Achievements in 2006/07

2006/07 was a challenging year for the Adult & Community Services Directorate. It faced continuing pressures as a result of growing demands and costs. However, the national inspectors for adult social care assessed Devon as serving “most” people well with “promising” prospects for improvement. Some examples of the many achievements and improvements in service delivery and strategic support in 2006/07 are: -

• Improved access to information, advice and services through a countywide Customer Service Centre.

• Improved choice and control for people by increasing take up of Direct Payments for adults from 398 to 849 and increasing by 50% the number of service users receiving a direct payment for their housing support service to ensure greater choice and control.

• The establishment of a national award winning carer’s link network which currently has 4,000 members and is continuing to increase. The network provides easy access to information, advice and services for carers .The award was presented by Carers UK.

• Continuing to improve services based on learning from feedback from complaints and improved the quality of response to and resolution of complaints.

• Dementia cafés (open drop in centres for people with dementia and their carers) developed and implemented in partnership with the voluntary sector across Devon.  Feedback from older people and their carers indicates that these have proved successful and popular.

• Increased supported employment and voluntary work for adults with a learning disability (from 105 in voluntary work in 2005/06 to 154 in 2006/07 and 107 in paid employment in 2005/06 to 113 in 2006/07).

• Increased numbers of learning disability service users helped to remain living in the community rather than in residential care and increase in number of people with learning disability moving into their own tenancy – over a hundred people in 2006/07 including 20 who are now house owners.

• Simplified access and reduced duplication by establishing new ways to bring together health, social care and support for all adults with mental health problems and dementia and their carers.

• Established an easy access “Take a Break” sitting service to support carers across Devon that is provided in the careered for person’s own home.

• Immediate benefits checks and financial assessments provided in people’s homes through use of new technology by the Financial Assessment and Benefits Team.

• Improved access to information through the establishment of a public information distribution system with Devon Library Services.

• Set up a Disability Information Service as part of the “My Devon” Customer Service Centre.

• Assisting an additional 203 people each year through improved and increased housing support for vulnerable adults at risk of exclusion.

• Starting to put in place improved range of preventive services for older people following the successful application for grant funding to the Department of Health.