Agenda item

Councillor Alun Williams (Cabinet Member for Through Age and Wellbeing) provided an update on the Specialised Disability Services following Cabinet’s approval on 6 December 2022 for a wide-ranging engagement and consultation process that focused on the re-design of Respite and Day Opportunities. The approach encompassed key principles from the Through Age Wellbeing (TAW) Strategy alongside National and Regional Strategies relating to Learning Disabilities, Children Looked After and Respite services.

An extensive public engagement and consultation took place between March – August 2023, undertaken by an independent Company (Practice Solutions Limited); funded through the Regional Integrated Fund (RIF). In December 2023, the Cabinet approved eight proposals outlined in the report. Guided by the recommendations, in July 2024, the Council’s Leadership Group was made aware of further analysis that showed how traditional Day Services in Ceredigion lacked reach, depth and specialism (especially for citizens that needed support most), whilst trials of ‘open access’ day provisions had provided little direct benefit to the client (or value to the Authority).

To overcome this, the report outlined how the TAW division proposed to create a suite of Specialised Disability Services, accessed by clients as part of a care & support plan, where they were not already in receipt of other residential or supported accommodation provision, e.g., shared lives, supporting living. There would be three new core services, in descending order of complexity:

•        Complex Eligible Needs & Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD) - scaled education & transition services

•        Community Employment & Volunteering - guiding and connecting clients to long-term employment opportunities

•        Intermediate Eligible Needs - connecting clients, their families & networks with universal & community-based services; often via a Direct Payment element

For ineligible clients, an awareness programme would run (in parallel with the launch of the new service) to ensure they, alongside their families, carers and networks understood the breadth of universal services available across the wider TAW estate. This would develop the hub and spoke model recommended in the engagement & consultation report.

With the TAW Board's direction, the division has developed service specifications and staff profiles as outlined in the report. In parallel, the corporate body had supported the development of a staff consultation programme on the new services and operational structures, with an aim to launch before the end of March 2025. Unions had been briefed at key stages and would again be a central partner in the consultation exercise.

It was envisaged that the current estate of Day Services buildings would be largely retained given the geographical spread of the three key sites (Canolfan Padarn – Aberystwyth; Canolfan Meugan - Cardigan & Canolfan Steffan – Lampeter). It was likely that the Aberystwyth Adult Day Centre building, beneath the library, would be returned to the corporate estate for review. Subject to further direction from the Scrutiny Committee, it was intended to pursue the consultation exercise with staff in early Q1 2025/6 before returning with final proposals for the launch of the service and a communication programme with Clients, families, carers and the wider community.

Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions which were answered by Officers present and Councillor Alun Williams. The main points raised were as follows:

·       Although there were no catering facilities in the centres, there were opportunities for service users to cater for themselves and this had been incorporated into the Life Skills Programme.

·       It was agreed that Officers would contact Councillor Mark Strong to discuss further.

·       Concerns were raised with access to transport and the level of services for service users in rural communities compared to those who accessed the 3 hubs. It was noted that the focus was on each service user’s needs and to create opportunities for people at home and in their local communities, rather than having to travel to the hubs where appropriate.  Historically, many service users who had attended day centres would have been better supported elsewhere.

·       Given the cost associated with the specialist facilities in centres such as the sensory room in Canolfan Padarn and Steffan, it would not be realistic to have the provision in each community. Service users who required specialist services as part of their care and support plan would have access to the nearest hub that included the facilities required for them. Support would be provided to access the facilities. 

·       From a staffing perspective, there were issues nationally with the recruitment of Social Care staff, including qualified staff recruitment, which had been a challenge in Ceredigion. 

·       Concerns were raised that Tregaron had lost its services, and although there were plans for Cylch Caron, there were questions about whether local residents would receive the same level of service as other areas.

It was AGREED to note the report.