Account outlines achievements, challenges and aspirations for adult social care

Increasing choices and opportunities for people with care needs are among Shropshire Council’s achievements and ongoing priorities, outlined in a new document. 

Shropshire Council has produced a Local Account for Adult Social Care to explain the work that took place between April 2011 and March 2012 (2011/12) to enhance services.

The Local Account, which also outlines aspirations and challenges guiding work from April 2012 to March 2013, will be discussed by the council’s Cabinet on Wednesday 12 December 2012.

All councils are recommended to publish the annual report to show how well adult social care services are being run.

The achievements outlined in the account include:

• Working with more individuals who are eligible for support to use a personal budget which helps them to take greater control over their services, by choosing what they want to spend their money on.  More than 3,500 people received a personalised service during 2011/12.
• Results from the Adult Social Care User Survey 2011/12 showed that more than 66 per cent of people were extremely or very satisfied with the care and support services they receive.
• More than 11,000 people were helped after calling First Point of Contact – 0345 678 9044 – a Shropshire Council contact number introduced in 2011 for adults who require support or advice about social care for the first time.
• Developing better links, information on and use of assistive technology, including agreeing a registered provider of this equipment, so that people can live independently in their own homes for longer.  Assistive technology covers a range of equipment and services, from a medication dispenser to a whole house alarm monitoring system.
• Reviewing carers’ services and support funded by Shropshire Council to ensure they are provided in the best way.  More than 3,000 carers received services specific to their needs during 2011/12.  Developments include, with Shropshire Rural Community Council, setting up a telephone helpline, regular carers’ surgeries throughout the county and a regular carers’ newsletter.
• Developing supported living opportunities for people with learning disabilities in the county.  This involves the person renting or owning their home and receiving the support they need to live an independent life in their community.  In 2011, Bradbury Bungalow, Eskdale Road, in Shrewsbury, was the latest building project to be completed.
• Shropshire Council was one of just six councils across England which received funding from the Government to pilot a social work practice.  The pilot, called People2People, looks at different ways of providing social work support to ensure it best suits people’s needs, and helps them to be more active and independent.
• Individuals who are eligible for social care support now receive a short period of extra support to increase their independence, including intensive support from the Short Term Assessment and Reablement Team (START) for up to 12 weeks.

The priorities for 2012/13 include further developing and promoting all these services.

Ann Hartley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for health and well-being, said:

“The Local Account is one of the ways we can outline our performance over the last year and our priorities for the future.  We’ve taken on board people’s feedback on the first Local Account published earlier this year, and hope people find it useful and informative.

“The document shows how we are developing the new personalised approach people have told us they want, with achievements in areas such as helping more people to use personal budgets and assistive technology ,and exploring innovative ways of providing services through schemes such as People2People.”

Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member responsible for disability, added:

“The account also highlights that there is still work to be done: we need to build on our achievements while dealing with the challenges ahead, which include increasing demand from a growing number of people and reduced Government funding.

“We continually want people to challenge us to ensure we are delivering services in the best way, and the Local Account is important in providing this transparency and accountability to the community we serve.”