Consultation with Chinese service users in receipt of care packages to determine their satisfaction with services
Contact officer: Paul Marr, Community Services
Tel: 0151 233 2839
Email: Paul.Marr@liverpool.gov.uk
Start date: 18 April 2007
End date: 28 September 2007
Purpose of the exercise:
To consult with Chinese service users who have received assessment and care management services from Liverpool's social work teams to determine their satisfaction with the services received
Who was consulted and how:
Focus group sessions were held at day-centres and sheltered housing schemes with all Chinese service users and carers currently in receipt of care services. Interpreters were available as required.
Who were the results of the exercise be reported to:
The results were reported to the council's:
- executive director for Community Services
- executive member for Social Care and Community Safety
What were the findings of the exercise:
Feedback was gained from focus groups held at Chung Hok House, the Sheila Kay day centre and the Chinese Lunch Club. The groups were asked how aware they were of the services offered by Community Services etc. Some people were aware of the types of services available, occupational health and home adaptations for example, but there was very little understanding about who provides each of these services. Some people said that did not receive any support from Community Services and they did not know how to access help.
Face-to-face contact with users through tri-weekly meetings at residential venues is seen as very important for staying in touch with the different types of service provided by Community Services.
The focus groups also found that contact is one of the main barriers for people accessing services and maintaining their independence. Careline, the council's contact point for care services, was difficult for people to use because of the language barrier and Language Line was not considered to be suitable. This results in many people feeling isolated from the service.
Service gaps identified by service users included:
- support when leaving hospital
- transportation to non-emergency medical appointments
- shopping - the Sheila Kay day centre does run trips to the supermarket, but some people have problems attending the day centre due to the language barrier, so can't take advantage of these
- language - people are excluded from attending day centres and are then subsequently excluded from services they provide
- letters - levels of literacy is an issue, but where this isn't, letters only in English caused problems for many people
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What were the changes to the service brought about as a result of the consultation:
The findings of the exercise were presented to development managers and the actions added to service plans.