Joined up care

Wednesday December 2, 2009

Elderly and disabled residents have broadly welcomed plans to change the way housing support and home care is provided.

The council is proposing to extend the service provided by sheltered housing scheme managers to all vulnerable residents who need support, including those living in their own homes.

It is also proposing to combine this service with home care for those people entitled to both, so that these residents get a better, more joined-up service.

A 12-week consultation with elderly and disabled residents has shown 84 per cent of people broadly support the changes.

"We currently have 1,400 residents living in 37 sheltered housing schemes, 60 per cent of whom are not frail and do not need additional housing support," says H&F Council leader Stephen Greenhalgh.

"It means these sheltered housing residents have to pay for a service they do not want or use. On the other hand, we have 16,000 who do not live in sheltered housing who are currently not entitled to the extra housing support sheltered scheme residents get.

"That does not make sense and I am pleased local people have supported the move to extend the service."

There were some objections from sheltered housing residents who fear they may lose out, although many people in sheltered housing recognise that changes for them will bring benefits for other people.

Cllr Greenhalgh has sought to assuage fears, saying: "We will ask landlords to keep a familiar face on site wherever possible.

"This does not necessarily mean sheltered scheme wardens will be moved out of their current premises, but only that housing support will be extended to help more of the people who need it most."

Councils across the UK are making similar changes after the Government introduced 'personalised budgets' giving each service user control over how their budgets are spent, choosing their own service providers, rather than having to 'get what they are given' by the council.

"It puts control back in the hands of the service users rather than council staff. But it means we have to re-tender contracts to make sure people have more choice," Cllr Greenhalgh added.