The More Than Words strategy continues to be a priority area for the council and we are committed to concluding the actions in years one and two of the plan and preparing for year three. [Read more…]
Person Centred Planning approaches to POVA investigations
The Social Services and Well-being Act (Wales) asks us to strengthen our approach to Adult Safeguarding. It will transform the way Social Services are delivered and promotes peoples independence, it asks us to ensure that our customers are at the centre of what we do and that we consult and listen to them. Within disability services, the adults we work with often have communication difficulties and this presents a challenge to ensure their views are heard. Involving them in the POVA process is a challenge we needed to address, particularly with regard to POVA investigations. [Read more…]
The Code of Practice Staff Sessions
The Code of Practice for Social Care Workers sets down the standards of conduct, so workers know what is expected of them and the public know what to expect from workers. [Read more…]
Health & Wellbeing Act Training
The Social Services and Well Being (Wales) Act requires considerable preparation for its implementation in April 2016. and at the time when planning this training in Conwy there was no concrete details yet in place for the Care Council Wales training to be implemented regionally, later in 2015-6. [Read more…]
Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards
On the 19th March 2014, the law with regards to people who lacked capacity to make decisions as to where they live and about their care planning arrangements changed overnight in England and Wales. A simple ‘acid test’ was introduced by the Supreme Court in that anyone who had been placed in a Residential/Nursing Home, Hospital or Supported Living project and lacked capacity; who was monitored 24 hours a day and not allowed to go out alone would need to be assessed for a Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). [Read more…]
Rural Families First
All families living in the rural area face deprivation of access to services. On top of this many also experience poverty. [Read more…]
Establishing the Community Wellbeing section
The Community Wellbeing Service was newly created in June 2014. One of its three sections, all of which are focussed on supporting people to achieve without creating dependence on services, is the Independent and Third Sector Relationships Section. The Social Services and Well-being Act requires that we understand our communities and their needs better, and that we work with them to develop services which meet those needs. We know that, with the financial challenges we face, we will not be able to meet those needs without close working with the independent/private sector or organisations in the third and community sector.
What’s changed?
In 2014/15 we identified the need for the team, and drew together existing staff roles which would form part of the team. We recognised that the team would need a manager and that a dedicated post to focus on commissioning services that weren’t for children and young people was also needed. These posts were advertised and recruited to. The staff who were already in post have proactively sought to work together, identifying opportunities for improved approaches and co-ordinated work.
What difference has it made?
Internally, we have changed the culture of our approach – we wish to work in partnership with our citizens and providers. Externally we want to ensure that the focus on prevention leads to fewer people needing more intensive support, as we will assist people to find the appropriate support when it is needed, as they work to maintain and retain their independence. The establishment of the team has set the clear direction of the Conwy Social Care approach; working with our community, providers and potential providers to develop the services needed within the county. The team has started to review existing contracts, identifying opportunities for improved arrangements and alternative approaches to commissioning.
(The difference made by the team will be seen most keenly over the next 12 months, as processes for managing grant allocations become more streamlined, needs-based market position statements will be developed to show the direction in which the authority is seeking development for services. A clear, focussed commissioning strategy will be developed, our approach to prevent escalation of need and ensure that people are supported to be independent will be evident within it.)
Development of Vulnerable People Service
Within the previous structure, teams were set up to provide services for individuals with particular diagnosed conditions such as mental illness, disability, learning disability or characteristics such as age. This system failed some people who did not fall into the traditional structure. Previously, such individuals would be passed between teams with case holders having little expertise to meet their unique vulnerability and presentation. Even more concerning was the possibility that they would fall through the net entirely and regularly present challenging issues for all community services such as housing, fire service and police. [Read more…]
What Matters conversation
On 2nd December 2013, The Wales Government published statutory guidance for Health Boards and Local Authorities called “Integrated Assessment, Planning and Review Arrangements for Older People”. Link [Read more…]
Single Point of Access (Conwy Access Team)
“The Single Point of Access service provides Information, Advice and Support to individuals regarding health & wellbeing to assist with individual wellbeing needs”.
Contact the Single Point of Access team
Responding to the Social Services & Wellbeing Act 2014
During 2014-15 we have implemented our Transformation Programme to re-align services to better serve the people of Conwy, within the ethos of the new Act. [Read more…]