Improved service despite cash cuts

PEOPLE who use social care services in Rotherham are getting faster access to the help they need, despite funding cuts.

A national assessment has found that Rotherham services’ work to support adult health and wellbeing has seen improvements over the last 12 months.

The improvement has been achieves despite the national austerity measures which saw a reduction of £6million in Rotherham’s funding for those services.

The council has used customer feedback and experience to redesign services and develop innovative, award winning approaches to respond and support much quicker to customer’s needs.

Councillor John Doyle, cabinet member for adult social care at Rotherham Council, said with the financial challenges faced by the council it has to find new and innovative ways of working.

He said: “These results show that our vulnerable adults are getting their needs assessed and getting access to help and support quickly and efficiently.”

“With the financial challenges that the council and our partners face we have to find new ways of working and innovative ways of offering services and we are committed to having the highest standards of care available to people across the borough.”

The improvement to services have led to almost 7,5000 people having their needs reviewed, 400 more than last year and most of those were on a face-to-face basis.

There was an increase of 1,600 in the number of people who had to opportunity to access services of their choice via a personal budget - now 5,750 people.

More than 5,000 new people requiring care and support had their care needs assessed, while 97.5 per cent of people received their care services within 28 days following their care assessment, an increase of more than 350 people.

The improvements also led to 98.5 per cent of alerts of adult safeguarding concerns were addressed within 24 hours, an increase of 14.5 per cent.

A national survey of service users in Rotherham has also shown satisfaction rates increase.

This now rates Rotherham as one of the best in the country with regards to improving their quality of life and satisfaction with the care and support provided.

People who use social care services in Rotherham are getting faster access to the help they need according to a national assessment.

The improvements to social care services in the borough comes after a report found that ‘significant improvements’ to child protection services had also been made across the region.

It graded the child protection services as adequate.

The inspection was carried out under the new framework for child protection services and Ofsted said many ‘positive improvements’ have been introduced, although it is too early to judge their full impact.