THE Prime Minister's wife, Cherie Blair, helped launch a pioneering project which brings health, social care and housing support under one roof.
The Sedgefield Adult Community Care Partnership project, the first of its kind in County Durham, aims to deliver "seamless" support services to older people across the Sedgefield area.
Partners in the scheme, which include Sedgefield Primary Care Trust, Durham County Council and Sedgefield Borough Council, aim to establish five integrated care teams to create a single point of contact and access for older people and those with mental health problems.
The first team, at Tremeduna Grange in Trimdon, was launched in June and is already successfully providing services to the communities of Sedgefield, the Trimdons, Fishburn and West Cornforth.
Mrs Blair met support staff and people they help care for on a visit to Tremeduna Grange.
A further four teams, made up of social workers, district nurses, housing support and administrative staff, are to be established in the next few months to provide services across Spennymoor, Ferryhill and Chilton, Shildon and Newton Aycliffe.
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