7. Applying for bids building on the work already started through this project
8. Using GP surgeries for other housing related activities, for example, warmth awareness at flu jab clinics
9. A new housing strategy for Teignbridge: 'Housing - more than bricks and mortar' with a chapter about 'Healthy Lives'
Associated files and links:
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Trips and falls; case study and outcomes
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As part of the design process the Design Council wanted us to communicate with partners in a more visual, collaborative way. With advice from our IT team we settled on Yammer as a way to share non-confidential information.
You can also get in touch here ;-)
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Teignbridge on Yammer; a platform for partners
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