Posted on Tuesday 13th July 2021
People with learning disabilities who use the respite care service, carers and those who offer services will be asked their thoughts about how it should be provided post-pandemic.
Respite care services for adults with a learning disability could be revamped in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Services had previously been reviewed in 2019, but with the coronavirus pandemic affecting how many people can access building-based services at any one time, social work teams have come up with different solutions to ensure services can be offered in other ways.
Now, the county council wants to look again at these services to understand how they can embrace the changes that have been made, and make sure the services are fit for the future.
People with learning disabilities who use the service, their carers and people who offer services will be asked their thoughts, with a list of options on these services put before the county council’s cabinet later this year.
Respite, or replacement care services, give carers of adults with a learning disability a break from their caring role. These services can be in a residential setting, or can take place in the home.
The county council currently offers 28 beds of residential care in three homes, although this has been greatly reduced due to the pandemic, as well as care in people’s own homes.
County Councillor Julia Jessel, Cabinet Member for Health and Care, said:
The Covid-19 pandemic has meant we have had to look at different ways of offering our services to adults with a learning disability.
It has given us the chance to ensure our service users and their carers can get the services they need by embracing new ways of delivering services within peoples own homes without having to rely on building-based provision.
We now have the opportunity to examine our services and explore the options open to us to ensure our service users and their carers can continue to access the services they need post-pandemic in a way that helps people to lead full and independent lives for as long as possible.”
Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet will decide on the start of engagement with service users on July 21.