Changes needed for adult social care, Telford councillors told
New approaches are being taken to provide adult social care but more needs to be done to ensure it is sustainable in the future, Telford and Wrekin councillors have been told.
Earlier this year, a Telford & Wrekin Council financial management report made clear that children's services and adult social care remain the biggest pressures on the authority's budget.
Telford & Wrekin Council agreed to raise council tax by 3.2 per cent this year, with two per cent of the rise supporting adult social care.
But the authority is still facing growing pressure, with an ageing population and further cuts on the horizon.
The future of adult social care was discussed at a meeting of Telford & Wrekin Council's health and adult care scrutiny committee, at Addenbrooke House, on Tuesday.
A report to the committee by Sarah Dillon, assistant director for adult social care, said a project group had been set up and meets monthly to monitor activity surrounding adults with learning difficulties.
It said the council was also working with local housing and care providers and using 'assistive technology' to enable people to live in the community independently, reducing future residential placements.
The report continued: "This will further develop with the development of an independent living facility (by February 2019) which will showcase assistive technology and equipment use around a home promoting self-help and independence."
The stability and sustainability of the domiciliary and residential care market was also discussed, with councillors being told there was a 33 per cent staff turnover in the sector each year – higher than the national average.
The vacancy rate for staff also stands at six per cent and councillors were told that changes are needed to ensure adult social care can be provided sustainably in the future.
Councillor Andy Burford, chairman of the committee, said it would be interesting to get the views of frontline providers to determine what they think should be done.
He said: "Let's hope something is done and rapidly to allow that issue of sustainability to be addressed. "We do need to make sure that we are doing the maximum possible under the difficulties we face."
The financial management report, which emerged in February, predicted that more than £30 million of savings will be required for Telford & Wrekin Council to balance the books over the next three years.
The council has already had to save more than £100 million since 2010.
The uncertainty around the council's funding stems from changes in the way the Government will provide money for councils over the next few years.
