Council agrees future direction for social services

Neath Port Talbot Council has reaffirmed its commitment to offering more personalised care and to finding ways of providing early support for people so that they avoid the need for more intensive Adult Social Services later on.

At a meeting of Social Care, Health and Housing Cabinet on 3rd July 2017, Members agreed a report outlining the direction of travel for Adult Social Services over the next five to six years.

The report outlined how the service plans to meet challenges such as a rising demand for care services, reductions in public expenditure and an aging population. As required by the Social Services & Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014, the developments focus on preventing, reducing and delaying the need for care. The Act also places a strong emphasis on enabling individuals to decide what support is best for their quality of life.

The preventative measures aim to deal with the cause of problems rather than the symptoms and address them before they escalate. This helps to reduce demand for more costly, intensive council managed services later in life and keep people living in the comfort of their own home for longer.

One of the key preventative measures implemented by the Council has been its Local Area Coordination scheme. The scheme focuses on outreach workers helping people in need to find support within their own communities and avoid them reaching the point of needing a service from the Council.

The Council delivers its personalised social care through Direct Payments. These are payments given to people to allow them the freedom to make key decisions about who supports them and how and when this support is provided. Direct Payments are also a more affordable and sustainable way for the Council to provide services for people who need support.

People who receive Direct Payments commonly use the money to employ a Personal Assistant to support them to live independently. This approach also creates employment opportunities in local communities.

Continuing to implement preventative measures and personalised care will ensure the Council can continue to provide a high quality of service and meet people’s needs effectively.

Councillor Peter Richards, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services and Health said:

“Setting out our direction of travel over the coming years will help us to plan and implement appropriate solutions to the challenges we face. Investing in services that help people stay independent for longer, while ensuring we continue to care for the most vulnerable people is a key priority for the Council.”

“We are committed to delivering person-centred care services where people are given the opportunity to choose a service that they feel could be more suitable to their needs enabling them to lead the best life possible”.