Service users draw up Southwark care plan

More than 150 older people and people with learning difficulties
have contributed to a plan drawn up by Southwark Council in London
to increase their independence and well being.

The 25-point plan follows a four-month investigation by the
council’s scrutiny panel into home care.

Service users were asked what they felt would make their lives
easier and enable them to live more independently. Voluntary
organisations representing and helping older people were also
consulted.

Scrutiny panel chairperson Janet Heatley said: “We decided to
take a fresh look at all services provided in the home and ask
disabled older people what problems they come up against and to
suggest ways of solving them.”

Among the recommendations included in the 20-page report are a
feasibility study into setting up a dementia team and negotiating
with the police to set up a borough-wide system of police checks
for care workers.

The council’s ratification committee will consider the report in
September.