Major revamp to social care in Doncaster

Doncaster Council has announced plans to transform adult social care services across the borough with a scheme called Your Life, Your Way which will take a local and personal approach to care and support.

It will take four years to fully implement the plan, say officials, but the early stages have already begun.

Bosses will try to improve access to support locally by bringing in centres they are calling ‘conversation points’ where people can discuss their needs at venues within their community, and be put in touch with groups who can help.

Adults, health and wellbeing director Kim Curry joined deputy mayor and Coun Glyn Jones at the launch.

Ms Curry said it was about forming partnerships with the NHS and others on a ‘team Doncaster’ basis.

The Doncaster NHS Clinical Commissioning Group and Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber Foundation Trust are also involved.

“What we’re talking about is services wrapping around the individual,” she said.

Coun Jones said the program’s aim was to help people stay at home for longer during their care.

“We know, through consultation with residents, that what people want is the chance to stay in the comfort of their own homes for as long as they possibly can and to have more choice and control in the care and support they receive.

“What we are ultimately trying to achieve with ‘Your Life, Your Way’ is to support people to stay independent for longer,” he said.

“We are moving to a personalised way of supporting people based upon their individual needs, choices and ways they want to live their life.

“Supporting people to live the best possible life is the lynchpin of the new approach.”

The programme’s aim is for patients to receive the right care at the right time.

Coun Jones said it was about modernising the system.

He said the new system was a result of listening to patients during the consultation process.

“People have told us they want to stay in their own homes and communities for as long as possible,” he said.

“People have also told us they want to live independent, healthy and fulfilling lives based on choices that are most important to them.”

He said the model has worked in other parts of the country, like Shropshire and Somerset.

Coun Jones said the approach had changed from looking at what people can’t do, to what people could do.

Keeping them in their own home and maintaining their interactions with their community is a far better option, he said.

“That is the main driver behind this,” Coun Jones said.