Hertfordshire Directory is your online gateway to local care and support for your patients
GPs and other health staff in primary care can link patients and carers into an array of locally based care and support services through the Hertfordshire Directory, a free website used by professionals and the public to find services, groups and activities across the county.
The Directory, which is provided by Hertfordshire County Council, is a self-service online resource that lists around 1,800 services across a variety of categories. These range from national organisations such as Age UK to small and mid-sized charity and voluntary groups, health, care and early years services and individuals working in and supporting their local communities.
Health professionals, social prescribers and others can use the Hertfordshire Directory’s category, filtering and using keyword search functions to find suitable services – from care support and community transport to computer courses, food banks, social activities and so much more.
They can make direct referrals into many of the services listed and can also create a tailored short-list that they can print-out or send to others.
Patients and the public can also use the Directory themselves to find and contact services, including making self-referrals.
The Hertfordshire Directory is continually evolving and has recently been updated to include hundreds of services that up until now have been primarily listed on the East Herts Frontline portal.
See the Hertfordshire Directory for yourself. Go to Hertfordshire Directory.
What can you find on the Hertfordshire Directory
The Directory lists services that support people of all ages and life stages. Here is a snapshot of the information available:
For older people – community transport, help at home, lunch clubs, digital inclusion and social groups to enhance quality of life and maintain good health for longer.
For unpaid carers – breaks from caring, advice services and support groups for young and older carers.
For adults – cost of living support, services for people with a learning disability, support for refugees, training, volunteering and employment courses, environmental groups and activities to fill your free time and keep active and happy.
For children and parents – parenting courses, family support, pregnancy and infant feeding support, and a Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) directory which complements the Hertfordshire SEND Local Offer.
For people seeking health advice – support for long term health conditions including dementia, tackling smoking and other addictions and support and activities to look after your mental and physical wellbeing.
Using the Hertfordshire Directory to refer directly into services
Primary care professionals can use the Hertfordshire Directory to make a quick and secure referral directly into a service. Around 350 of the services listed in the Hertfordshire Directory are currently accepting direct referrals. You don’t need to create an account or log in to make referrals through the directory.
Once you have identified a service and clicked onto their Directory page you will find the ‘Refer to this service’ button on the right-hand side of the screen near to their contact details.
Clicking on the referral button will generate a form for you to fill in. If you select the option on the form to say the referral is for ‘Someone else’ you will be able to enter your details at the top of the form alongside those of the person you’re referring.
Once you have submitted your referral, the system will email the service to let them know they have a new referral.
The provider will then login to the system to retrieve the details of the referral and action accordingly. The service will get reminders after 7 and 14 days if the system shows the referral has not been picked up.
Watch this short YouTube video about making referrals using the Hertfordshire Directory: Making a referral via the Hertfordshire Directory.