Progress made across social services in Neath Port Talbot/Cynnydd a wnaed gan y Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol yng Nghastell-nedd Port Talbot

Progress made across social services in Neath Port Talbot

A new report has highlighted how preventative and personalised social care services are helping people in Neath Port Talbot.

The Director of Social Services Annual Report 2016/17 gives an overview of the performance for both adult and children services during that year.

One of the headlines in the report is that the number of children who were taken into care reduced substantially for the third successive year. This was achieved through a combination of high quality procedures, manageable caseloads for staff and earlier intervention.

Councillor Alan Lockyer, Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Services, said:

“Where needed, it is vital that we provide families with tailored support to make a positive difference to their lifestyles. Intervening at an earlier stage can help to ensure that the children and young people we serve can remain safely within their own families.”

In adult services, Local Area Coordination, the Council’s pioneering early preventative scheme, has been key to meeting increased demand. The scheme focuses on using community resources to support residents before they reach a crisis point. During 2016/17, the coordinators for the scheme worked with 143 residents on a one to one basis to avoid them needing social services support. Other preventative services such as assistive technology, Intake, Reablement and a specialist carers service have also helped people to remain independent.

The number of people receiving more personalised services through Direct Payments has also increased. Using Direct Payments, people are able to take more control over how they meet their care and support needs. The number of people receiving Direct Payments increased from 284 to 351 during 2016/17.

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

“The report shows we have made good progress in developing approaches that will enable more people to engage with local community services to support their health and wellbeing. We are able to offer people more choice and control so that they have a more personalised response to meeting their care and support needs.

“It is also important that we continue to be more innovative in the way we deliver services so we can meet demand with fewer resources.”

Looking forward, the report outlines plans for more integrated working between children and adult services. This will include developing a single point of contact to access both services, and the development of a transition team to improve the movement of care into adulthood. In addition, two new Local Area Coordinators are being recruited to cover the areas of Onllwyn, Seven Sisters, Crynant and Blaengwrach, and the areas of Bryn, Cwmavon and Port Talbot town.

Cynnydd a wnaed gan y Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol yng
Nghastell-nedd Port Talbot

Mae adroddiad newydd wedi nodi sut mae gwasanaethau gofal cymdeithasol ataliol a phersonol yn helpu pobl yng Nghastell-nedd Port Talbot.

Mae Adroddiad Blynyddol Cyfarwyddwr Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol ar gyfer 2016/17 yn rhoi trosolwg o berfformiad y gwasanaethau i oedolion a phlant yn ystod y flwyddyn honno.

Un o benawdau’r adroddiad yw bod nifer y plant a gymerwyd i ofal wedi lleihau’n sylweddol am y drydedd flwyddyn yn olynol. Cyflawnwyd hyn drwy gyfuniad o weithdrefnau o safon, llwythi gwaith hylaw i staff ac ymyrryd yn gynt.

Meddai’r Cynghorydd Alan Lockyer, Aelod y Cabinet dros Wasanaethau Cymdeithasol i Blant,

“Mae’n hanfodol ein bod yn darparu cefnogaeth wedi’i theilwra i deuluoedd, lle bo angen, i wneud gwahaniaeth cadarnhaol i’w ffyrdd o fyw. Gall ymyrryd ar gam cynharach helpu i sicrhau bod y plant a’r bobl ifanc rydym yn eu gwasanaethu’n parhau i fod yn ddiogel yn eu teuluoedd eu hunain.”

Yn y gwasanaethau i oedolion, mae Cydlynu Ardaloedd Lleol, sef cynllun atal yn gynnar arloesol y cyngor, wedi bod yn allweddol i fodloni’r galw cynyddol. Mae’r cynllun yn canolbwyntio ar ddefnyddio adnoddau’r gymuned i gefnogi preswylwyr cyn i bethau droi’n argyfwng. Yn ystod 2016/17, bu cydlynwyr y cynllun yn gweithio gyda 143 o breswylwyr unigol fel nad oedd angen cefnogaeth y gwasanaethau cymdeithasol arnynt. Mae gwasanaethau ataliol eraill megis technoleg gynorthwyol, derbyn, ailalluogi a gwasanaeth gofalwyr arbenigol hefyd wedi helpu pobl i barhau’n annibynnol.

Mae nifer y bobl sy’n derbyn gwasanaethau mwy personol drwy Daliadau Uniongyrchol hefyd wedi cynyddu. Gan ddefnyddio Taliadau Uniongyrchol, gall pobl reoli sut maent yn diwallu eu hanghenion gofal a chefnogaeth. Mae nifer y bobl sy’n derbyn Taliadau Uniongyrchol wedi cynyddu o 284 i 351 yn ystod 2016/17.

Meddai’r Cynghorydd Peter Richards, Aelod y Cabinet dros y Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol i Oedolion ac Iechyd,

“Dengys yr adroddiad ein bod wedi gwneud cynnydd da wrth ddatblygu ymagweddau a fydd yn galluogi mwy o bobl i gysylltu â gwasanaethau cymunedol lleol i gefnogi eu hiechyd a’u lles. Rydym yn gallu cynnig mwy o ddewis a rheolaeth i bobl fel bod ganddynt ymateb mwy personol i ddiwallu eu hanghenion gofal a chefnogaeth.

“Mae hefyd yn bwysig ein bod yn parhau i fod yn fwy arloesol yn y ffordd rydym yn cyflwyno gwasanaethau fel y gallwn ateb y galw gyda llai o adnoddau.”

Gan edrych i’r dyfodol, mae’r adroddiad yn amlinellu cynlluniau ar gyfer mwy o weithio integredig rhwng y gwasanaethau plant ac oedolion. Bydd hyn yn cynnwys datblygu un pwynt cyswllt i gael mynediad i’r ddau wasanaeth, a datblygu tîm pontio i wella symudiad gofal i oedolaeth. Yn ogystal, recriwtiwyd dau Gydlynydd Ardaloedd Lleol i weithio yn ardaloedd Onllwyn, Blaendulais, y Creunant a Blaengwrach, ac ardaloedd Bryn, Cwmafan a thref Port Talbot.