Care Service Users Provide Valuable Input To Service Development
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L-R: Mollie Pepper (Bexley Communication
and Consultation Officer); Joan Podd; Eddie Falvey (Chief Officer, Age
Concern Bexley); Cllr Sharon Massey; Joe Starling; Mayor of Bexley, Cllr
Nick O'Hare; Joy Rouse; Tom Jones and Peter Coulter. |
Bexley’s Mayor, Cllr Nick O’Hare and Cllr Sharon Massey, Cabinet Member for Social Care and Health, joined 100 older people recently for a special seminar about the modernisation of care services in the borough.
There was particular emphasis on how new Individual Budgets will give service users more independence by putting them in control of their own services, with a full say over how their individual needs are met.
The event, called 'Your Independence Day – Your Life Your Way', was held at the Holiday Inn, Bexley, on 4 July. Cllr Massey spoke about the improvements planned for services such as intermediate care, which aims to help people get back on their feet after a hospital stay, meaning that they can stay in their own homes instead of going into residential care. The event was also attended by the Director for Social and Community Services, Mark Charters, who answered questions from members of the audience about Individual Budgets.
Major changes to care services are proposed to take place over a three-year period and will modernise the ways in which services are accessed and provided. Some of the main aims are to:
- Improve equity of access and customer services.
- Introduce the use of self assessment techniques.
- Develop a range of intermediate care facilities.
- Move towards self-directed care to give the service user more choice and control.
Those who attended also took part in a consultation exercise about a new self assessment which will gauge individual social care needs. They were asked to give their opinions and feedback on how the form could be adapted to suit their needs, before it is published later in the year.
Afterwards, Joan Podd, from Sidcup, said: “I found the event very helpful. I like to keep up to date with what is happening and it was useful for me to understand the changes and improvements to services that I may receive in the future.”
Cllr Massey added: “It is very important that we involve our service users in the design and delivery of our services. One of the ways we can get things right is by listening to the feedback we receive from the people who use our services. Today has been about inviting people to hear about the changes we have planned, and asking them to tell us what they think. We are listening to what people tell us so we can provide the best care and support for people in Bexley."
