Your council
Portfolio briefing to council outlines progress despite significant challenges
Published on
A portfolio briefing about adult social care will take place at a full council meeting in Walsall on Monday 6 November 2023.
Councillor Keir Pedley, Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care at Walsall Council, will present the report, which contains news about its continuous improvement programme, a new community-based re-ablement and enablement service, the launch of a new Wellbeing portal, the development of a safeguarding adults improvement plan and updates about its locality social care teams, commissioning, occupational therapy, and mental health services.
“ These are very challenging times for adult social care nationally, regionally and locally. We have seen unprecedented growth in demand alongside increased costs and workforce pressures.
Despite these significant challenges, I’m pleased to report that great progress has been made. Walsall Council has bucked regional and national trends and has had successful social work and occupational therapy recruitment campaigns. Waiting lists for services have more than halved and we continue to be an area of outstanding practice for discharge from hospital, for people with care and support needs. Our health and care integration arrangements have even been shortlisted for a Health Service Journal (HSJ) Award to be judged next month.
“
The report shows that good progress has been made in the service’s continuous improvement programme and is delivering on this significant transformation programme.
It highlights that the council’s provider failure procedure has ensured that anyone impacted by the closure of a local adult social care provider has been moved safely and in a timely way to another support provider.
The council provides a 24-hour approved mental health professional hub carrying out the full range of statutory mental health practice. The report also shows that mental health services continue to make sound improvements and that the council is forging positive working relationships at a local and regional level.
A Principal Occupational Therapist was appointed in March 2023 and the report states that training has now been delivered to 41 locality based social workers and social assistants. August 2023 saw the opening of a new occupational therapy clinic based at the Goscote Centre in Walsall, with a view to identifying other community locations for clinics. The Council is planning to raise awareness of its occupational therapy service and the vital work it does to support residents during Occupational Therapy Week (Monday 6 to Sunday 12 November 2023).
This council meeting takes place on Monday 6 November 2023 and starts at 6pm. It is a public meeting and details about how the public can access the meeting and see associated papers on CMIS
Ends
