Changes coming for Wiltshire Council 'at home' care service
The authority wants to give people more choice
A 'new approach' is being put together to support people who want to live in their own homes across Wiltshire, but need some at home care and support.
Wiltshire Council is setting up a system they're calling 'Wiltshire Living Well at Home' to manage services when their current contract ends in October.
The authority say they want to work with local care providers to make sure people have 'access to high quality care services that treat them with dignity and respect'.
It's also aimed at improving choice, safety and maintaining the independence of those being cared for where possible.
Among the changes expected is to move from having three geographical zones of working across Wiltshire, to a total of 15.
The idea there is to meet demand while reducing costs and travel times for staff, who will work only in their dedicated area.
An improved 'telecare' system is also planned, to support people in their communities.
Cllr Jane Davies, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care said:
“Our current contract ends in October and we are looking at the best way to provide homecare in the future, which includes consulting with key stakeholders. We will go out to tender in the next few months to be ready for a new service from November which will be called Wiltshire Living Well at Home.
“We will take the good work from the current model, and the lessons learned, and ensure we build on that with our new alliance. We do this against a difficult backdrop where there is an increasing demand for care so we need to reassess and refresh the way we do things so we can continue to provide good quality care and meet the changing needs of residents.
"We want to support people to live independently, with a focus on preventing, reducing, and delaying the need for specialist services. This of course helps to manage demand and costs but ultimately it is better for the wellbeing of people needing care who want to stay in their homes where possible and have their independence.
“Our focus will be on providing a homecare service which is innovative, flexible and sustainable and one where we can make use of all types of support including technology, and recognising the importance of the support that comes from being part of communities, and voluntary and community organisations."