Telford & Wrekin Council propose changes to services for disabled adults
Telford & Wrekin Council today revealed a series of proposed changes to services which support disabled adults, specifically those with learning disabilities.
The announcement marks the start of a three month consultation with service users, their parents and carers and staff on a new scheme called New Options – Doing Things Differently.
The council says that the New Options scheme will help provide disabled adults with more personalised services to suit their needs and takes account of national changes, where eligible individuals will receive a personal budget to spend on the support services they need.
The proposed changes would also help the council make savings by re-organising services which would make considerable savings for the council which must save another £20 million by 2016, on top of more than £50 million the Council has saved since 2009. New Options will contribute around £500,000 to these savings.
Councillor Arnold England, Telford & Wrekin Council cabinet member for Adult Social Care, said: “Against the backdrop of changes nationally and the need for us to provide more personalised services, we have no option but to change.
“At the same time, we must find new ways to provide more flexible services better suited to people’s needs and for services to be more efficient.
“The continuing reduction in Government grant means that we have to find ways of helping people to be more independent and manage with less support in the longer term.
“Our proposal is based on the things that our service users, their families and our staff want to see changed and improved in our current service. I firmly believe this represents the best way forward in a time of unprecedented cuts in grant. But it is very important that we hear the views of everyone involved in the service.”
New Options will be outlined at a series of sessions at the Park Inn today (Sept 3 at 10.30am, 1.30pm and at 6pm) to which service users, their families and staff have been invited. This is the start of the three month consultation.
A detailed document explaining New Options can be found at www.telford.gov.uk/newoptions, together with feedback forms.
The consultation closes on December 3 with the final model for services outlined in early 2014 and the new service coming into effect from April 2014.
