Cllr Del Arnall, Knowsley Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care has been seeing first hand the work being carried out by Knowsley Intervention Team (KIT) – a new service established specifically to provide intensive support to some of the most complex cases coming into Adult Social Care services in Knowsley.
The team provides intensive support and management oversight to individuals who may have complex needs, may not be eligible for traditional support under the Care Act or where ‘usual’ social work processes have not proved effective.
Originally a pilot programme that was trialled by Knowsley in 2024 this new team has been made permanent thanks to investment of £350,000 as part of ongoing enhancements being made to Knowsley’s Adult Social Care Services.
Cllr Del Arnall, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care commented: “I was really keen to visit the KIT team and understand for myself some of the invaluable work they are doing. Whilst we know that the services and support we have in place are effective and work well for most people we also appreciate that there may be times when a standard approach just isn’t working for some members of our community.
“That can result in delays to support and in some cases people repeatedly coming back into the system not having their needs properly supported. We wanted to change that.”
Cllr Del Arnall, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care at Knowsley Council
The KIT works alongside Knowsley’s well established Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) which brings together colleagues from the council, police and health to share information and assess risks for vulnerable adults (and children). By working together this team can enable faster responses and more effective early intervention. They also identify and directly refer specific cases that may require the intensive approach of KIT.
KIT work by using an ‘assertive outreach’ approach where they make frequent contacts with identified adults. The approach aims to provide this high-level support for a specific period of time – dependent on the individual – to break down barriers to support and build relationships and trust.
Cllr Arnall added: “The creation of the KIT recognises that not all people are the same and not all interventions and support will be right for everyone. People’s lives and needs are complex and we not only appreciate that, we are determined to do all we can to shape our support to be more person-centred. The end result being that all our residents who need help will be able to access it in a way that works for them.”
Knowsley Council’s Adult Social Care Services are rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission.