Despite the scale of activity already delivered in community settings, approximately 200,000 [1] patient contacts every day, care often remains fragmented, with individuals navigating disconnected services and experiencing delays in support. This fragmentation has real consequences: a third of people accessing community mental health services wait more than three months for treatment, with outcomes often deteriorating during this time [2].
At the same time, inequalities in health outcomes remain stark. People living in the most deprived communities develop major illness up to a decade earlier than those in more affluent areas [3], highlighting the need for earlier, more coordinated intervention.
To address this fragmentation and the inequalities it drives, we are exploring the concept of Webs of Care: a model for connecting support around the individual rather than the system.
What is a Web of Care?
A Web of Care describes a model in which support is structured around the individual, family or household needs, accounting for their interdependencies and risks, rather than one in which an individual is required to independently navigate a fragmented system.
At the centre of every web is the individual, situated within their household and community. They are not a referral, a diagnosis, or a caseload entry, but an individual whose distinct experiences, relationships, and circumstances shape their needs. Around them sits a network of support, which may include:
- Primary care and community health services
- Social care and local authority services
- Mental health and specialist support
- Voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations
- Wider determinants such as housing, employment, and education
While services already exist in most communities, the problem is rarely absence, but disconnection. When services operate in silos, individuals are left to navigate the system themselves, repeating their story at every door, falling through gaps between appointments, and reaching crisis before anyone intervenes. It is, therefore, the connection between these services, and how effectively they interact around an individual, that determines whether someone receives timely, effective support. When services are woven together, sharing insight, sequencing support, and coordinating around the person, risk is identified earlier, intervention happens sooner, and outcomes improve not just for the individual, but for their household and wider community.
Webs of Care Offer a Network of Support
To demonstrate the strength of Neighbourhood models, we have developed the following journeys, drawing on the real experiences of people and communities we have worked with. Whilst grounded in practice, each journey is a composite illustration and does not represent the experience of any one individual. Each example highlights the difference between a fragmented system, where individuals must navigate services themselves, and a connected Web of Care, where services are organised around the person and their household, enabling earlier intervention, better outcomes, and a more seamless experience.
Through these examples, we demonstrate that Neighbourhood Health is not a single intervention or service redesign. It is a fundamental shift in how care is understood and delivered, from isolated interactions to connected systems of support that reflect the realities of people’s lives. Crucially, it also highlights the role of the wider public sector. Health outcomes are shaped not only by clinical care, but by housing, employment, education, and community support. Connecting services in a Web of Care bring these elements together in a network of support, enabling a more holistic response to need and supporting better outcomes not just for individuals, but for entire communities.
If you’d like to explore how a Web of Care could be developed within your neighbourhood, place or system, get in touch with one of our experts today.
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