Community Services review
Contact officer: Aileen Walsh, development manager, Community Partnerships, Community Services
Tel: 0151 233 5335
Email: Aileen.Walsh@liverpool.gov.uk
Start date: 4 October 2007
End date: 31 March 2008
Purpose of the exercise:
Community Support Services is an essential service that assists and supports the independence, inclusion, choice and well-being of adults and older people. It is a modern service that aims to further improve through delivering a person-centred service in the future. The services it provides should reflect modern policy and practice based around individual planning. The service is proposing changes that will achieve this and this consultation exercise allows services users to give their opinion on these changes.
Who was consulted and how:
Service users, including:
- the Black and Racial Minorities network
- the Disability Network
- the Carers' Group
- the 50+ Group
- service providers
- joint commissioning groups for older people and mental health
- partnership boards
were consulted via:
- focus groups
- events
- partnership board meetings
- joint commissioning group meetings
- meetings via the Liverpool Community Network
Who were the results of the exercise reported to:
The results were reported to the:
- executive board at their 25 April 2008 meeting
- Health and Adult Social Care select committee
What were the findings of the exercise:
What people value from the services they currently receive:
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social support
-
mental and emotional support
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sign-posting to services
-
reduction in social isolation
-
committed, good, enthusiastic, friendly and approachable staff
-
drop-in services
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community activities, for example art therapy, alternative therapies, healthy eating, communters
-
one-to-one counselling
-
the opportunity to self-refer
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non-judgemental/no labelling/no stigmatizing - the importance of anonymity when accessing the service
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opportunitities for education and to gain qualitifications
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confidence building
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respect, including cultural respect, for service users
-
choice for service users
Changes people would like to see:
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courses continuing, even if numbers are low
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evening and weekend opening
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increased staffing levels and staff training
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more funding for activities/days out
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information from professionals on such things as benefits and moving house
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boundary restrictions being lifted
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a bigger choice of services
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improved communications between professionals
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continuity of support workers
-
bigger, better buildings
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being informed in advance if activities are cancelled
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a hybrid of services, a building-based service when people are feeling vulnerable, with the opportunity to participate in community and mainstream opportunties as confidence increases
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improved access for the disabled
What are the changes to the service brought about as a result of the consultation:
Community support services are being put out to tender to ensure that services meet the needs and requirements of those who access them, any gaps in service provision are filled and to enable the council to meet the Government's agenda for the personalisation of services that will focus more on meeting individual needs for choice and control within their daily lives.