Cabinet approves five year vision for social services

Bridgend County Borough Council cabinet has approved a five year vision of service improvement for social services.

The Social Services and Wellbeing Directorate Five Year Service Delivery Plan (2020-2025) for both adult and children social care builds on the previous ten year commissioning strategy for adult social care.

The previous strategy informed a range of essential transformation programmes including new services like Extra Care housing, the development of community-based services and the remodelling of children’s residential care services which now better support complex needs.

The population of Bridgend county borough has been projected to increase for some time. Of particular concern are the changes in demographics to the older population which are already being seen. For example, the 85 and over population is expected to double during the period 2013 to 2030 and the local authority is already experiencing extra demands on the health and social care services resulting from an increase in the over 85 population of 27 percent since 2013.

Similarly, and in addition, services are continually required to develop to accommodate increasing numbers and complexity of children with disabilities including autism that also require transition planning as they approach adulthood. Over the last few years, new ways of working have been introduced with wellbeing and preventative services helping to manage the overall demand for statutory services and long term care.

The new five year plan has been developed so that it continues the journey of change set out for social care in Bridgend and also focuses on future transformation and service delivery requirements.

The council’s cabinet member for social services Phil White

As part of the development of the plan, a consultation took place with members of the Citizens’ Panel and 170 stakeholder groups.

Over the next five years, areas of improvement will include looking at:

• How children’s therapeutic needs can be met through further developing in-house provision
• Further developing accommodation and placement opportunities for children and young people
• Increasing respite provision, group support and other support services for carers
• Supporting the development of a new generation of community health and wellbeing centres for residents with health partners
• Reshaping the current model of Older People Day Services so that people are supported to access a wider range of day time opportunities.
• Working with partners and the Third Sector to strengthen communities and identify the best way of providing services locally
• Investing into community-based services that provide a wider range of mental health services including the expansion of more community based help and support.
• Identifying the development of a specialist dementia model in discussion with the local health board
• Exploring the use of assistive technology and how it can support Adult Social Care’s ambition of supporting people to stay at home for longer
• Continuing to develop a range of housing accommodation that supports independence for those with complex and challenging needs.