SCCCC
Sheffield Churches Council for Community Care (SCCCC often called ‘S and four Cs’)
Sheffield Churches Council for Community Care (SCCCC) is a local charity that co-ordinates a broad range of services largely provided by its city-wide team of volunteers and staff, giving older people a helping hand when they need it most.
We worked with SCCCC on our research project aimed at creating better outpatient services for older people (BOSOP). For the project we involved patients and their carers as expert users of the Medical Outpatients department at Sheffield’s Royal Hallamshire Hospital. Because the focus of this project was older people, who often had complex needs, UCHD went beyond conventional approaches to patient involvement and asked SCCCC to help.
Working with SCCCC allowed UCHD to connect with individuals with mobility and access issues. Interviewing these people in their homes made it possible to gather a wider range of experiences and represent these in the group work. A further benefit of this approach was that these service users had an existing relationship with SCCCC and so felt comfortable and supported to contribute meaningfully to the Experience Based Design approach.
The type of help offered by SCCCC is varied but always targeted. A talented and dedicated team of SCCCC volunteers and staff are the backbone of this valuable work. In many cases, the support of SCCCC ensures that older people are able to leave hospital sooner than might otherwise be possible. SCCCC volunteers very often play a significant role in helping older people who may have nobody else to turn to for practical or friendly support.
SCCCC have a website at: http://scccc.co.uk/
