The Adult Services Scrutiny Performance Panel met on 24 September to discuss the report from Councillor Mark Child, Cabinet Member for Care, Health and Ageing Well on ‘ Supported Living Developments for Mental Health & Learning Disability Services’.
The report included the following:
- A summary of the profile of supply of supported living services
- An explanation of the re-commissioning programmes which are underway for learning disabilities (LD) and mental health (MH) services
- A description of recently developed and pipeline services
- A summary of regional opportunities
The report concludes that ‘the arrangements are fit for purpose’
Scrutiny councillors on this Panel were able to discuss and question Cllr Child and senior officers within the Services around the discussions held earlier last month with parents of adults with LD and MH issues and the concerns they had with the services including:
- Lack of communication between parents & care providers
- Care plans and contracts not deemed transparent and many parents expressed concerns about not having access to their adult children’s care plans
- High level of carer staff turnover
- Lack of training of carer staff
- Instability brought forth by change of management and/or care provider affecting the service users’ well-being.
Councillor Peter Black, convenor of the Panel is due to write to Cllr Child to reflect on the meeting and discussions held.
To keep up to date with this Panel and to read all letters sent and received from Cabinet please click here.
Why is it so difficult to access supported living, when parents are in their 70s and 80s? Also, when their sons and daughters are in their 40s and 50s?
Why is it so difficult to find placements within the larger area that the learning disabled adults are familiar with?
Surely older parent carers who are unwell / widowed / or also looking after a partner shouldbe prioritised over young, healthy couples who still have family young enough to help them with their caring responsibilities? If the older main Carer is taken ill then there are at least 3 people to be cared for, proving far more expensive than simply helping the main carer a little bit more.
Thank you for your comment. We will pass this on to Adult Social Services.