Birmingham Connect to Support

Early Intervention Community Team

What is EICT

The Early Intervention Community Team (EICT) helps people to turn to their home when discharged from hospital, by providing support for daily needs. It is a short term service (up to 6 weeks) that aims to let people be in their own homes and communities when they are well enough to leave hospital, but still need some time and support to before they can live independently again. The service brings together the expertise of several organisations, services, and professions to enable people to live safely, and independently at home, and to achieve their goals.

EICT is service that is jointly provided by both Birmingham City Council (BCC) and Birmingham Community Healthcare Trust (BCHC), and is delivered by a range of commissioned care providers. It can is available for up to 6 weeks and alongside seeking to achieve your short and long term goals, seeks to avoid the risk or readmission to hospital and the further loss of your independence in the future.

How EICT Works

Health colleagues will refer you to the EICT team for support. This will often be the hospital team who discharged you, but can also be your GP in some circumstances. Once referred, the EICT team will contact you within 48hrs.

EICT colleagues will visit you at home and plan with you how you can be enabled to be as safe and independent as possible and remain at home. We will come and speak to you and, if you wish, to your family, friends and carers to help to support you, as we want to help to make you safe at home.

Note: If the team are unable to engage with you in a timely manner, due to you or your representatives unavailability or if there is evidence of unreasonable behaviour, then you would be discharged from the EICT service.

There is a variety of services available to support you, based on your needs, and the outcomes that you want to achieve with the team.

You will have holistic assessments from one or more members of the EICT service, including Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, or Nurses, depending on your need(s). This holistic assessment determines your main areas of needs that the team can support you with. If you are assessed as needing some care support, you will also be assessed by an Adult Social Care worker. You may receive support from an Early Intervention Assistants, or Therapy Support workers as well.

EICT will support you to maximise your independence, and you will be supported to work with us to increase your resilience. You will be given choice and control, which means the team will work together with you, ensuring you are an active participant in the planning of your needs.

Once you have been assessed by all appropriate professionals, a plan will be devised to help support you to achieve your goals. This support can include;

  • equipment provision to help improve your independence in your activities of daily living
    exercise therapy to help to improve your walking and strength,
  • medication management supporting you to be independent in managing your medication.
  • Therapy Support Workers visiting you, to help further with specific exercises, or confidence building in certain tasks

This will vary depending on your situation and goals that are set when you are first discharged home.

If you need long term support beyond the 6 week maximum that EICT can provide, this will be determined by a social worker who will carry out an assessment for long term support. This will happen during your engagement with EICT.

There is more information on how social workers operate on our Adult Social Care section, but in they are focused on promoting your independence and improving your quality of life.

Is EICT Free?

Unlike the NHS where health care services are free at the point of need, Adult Social Care services are means tested.

EICT is free up until your care needs assessment has taken place, even if this takes longer then the normal 6 week service provide by EICT. Only once any long term care needs are know would you need to pay for the long term care - if you need to pay for your care.

The service will tell you throughout your short-term support journey when charging will begin if long-term services need to be planned, including the date, the cost and when payments will be required, we will advise you of this in advance.

Financial information about Adult Social Care Service

There is further information on our dedicated paying for care pages, which if you need to pay for care in detail, along with the range or information and support available.

There are also sections on welfare and benefits, if you are entitled to any, and support and advice if you are struggling to manage your money.

Last updated: 24/01/2025
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