Call for people to have their say on major adult social care shake-up in South Tyneside

South Tyneside Council is currently consulting on its draft five-year vision and strategy for social care services.

Entitled ‘Living Better Lives,’ the plans aim to help people remain safe and well in their neighbourhoods and will focus on the principles of people, place and partnerships.

A total of eight draft priorities are proposed ranging from health and wellbeing, partnerships and supporting people to remain in control of their care, to making adult social care a career of choice and developing a “place-based system” of care and support.

A public consultation on the plans launched last week with the results expected to shape the final document.

At a meeting of the borough’s Health and Wellbeing Board on Wednesday, September 22, council bosses urged borough residents to have their say.

Vicki Pattinson, the council’s director of adult social services, told the meeting: “What we do know is when adult social care is done well it can have a real positive impact in terms of people’s lives.

“What people tell us is that they want a place to call home where they can do the things that they love in their local communities and that they can do the things that matter to them.

“Adult social care is much more than just beds, medication and personal care, it’s about relationships, communities, local neighbourhoods, employment and having choice and control.

“That’s the conversation that we really want to have now with our local residents, the neighbourhoods and the communities about how do we really reshape and inform our adult social care strategy moving forward.”

As part of the vision and development of the strategy, the council wants to work with people to recognise their strengths and assets to enable them to stay in control of their own lives.

By identifying those most at risk of needing support earlier, people will be enabled to live independently in their communities for longer.

The draft five-year vision and strategy was endorsed by all members of the Health and Wellbeing Board, which includes representatives from the council, NHS and voluntary and community sector.

Councillor Anne Hetherington, cabinet member for independence and wellbeing, praised teams for their work on the strategy and urged residents to make their voices heard in the ongoing consultation.

“South Tyneside residents do have the opportunity to influence and have their say because it will be a co-production document and we’re totally committed to making sure that that is what this is,” she added.

“It isn’t a document just for information, it’s something that the residents do genuinely have the opportunity to influence and change.

“I would urge everyone to take part because not one of us knows when we may need social care so it’s important that social care is framed for the future of South Tyneside and its residents.”

Alongside several engagement events and the council going out to local communities, feedback will be gathered through a consultation survey.

People are encouraged to give their views on the strategy before the consultation deadline of October 29 2021.

The survey is available at www.southtyneside.gov.uk/haveyoursay and [email protected]

Paper copies are also available on request by calling (0191) 424 6000.

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