New and innovative partnership approach agreed for social care sector

Bridgend County Borough Council is working in partnership with Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board on an innovative approach to support the health and social care system.

At a Bridgend County Borough Council Cabinet meeting on Tuesday 19 October, Cabinet Members approved plans for a pilot scheme which would see a closer integration with the health board.

It will see a number of health care support workers within the health board’s community resource team being funded by the local authority for work within the social care sector.

The sector continues to be severely impacted by Covid-19 with demands for care and support at home significantly increasing over the past year and ongoing challenges in recruiting new staff.

We are working together with Cwm Taf University Health Board to support the whole health and social care system by building on the already very successful integrated health and social care services.

This partnership with the health board will help increase service capacity and help maintain safe, timely and efficient health and social care for those in need. It is forecast that the long-term impact of coronavirus, alongside the already-known pressures of an ageing population, increasing dementia rates and more complex and challenging needs will continue to place increasing demands on already pressurised services.

By bringing additional capacity into community services, it will release beds in hospital that are occupied due to people being unable to access care and support. This then also improves capacity within the hospital to take care of those who are acutely ill.

Councillor Nicole Burnett, Cabinet Member for Social Services and Early Help