About Us
what we have achieved so far
In the autumn of 2006, North East Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust (NELCTP) commissioned research to design a new health and social care solution to meet the needs of people who experienced high health deprivation, because of low income, poor housing and poor environments. It recognised that a new services which enabled the NHS to focus on people who typically do not access mainstream or traditional health services including drug users, homeless people, offenders, sex workers, migrant communities, and people who had been excluded from services due to challenging behaviour.
From this research the Open Door service model of care was developed – offering holistic and integrated services to the diverse groups in the most deprived areas in Grimsby. In January 2007 Open door was announced as a successful pathfinder project in the Department of Health’s programme for Social Enterprise.
In April 2007 Open Door was commissioned by the NELCTP and began offering local communities a broad spectrum of services aimed at improving quality of life for vulnerable people who typically do not access mainstream or traditional health services. From the outside the Open Door project looks just like any other health centre nestled among houses and shops close to the centre of Grimsby in the area known as East Marsh, scores of patients can be seen coming and going throughout the day. But the project is serving a unique cliental - drug users, homeless people, ex-offenders, immigrants, asylum seekers, learning/mental health conditions and those needing help in times of hardship. People arrive at the door by all sorts of means. Local services refer people, some just turn up and others arrive by chance - all receiving a unique tailored personal support by trained staff and volunteers.
Open Door has continued to grow at a rapid rate and it formally became part of the Big Life group of social enterprises in 2010. It has an APMS contract for the delivery of primary medical services and a social care contract for the provision of wrap around support. In 2009 Open Door began delivering services to adults on the autism spectrum with a grant from the Social Enterprise Unit and seed funding from the NELCTP. In 2011, Open Door secured another new contract for the delivery of a floating support contract for people living with addictions. Open Door delivers from two buildings on Freeman Street, the old centre of Grimsby town.
In 2009 Open Door secured funding from the Department of Health to develop a new purpose built centre to deliver its services. Following a tendering exercise, Ashley House were appointed as Developer and the new centre opens in January 2012. A Community Interest Company has been established with independent directors to ensure the asset is used for the benefit of the community.
In 2010, Open Door was announced winner of the Health and Social Care Award for tackling health inequalities.
The following statistics show that Open Door is reaching the people it was set up to help. In July 2010/11 Open Door had:
- 939 registered patients
- 251 patients registered with Open Door GP with a substance misuse
- 20% of clients have a criminal record
- 47 patients registered with violent offences
- 105 patients screen for chlamydia
- 153 patients recorded with having attempted or thoughts of suicide
- 128 attended patients with self harm issues